国産みの淡路島| Awaji Island, the birthplace of Japan

Nhi Tran

2017.11.16

To make my experience of Japan more complete, last week our manager Kuno-san took us on a wonderful trip to Awaji Island. According to a folklore, Awajishima is believed to be the birthplace of Japan, a beautiful hidden gem across the sea in Hyogo Prefecture.

We had to leave very early in the morning to reach Ashiya Station at 8:30 am, and then enjoyed the beautiful mountainous views in Kuno-san’s car on the way to Awajishima. We arrived at Awajishima 1 hour later, after crossing the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world. Although it was raining, we could still see a breathtaking view of the sea from the bridge. I felt as if we were on our way to a different land as we drove through the endless foggy road.

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Our first stop on the island was the Hokudan Earthquake Museum, where we could learn and see memories about the Great Hanshin Earthquake in January 17th, 1995, just 3 days after the day I was born. The Nojima Fault is preserved within the building as a visual reminder of the earthquake disaster. In the Hokudan area, the damage was minimized thanks to close everyday communication among the local, which is a valuable lesson in disasters. As a disaster-prone country, it’s amazing how Japanese try to keep alive the memories from disasters happened in the past and convey the message for the future generations. This reminded me of the slogan at the fire station near the Gelateria in Kyoto “災害に強いまちづくり” ー Building a strong community against disasters.

We then had lunch at a washoku restaurant with shirasu fish and local lemon and rice beer, truly enjoyed Japanese cuisine with not only fresh tastes of seafood but also beautiful presentation of the dishes.20171108_124905.jpgAfter lunch we visited Izanagi Shrines, which is said to be the oldest shrine in the country. Having been to many shrines before but this was the first time I was taught by Komamizu-san how to wash my hands properly at the “temizuya” water pavilion. 

Leaving the shrines, we went to buy some Takosenbei as omiyage for our trip, and then stopped at a cafe near the beach. We enjoyed desert and the beautiful view towards the sea.

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The peaceful countryside, stunning coastal lane and the simple way of living here really made me reminiscent of my own hometown. Thank you for bringing me this experience to discover more about the beautiful nature, historic culture, and unique cuisine of Japan.

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プレマルシェ・ジェラテリア

  • 自然食屋が、そのノウハウの全てを注ぎ込んだ京都のジェラート店
  • イタリアジェラート協会 国際コンテスト3年連続複数部門受賞
  • 正統イタリアン・ジェラートでありながら、和素材を生かしている
  • 機能素材やスーパーフードを多用し、罪悪感ゼロで楽しめる
  • 日本最大級のヴィーガン、ノンミルクジェラートの品揃え
  • 安価で味の粗いサトウキビ由来の白砂糖は一切不使用
  • 合成乳化剤・合成安定剤、合成食品添加物は一切不使用
  • 主に外国人から特別に高い評価を受け、行列になる日もある
  • チーフ・ジェラティエーレ(ジェラート職人)は中川信男
  • 前代未聞の「ジェラートのすべてが米素材100%」も各種開発
  • 「食べたら血流が増加する」という公的試験機関データあり
  • 京都でフードバリアを超えるというプロジェクトを立ち上げ
    Beyond “Food barrier”! 参照 )
  • 私たちが作るジェラートは「心の薬である」と真剣に希求