godaikan

I love ume (pickled apricot). Until I moved to Japan, I only thought there was one kind of pickled apricot...scrunch up your face sour ones. But, there are actually sweet ones too--these are soaked in honey.

On Friday, we stayed at a B & B like hotel called Godaikan, which was featured on a local program a few years ago. (Godai means 5th generation, kan means building. This pickled apricot producer has been in business since 1834.)

I was interested in staying here because they have a furo (bath) in which you bathe inside of a large taru (barrel) which was once used to pickle apricots. And soaking in the water, they also have ume (pickled apricots) floating in a lingerie net. After the apricots soak awhile in the bath water, they start to fall off the stone and you are bathing in the pickled apricots.

In February, a famous Japanese actress gave their apricots away in her hikidemono (gift for attending the wedding reception), so her photo is displayed at the front desk, and is probably why this place was hard to get a reservation at.

When you first enter your room, most ryokan (Japanese inn) or hotels have a little treat, this is so that you can taste it and hopefully buy some from their gift shop too. This B & B served their ume (pickled apricot) and some ume candy. Both were delicious.

The dinner they served uses a lot of pickled apricots too. I won't go into a lot of detail, mainly because there was so much food and I don't remember all of it. I do remember that they used lots of local foods like Kumano beef, their pickled apricot, lots of seafood and local veggies.

We got to try the local beer called Nagisa beer. It was a dark pale ale. It was kind of fruity but very chilled, after a long trip and a long soak in the tub, it was delicious.

One thing you should know if you go as a couple to eat at a Japanese restaurant or eat at a ryokan (Japanese inn)/hotel in Japan. The woman's side of the table will always have the pot of rice and the tea pot. This is so you can "serve your man". I think if two women go, the rice and tea pot will be between them.

Anyway, I think this B & B is run by a couple. The guy that cooked our delicious dinner was also the front desk staff and his wife, took out our futon (Japanese bedding) as well as served our dinner.

And if you thought dinner was huge, breakfast was just as filling and delicious too.

We've stayed at B & B's in Hokkaido, but this one was a nice change of pace.

Godaikan
2500-99 Katada
Shirahama-cho, Nishimuro-gun
Phone: 0739.43.2296