OBUSE

The little town of Obuse was such a surprise. After our visit to the Snow Monkey Park in Yudanaka on the afternoon of our arrival, we had a whole day to do…we were not sure what. The weather wasn’t great and all the summer activities in the area had already closed as snow might set in soon. We were recommended to go to Obuse, a town which thrived two hundred years ago, but nowadays is better known for its apples and milk. When a place is famous for something edible in Japan, know that it is probably the best you’ll ever eat. Obuse is a culinary gem, but I’m starting to suspect that Japan is king when it comes to food…there are few places in the world where you can stumble from city to town to hamlet and be constantly surprised by what you find to eat.

And here specifically: what a joy to find ourselves in the midst of the chestnut season – another specialty of this area – with every shop in Obuse focusing on making something spectacular out of this humble nut.

After a day of walking through the town, visiting temples, eating titbits as they presented themselves (and boy, they did this all the time), being offered the Most Delicious Grapes In The World by some lovely elderly farmers (the benefit of traveling with two sweet kids), we were happy to pin ourselves on the local tourism centre’s map of where their visitors come from. First South Africans here…or the first to pin to the board. Who knows. Awesome day!

All these choices! Food display in the restaurant’s window. This one was particularly impressive.

Apple butter.

Beautiful statue at Gansho-in Temple

At Joko-ji temple you pray for love and good health, these are prayers for good health against cancer.

Beautiful autumn colors.

I saw this mother and child statue in the Joko-ji temple’s grounds.

Hokusai painting (extract)

Best grapes in the whole entire world.

Chestnut rice is the local speciality. Here served with the usual titbits we don’t always know what we are eating…

Country road.

Gansho-in Templre

Joko-ji temple. This was situated in a beautiful wood.

Fresh farm produce for sale.

Mini apples.

Here they are making chestnut shaped cakes filled with apples and apple jelly.

Someone’s beautiful garden that we saw on our walk.

All the shops in Japan seem to follow this essence of beautiful display and teasing you first with the eyes…

They have some freaky spiders here (I thought the worst was in Madagascar, but these can give them a run for their money any day!)

This restaurant’s speciality is chestnut rice. It was delicious.

There we are.

This I love about the Japanese delicatessens, they display every item they sell so you know what you’re getting into.