旅と料理の掲示板　さぁ、旅に出よう。

A little while ago (around the time the 213 retired), I visited Owada Station, said to be one of Japan's most secluded stations, and the Tenryu Gorge, a nearby river. To get there, I stayed at a hotel near Tenryukyo Station and took a train the next day, arriving in about an hour on a local train. After getting off at the station and exploring the surroundings a bit, I saw the wide, lake-like Tenryu River valley below and saw ripe persimmons still clinging to the trees. Owada Station is surrounded by mountains and is located very close to the border of Shizuoka, Nagano, and Aichi prefectures. It's deep in the mountains of Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture. This station is notable for its old station building, but inside, you'll find a disused platform in the back, a station notebook, and various photos displayed. Everything served at the hotel was apparently made from wild vegetables, fruits, and grilled fish caught in the vicinity. Have any of you ever visited a secluded station like this?

This year, I traveled from Shimanami Kaido through Ehime, Kochi, Tokushima, and Kagawa, then returned to Honshu via the Seto Ohashi Bridge. Living in Hiroshima, where there isn't much flat land, I was deeply impressed by the grandeur of the Tokushima plains and the sheer size of the Yoshino River.

I live in the countryside, where it takes hours to get to Tokyo. The other day, I visited using the highway and Shinkansen starting from early morning. Although it was a short stay, I went to various places using trains and taxis. Toyosu Market, accessible by Yurikamome Line, is located near teamLab, a facility you can visit on foot. Unfortunately, most shops inside Toyosu Market were not open, possibly due to the time of day, but I was able to buy souvenirs at 'Senkyaku Banrai,' a nearby area with many Japanese-style shops. From there, I returned to Shimbashi Station and, after transferring to buses and taxis, had a seafood donburi at the Ebina SA (Service Area) northbound. The last two photos, which are my profile picture, are from Ebina SA, described as the largest SA in Japan (though you can't see it in the photos, it's written on the automatic doors). They sell a wide variety of items, so I think you won't have trouble finding souvenirs here. The Monjayaki (I forgot to take a picture) I ate on my Tokyo trip and the seafood donburi I had at Ebina Service Area had a taste that felt like a travel classic. When you visit Tokyo, be sure to enjoy the spots and the food!

Visited Tenryu-Futamata Station on the Tenhama Line, a third-sector railway running through western Shizuoka Prefecture. It's a station that feels like stepping right into a movie. This station supports various characters, and you can buy merchandise for Evangelion, Yuru Camp, Otomachi Una, and more at the station shop. Every week, tours to see the adjacent train depot are held here. And right now, for a limited time, the station signs have become 'Third Village,' just like in the second photo (Is it still ongoing? Someone please tell me). Look around to find the Spear of Longinus from the first photo, which is also stuck somewhere. Regarding the location in photos 3-6, the Otomachi Una wrapped train was undergoing inspection, the Yuru Camp train was under repair, and the train in photo 6 was parked in a line of three within the premises. A brand new train that just debuted is in the middle. The last two images show Otomachi Una collaboration panels. I left on the train to Kakegawa, which departed an hour later.

The FamilyMart near the subway station at Kanayama Station in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, is only a 5-step walk across the aisle. This is definitely too close. ...Or so I'd like to say, but there's actually a good reason for it. The second image is of the convenience store on the left, which I got permission to photograph. The poster inside indicates that you need to go to the larger convenience store on the other side to make a purchase. The smaller store sells frozen items like ice cream, while everything else is sold at the larger store. Therefore, you need to use the aisle to pay for items purchased at the smaller store at the larger one. If you know of any other unusual convenience stores like this, please let me know!

Last weekend, I visited Tsutsui Station, famous for being a tunnel station. After multiple transfers, I finally arrived by train (apparently, a diesel car runs on this line). Contrary to this picture, it started raining suddenly on the way, making the ground chilly and the inside of the tunnel extremely cold, almost making me catch a cold. I think I made a mistake choosing the train, as the next one was delayed by 2 hours. This was a day when express trains were running, and I happened to encounter one passing through the station. I couldn't go out onto the platform for safety reasons when it passed. When the train for my return trip arrived, after a somewhat eerie alarm sound, I took it and stayed overnight near the next station, Nadachi Station. I wish I could have eaten crab in Nōe... Addendum: This is Tsutsui Station on the Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihonkai Hisui Line in Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture.