I recently shared details of a day trip
traversing the Kii Peninsula via Japan’s longest bus route
—presented in two parts.
Did everyone get a chance to read the article?
*If you haven’t read it yet, please be sure to check it out via this link.
Although it was just a day trip,
I really enjoyed this trip.
As a memento of my own travels,
I bought some souvenirs for my beloved family and my coworkers, who have been so kind to me.
In this post, I’d like to share with you the souvenirs I bought while traveling.
I hope this serves as a helpful guide for buying souvenirs when you visit Shingu.
Enough with the preamble.
Let’s take a look right away.
The store where I bought the souvenirs
I bought almost all of my souvenirs at this store.
This is the Mini KUMANO Shop, a souvenir shop located to the right of the ticket gates at Shingu Station on the JR Kisei Main Line.
As far as I can see around the station,
I couldn’t find any other souvenir shops besides this one.
If I had taken a careful stroll around the station area,
I might have been able to find other souvenir shops as well.
However, due to time constraints,
I didn’t have time for that, so I decided to buy it here.
It’s a small shop.
But it carries a wide selection of Wakayama’s local specialties.
With the exception of certain products,
I bought almost all of my souvenirs at this store.
Now, let’s take a look at the items we bought.
Souvenirs I Bought
These are the souvenirs I bought.
Let’s go through them one by one.
First up are the souvenirs I bought for my coworkers.
These are the yuzu citrus and ume plum monaka* from ≪Minatoya≫, a long-established Japanese confectionery shop in Nanki-Shirahama. *Japanese sweet with sweet beans on the inside and two crispy wafers made from pounded rice on the outside.
Each package contains 12 pieces.
Of all the souvenirs I bought this time, this one caught my attention the most.
I also bought some tuna rice crackers (15 per box) from Nachikuro Sohonpo.
And now, here are the souvenirs I bought for my family.
This is the Minatoya Yuzu Monaka (18-piece box) I mentioned earlier.
This is a can of simmered whale meat sold by the Taiji Town Fisheries Cooperative.
Although the cans are different colors,
the contents are the same.
The blue can on the left is for me
I gave the yellow can on the right to my family.
・Whole, fully ripened Jabara marmalade from Kitayama Village,
・Kitayama Village・Jabara Pepper
This is marmalade and pepper made with jabarra from Kitayama Village, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture.
Kitayama Village in Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, is the only village in Japan that is an exclave, located between Nara and Mie Prefectures.
Kitayama Village is famous for its jabara production.
By the way, “jabara” is a citrus fruit similar to yuzu and kabosu.
According to information on the Kitayama Village official website,
jabara is a fruit that grows wild only in Kitayama Village in Japan.
It has become a local specialty that supports the village’s economy.
Also, a variety of products made with jabara are manufactured and sold.
If you’re interested in Jabara products,
please visit this online store (Jabara Village).
It looked delicious, so I bought them for my family.
Next to the box of yuzu monaka is・・・
This is Yamazaki Baeido’s Chocolate Crunch, “The Story of the Kumano Kodo.”
I bought this for the owner of my regular hair salon.
I had made a reservation for haircut for two days after my trip.
Since the timing was just right,
I gave it to them as a token of my gratitude for everything they do.
They were very happy.
This is a souvenir I bought for myself.
This is a ramen set (3 servings) developed under the supervision of the ramen restaurant “Wa Dining Seino Main Store” in Arida City, Wakayama Prefecture.
This is another souvenir I bought for myself.
This is the ≪Kumano Kodo T-shirt≫.
On the back of this,
it depicts an ant on a pilgrimage along the Kumano Kodo.
This is the front.
Its simple design makes it easy to pair with any outfit.
That’s all for the souvenirs I bought.
From here on, I’ll share my thoughts on the souvenirs I bought for myself after actually trying them.
Enjoying the Souvenirs I Bought
First, let’s take a look at this…
This is Minatoya’s yuzu monaka.
“Huh? Wasn’t it in the box?”
You probably thought that.
The boxed monakas introduced in the previous section are,
for my family and co-workers.
At the time I was in Shingu,
I didn’t buy it for myself.
However, after I got home,
“I really should have bought one for myself, too,” I thought regretfully.
So, I looked for stores in Osaka City that sell specialty products from Wakayama.
And then I found it.
On the second floor of KITTE Osaka, a shopping complex near JR Osaka Station, there are specialty shops featuring products from each prefecture.
I found out that it is sold at the Wakayama Prefecture Yuasa Town promotional shop “Yutari, Mattari, Yuasanpo”
which is located there
I went right away and bought a 6-pack of monaka.
Overall, the sweetness is on the milder side.
The refreshing aroma , the subtle sweetness of the yuzu filling
and the savory flavor of the dough fills my mouth.
It was light and very delicious.
Next,
I will introduce to you the minke whale simmered in soy sauce (Taiji Town Fisheries Cooperative).
Taiji Town in Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, located relatively close to Shingu City, is,
known as the birthplace of traditional whaling.
It is still famous as a place where whaling is thriving.
Actually, this is the first time I’ve ever eaten whale meat.
This is a dish I’ve been really looking forward to.
By the way,
Yamato-ni is a simmered dish in which meat is seasoned with ginger, soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and other ingredients to create a rich, sweet-and-salty flavor.
Here’s what it looks like inside.
It’s packed full.
As far as quantity goes, there’s nothing to complain about.
To be frank,
it was delicious.
There is absolutely no unpleasant odor.
Although the seasoning is a bit on the strong side,
I can really taste the rich umami flavor of the whale meat.
It’s delicious even at room temperature.
What’s more, it has a very soft texture.
So it was very easy to eat.
This dish is perfect as a snack to go with drinks.
It was so delicious that
I hesitated to finish it all in one night.
So I ate half of it.
I decided to save the other half for lunch the next day.
This is the lunch I had the next day.
Between the rice and the miso soup is,
“kujira no yamatoni”, the whale meat simmered in a sweet soy sauce-based broth.
I heated it in the microwave for about a minute.
I sprinkled a small amount of shichimi togarashi chili pepper on it and enjoyed it.
It goes perfectly with
not only alcohol but also hot rice.
By sprinkling some shichimi chili pepper on it,
it tastes even better now.
It really makes me want to keep eating rice.
I ate it all in the blink of an eye.
It was my first time trying whale meat.
It was really delicious.
I’d definitely like to try various whale meat dishes in the future.
Starting with “Yamatoni” minke whale in a rich, slow-simmered stew,
if you are interested in whale meat products,
please be sure to visit the official website of the Taiji Town Fisheries Cooperative Super Online Shop.
And now I’d like to introduce one more dish.
This is a ramen set (3 servings) created under the supervision of ≪Wa Dining Kiyono Main Store≫.
“Wa Dining Seino” is a ramen restaurant located in Arida City, Wakayama Prefecture.
It contains noodles and soup.
I used the vegetables and frozen dumplings I had in the fridge.
It might not look very good.
But…
The taste is absolutely perfect.
You can really enjoy the taste of not only soy sauce and chicken bones,
but also the rich umami flavor of the fish and shellfish.
Contrary to appearances,
it’s surprisingly light.
The medium-thick noodles cling firmly to the soup.
I was able to enjoy it right down to the very last bite.
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Summary
This is the third installment in my series, “A Day Trip Across the Kii Peninsula on Japan’s Longest Bus Route”.
I’ve introduced the souvenirs I bought during my trip.
How was it?
Mini KUMANO Shop, a souvenir shop we stopped by on this trip, is a small store.
A wide variety of attractive Wakayama specialties are available for purchase.
All the items I purchased were wonderful.
Family members, coworkers, the owner of my regular hair salon,
Everyone was happy.
The items featured here are also available for purchase online.
Not all of them, but,
some of these products are also available at the Wakayama Prefecture promotional shop.
To start with, even just one item is fine.
I hope you will appreciate the charms of Wakayama
by buying some and try it for yourself.
After you discover its appeal,
please be sure to take the Yagi-Shingu Line
and visit Shingu.
I’m sure there are many enjoyable experiences waiting for all of you, my readers.
It’s also a good idea to visit famous tourist spots in major cities.
On the other hand, rural areas away from urban centers also have plenty to offer.
I truly realized that through this trip on the Yagi-Shingu Line.
Through traveling,
By buying souvenirs,
By enjoying local cuisine,
They will also help revitalize the local economy.
I hope that
this article be helpful
when you shop for souvenirs for your loved ones and friends.
Thank you very much for reading to the end once again.
See you in the next article.
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