Every year between September 2 and December 1 the “Nichinan Coastline Ise Lobster Festival” takes place in Miyazaki prefecture’s Nichinan city. It celebrates the big catch of the famous delicious Ise lobsters. Over 20 shops and restaurant participate in the long-running event and provide the opportunity to eat Ise lobsters at a discounted price. Many tourists come here during the period of festival. I want to introduce one Japanese style ryokan inn called Kitago Onsen Marushinso. Here you can enjoy delicious lobster dishes and a good-quality hot spring.
Kitago Onsen Marushinso
Kitago Onsen town is located between Nichinan Coastline, known for the famous shrine Udo Jingu, and Obi castle town. It is therefore sometimes called “Miyazaki’s inner parlor”. The town is located 5 minutes away by car from JR Nichinan Line’s Kitago Station and impresses with the lush green of Inohae valley and the rice paddies. Kitago Onsen’s Marushinso ryokan inn has 12 simple but nice rooms. The food served includes local seasonal products and the specialty hot-pot “Shishi-nabe”. Many visitors come here for a day trip, to try the local food and the hot spring.
One reason I recommend this inn compared to the others in Kitago Onsen is because of its Ise lobster dishes. The dinner includes 3 and a half lobsters per person! A banner saying “Ise Lobsters Festival” is placed in front of the inn to invite the guests.
Refresh in this skin beautification hot spring
This hot spring is known for its good quality and many local people stop by in the evenings. There is an indoor bath as well as an open-air bath. The water is reddish brown because of its components. The open-air rock bath is particularly pleasant and wide, ideal for women. The water is just slightly turbid and embraces the skin well. This is a true skin-beautification hot spring. It’s a bit hot next to the hot-water tap but very pleasant at the other end.
Hot spring quality Day trip hot spring: 9 am to 9 pm Admission fee: Adult 400 JPY Water quality: Sodium chloride bicarbonate Temperature: 50.4 degrees
Enjoy the abundant Ise lobsters dinner
The menu has reasonable prices and I strongly recommend the seasonal “Ise lobsters set menu”. Many visitors come here just to try the dinner which includes three and a half lobsters per person. One night with two meals costs 13 687 JPY per person.
Let me introduce this great dinner. The Ise lobsters are always fresh, sweet and taste just perfect. The set menu consists of many dishes such as a lobster salad, boiled, roasted and fried lobsters. All of them have a rich taste and in general this dinner is quite abundant. Other meals include sashimi slices, roasted turban shell, three types of small pots, pickled seaweeds, octopus and shark pieces, savory steamed egg custard with chicken and other delicacies. The menu includes plenty of seafood.
The Ise lobster miso soup is delicious too
The set menu ends with Ise lobster miso soup, rice with lobster pieces and a dessert. I recommend the miso soup as it’s really delicious. This dinner includes plenty of lobster dishes and leaves you completely satisfied. You can actually try it even if you come on a day trip for 5250 JPY (although some of the dishes are different).
Conclusion
There is a closed season for lobster fishing, so savoring these dishes during the festival period is a great local attraction. Relax in the skin-beautification hot spring and then treat yourself with this top-class Ise lobster dinner to enjoy fully your trip to Miyazaki. Note: The exact dates of the Ise Lobster Festival vary according to the year, so please check in advance.
History
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