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For many travelers, one of the more quietly romantic spots in Japan is found in the area of the Inland Sea. Sandwiched between the main island of Honshu to the north and Shikoku to the south, the Inland Sea is a calm expanse of water from which emerge the graceful silhouettes of its many islands, looking for all the world like something straight out of an india ink painting.
It is close by the Inland Sea in Okayama Prefecture that the town of Kurashiki is located. With a wonderfully preserved historical core centered on its picturesque canal, Kurashiki is a place of old-world charm and character that seems agreeably trapped in some other century.
As one might expect, the proximity to the Inland Sea does much to define the attractions of the table in Okayama, and seafood figures prominently on local menus. The great Japanese specialty of raw sashimi can be enjoyed here at its very fresh finest, with sea bream and scallop a couple of flavorful delights. Notable among other local favorites are the angler-fish -- an ugly fish, but a tasty one, especially its liver served in citrus vinegar -- and the pike conger, a 2-meter-long eel whose small bones are so prolific a special knife is needed to remove them.
With fine fresh seafood in Japan, one drinks fine fresh sake, and here the choice local brew comes from Marumoto Sake Brewery. Good sake demands good rice, and Marumoto ensures a first-rate supply of the crucial ingredient by growing its own. It is this rice that is used to optimal effect in crafting Marumoto's high-quality Chikurin series of sake. Chikurin is a sweeter sake, but it has a particular elegance and presence that makes it the perfect accompaniment to a great variety of food. |
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