Planning your trip to Kanayama
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What to Eat
KISSATEN / COFFEE SHOPS Kanayama has a variety of kissaten. Most offer a fairly limited selection of coffees (no lattes nor espressos in Kanayama -- yet), but many have a small selection of snacks, meals, and Japanese comics and magazines. Many offer thick toast, curry rice, spaghetti, delicate sandwiches, chocolate parfaits, cake, and yakisoba. Some offer even more varieties, such as rice pilafs or "doria" (a small single-serving cream casserole in a piping hot deep dish). Most also offer either morning service (pronounced MOANINGU SAWBEESU) -- coffee, toast, and a boiled egg -- or a morning set (pronounced MOANINGU SE'TTO) -- which usually adds a mini salad and maybe some fruit. These only cost from 350 ~ 550 yen (usually the same price as just a cup of coffee later in the day), and are available mornings only, from around 7:30 until 10:00 AM (hours vary from place to place). Bring along a newspaper or book, and enjoy! Coffee is pronounced KOEHEE. Hot coffee often comes in two styles: "Hot" (pronounced HOTE-toe), which is stronger coffee, and "American" (pronounced American), which is weaker. Most shops offer Café Au Lait (kawFAY oh LAY), and WEENA KOEHEE, which is similar to Vienna coffee, a sweet coffee with milk, whipped cream, and (sometimes) little candy sprinkles. RAINBOW This has been a popular place for exchange teachers to relax at the end of a work day. The menu features english. LUNA Get a table seat by the windows and enjoy the Japanese garden. MINOYA This coffee shop/restaurant is run by a former exchange teacher to Ketchikan, Kei Watanabe's family. GREEN ROAD Close to the junior high school. ADONIS Try the small, single serving pizzas. RESTAURANTS KAREN This is a hotel/restaurant with a hot spring in the basement. KAWA KYU-AN Homemade noodles, both the thick white udon type, and the thin buckwheat soba type, are available either chilled with ginger or wasabi, or bubbling hot at this popular eatery. Their large variety includes noodles in miso broth (miso-nikomi udon), with tempura, mountain vegetables, spicy Korean kim-chee, soft-boiled egg, and even some topped with hot pork cutlets. HIZAN RESTAURANT Located at the Hizan complex, this is not to be confused with the Hizan Restaurant on the right-hand side of the complex ("Hizan Bekkan"), which serves similar but different dishes that are not as good. Look at the display of plastic food to find a dish that looks tasty; pay in advance, and sit down to a quick, yummy meal. If you order hot coffee, you may luck out and be served a scrumptious wafer cookie with it, made in nearby central Gero. YA-CHI-YO Specializing in broiled eel, but also serving delicious tempura and sushi, this place has something for every fan of Japanese cuisine. Eels are served hot and fresh in a lovely sweet brown sauce over steaming white rice (they're kept alive in a pool in the center of the restaurant until it's time to broil them). Large mugs of steaming Japanese tea are complimentary. MATSUZAWA-YA This is like a Bar and Grill, so Adults only unless your host family takes you; open nights. This place is an izakaya; that is, a lively place with scrumptious treats, alcohol, and noisy but cheerful people. In addition to typical izakaya fare such as a variety of yakitori (skewered chicken chunks), there are several delicious delights here we haven't found anywhere else, including shimeji bataa (small mushrooms fried in butter, delivered on a hot iron plate), tebasaki (hot and juicy peppery-sweet baby chicken wings), and fried cheese balls. No customers admitted after 9:00 PM, although those who get in earlier often linger past that. DOSANKO RAMEN Comfort-food, mom-and-pop ramen shop, with a wide variety of ramen noodle dishes in jumbo bowls, as well as delicious gyoza (pot-stickers), including the –spicy hot Kim Chee Gyoza. Great with an icy drink. GROCERY STORES MATSUOKA SUPERMARKET In addition to groceries, it sells clothing. "A" CO-OP SUPERMARKET The "A" stands for Agricultural; "A"-Co-op is run by the Japanese Agricultural association ("J.A."). CONVENIENT STORES ("KONBINI") ISHIYA This “konbini” features O-bento lunches, sandwiches, and donuts, along with other snacks and drinks. DAILY YAMAZAKI Open 365 days a year, they have western treats such as HaagenDazs ice cream, as well as Japanese products like O-bento (ready to eat meals) and onigiri. It also features dry-cleaning. CIRCLE K Open 24 hours. Their choice of o-bento is bigger, and they have sandwiches, too. Warning: Japanese DVDs will not work in U.S. DVD players, so don’t waste your money |