Japan is heaven for travel enthusiasts and foodies. During my twelve days in the country in January of 2019, I was blown away by the mind-blowing beauty of its natural, historical, and cultural sites. The history here is long and rich and was so fascinating to learn about, and the food culture is out of this world! Come along with me as I continue exploring the gorgeous country of Japan!
I started off in the resort city of Atami in the Shizuoka Prefecture, which is about a 40-minute drive south from Tokyo. This city is known for its salted fish and its famous cherry blossoms, which bloom months earlier than most other cherry blossoms in the country because the climate is warmer.
Atami has a similar feel to beach towns I’ve visited in Europe. There are palm trees and gardens. It’s warmer here and there’s lots of greenery. We passed by lots of hotels and residential buildings on our way to see the cherry blossoms.
The cherry blossoms are gorgeous! There were about 60 blossom trees in full bloom near the river. They bloom from mid-January to mid-February. While you can see them in the spring, it’s a lot more expensive to come to Japan during that time. If you want to see cherry blossoms in Japan and want to save money, come in January!
After seeing the cherry blossoms, I grabbed an iced black coffee with espresso from a vending machine for 140 Yen/roughly $1.26. Then it was time for lunch at a small and cozy French restaurant!
We started with tomato soup with bread. It was nice and thick and was served piping hot. It almost tasted like an onion soup as well!
My main course was grilled sea bass with potatoes, vegetables, and a nice, creamy sauce, which was also served with rice. The sea bass was lightly battered and was super tasty! I loved it!
I had limited time in Atami, so I quickly finished my lunch and went on a solo exploration of Atami Ginza, the city’s shopping district. On the way, I stopped at a hot spring across the street from the restaurant and a guide to the area’s seven hot springs. Nearby, there’s also a shop that sells dried fish like sardines, shrimp, and squid, as well as wasabi and other items.
Atami Ginza is a long street that has lots of shops, restaurants, and craft beer shops. At another shop, I saw lots of dried fish and other seafood including shrimp, eel, barracuda, fish cakes, scallops, and oysters. It all looked amazing, but I couldn’t try any of it, because it’s meant to be taken home and cooked. Atami is by the water, so seafood is abundant here!
I decided I wanted a craft beer, so I visited Maruya Guesthouse, which is a hostel that sells food and beer. I bought an Atami Dramatic Roman Pale Ale. It was fantastic and the people there were so nice!
I hope you enjoyed coming along with me to see the winter cherry blossoms in Atami and for joining me for my amazing French food and craft beer lunch! If you did, please give it a thumbs up, leave me a comment, and subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss any of my upcoming travel/food adventures!
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About Me:
My name is David Hoffmann and for the last decade I have been traveling around the world in search of unique culture, food and history! Since starting Davidsbeenhere in 2008, I have traveled to 71 countries and over 1,000 destinations, which I welcome you to check out on my YouTube Channel, blog and social medias.
I focus a great deal on food and historic sites, as you probably have seen! I love to experience the different flavors that each destination has to offer, whether it’s casual Street food or gourmet restaurant dining. I’m also passionate about learning the local history and culture.
Winter CHERRY BLOSSOMS in JAPAN + French Food & Craft Beer | Atami, Japan
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