I have lived in Hyogo for 13 years. The city I visited this time was Shiso, where I have participated in several marathons. I thought I was familiar with this place, but I was able to make many new discoveries. Here are some of Shiso’s attractions that I was only able to discover by taking my time and exploring!

Rediscovering the role of railroads in Shiso, a city without railroads.

Shiso’s only “railroad station” can be found in the rear garden.

Shiso doesn’t have railways, but it does have a “dream railway”. After arriving in Shiso, I made my first stop at Shiso Dream Railway Model Railway Diorama Exchange Center. This is a facility established by the NPO Shiso Dream Railway to create a place for regional exchanges through model railways. It is a renovated two-story old Japanese-style house featuring dioramas of model railways and a corner where visitors can try their hand at driving a train.

Standing in front of the dioramas with elaborate railroad tracks, mountains, and towns made me feel like a giant. There are three types of dioramas on display: a metropolis with a Shinkansen bullet train running through it, a townscape of Shiso in the Showa period, and a European townscape.

Becoming a train driver: “All aboard!”

You can run your own trains (N gauge trains) in the dioramas and take original photos, and in the realistic train in the backyard, you can experience what it’s like to be a train driver. Watching the visitors enjoying their time together, one gets the sense that railroads are packed with romanticism, and are not just vehicles for transporting goods and people.

The hospitality of a “mother” will warm your body and soul.

A view of the undeveloped countryside near Ryokan Satsuki-so.

I stayed at Ryokan Satsuki-so, which sits in a peaceful location surrounded by rice paddies. The ryokan offers meals prepared with homemade ingredients, baths with pleasantly hot water, and futons with crisp sheets … The motto of the owner and his wife, “providing old-fashioned warmth”, permeates every corner of this ryokan.

Ryokan Satsuki-so is a retro building. Pass through the mysterious gate illuminated by lights in the evening, and you’ll find yourself back in Showa-era Japan.

A hearty dinner: you’ll be full with the free refills of rice!

The dinner menu includes new rice, fresh vegetables, chicken topped with yuzu miso, sashimi, grilled fish, asari clam soup, and much more. The owner's home-grown rice, Hinohikari, has a sparkling appearance and a soft, chewy texture. The chicken with yuzu miso made the rice even more appetizing. The vegetables and yuzu miso are also home-made

Accompanying dinner was Banshu Ikkon, a Shiso local sake. It went well with the sashimi and other fish dishes.

While chewing on the dishes that had been prepared with care, starting from the ingredients, by the owner and his wife, I thought about how delighted I was that they were so considerate as to serve me a freshly-prepared meal at a time of my choosing. I also won’t forget the words “we’ve prepared a bath for you, go ahead and take it”. I soaked in the bathtub as a feeling of nostalgia washed across me, as if my mother was taking care of me.

Despite the retro atmosphere, the rooms are equipped with Wi-Fi, allowing for stress-free Internet access.

After getting out of the bath, I enjoyed the rest of my evening along in my room, reading and watching a movie. Since I prefer sleeping in a bed at home, sleeping on a futon in a tatami room was a new experience for me. The comfortable futon made me feel as though I was beginning to understand the “good old Showa-era life” that Japanese people often talk about with nostalgia.

A commemorative photo with the owner and his wife as they welcomed me.

I felt at home during the time I spent at Ryokan Satsuki-so. I feel like the next time I’m here, I’ll end up saying “I’m home!”

Red, yellow, and orange: attracted by the vivid autumn leaves.

In the early days of winter, this mountain blanketed with maple trees is a 360 °world of autumn leaves.

The next morning, while strolling through town, I caught sight of the mountains swathed in autumn leaves and a notice about the “Momiji Festival”. It just so happened that that day was the last day of the Mount Saijo Momiji Festival.

The maple mountain, located on the west side of Saijo Park, changes color from mid to late November every year, and its vivid appearance led to it being selected as one of the “100 Best Places for Autumn Leaves in Japan”.

In the past, locals used to serve sweet sake to welcome visitors who came to see the mountain blanketed with autumn leaves. The Mount Saijo Momiji Festival carries on the tradition of this hospitality to this day. During the festival (November 16 (Saturday) – December 1 (Sunday) in 2024), there are events, stalls, and nighttime illuminations, which compete with the autumn leaves to attract about 50,000 tourists to town.

The colorful leaves, translucent in the light of the sun above my head, lighten my steps as I climb the stairs.

Carpets and tunnels of autumn leaves: it was refreshing to see the beauty of nature, which is hard to come across in the city. I’d like to come back again to see the illuminated autumn leaves.

Fallen leaves arranged into a piece of art.

Enjoy a taste of food, history, and nature in the birthplace of sake.

The sake breweries lining Shuzo-dori Street, which were established in the 1700s, still retain vestiges of the atmosphere of those days. During the Mount Saijo Momiji Festival, sake barrels were displayed on the street.

For lunch, I went to Oimatsu Dining on Shuzo-dori Street. This restaurant is directly-managed by Oimatsu Sake Brewer, a sake brewery with a long history that was founded in 1768, and my goal was to enjoy a lunch featuring fermented food that only a sake store can provide. Although I had to pass on the sake because I had to drive, I was thrilled by the dignified atmosphere of the sake brewery.

Shiso is the first place in Japan where rice was fermented to make sake. With 90% of its area blanketed by forests, and the clean air and famous water birthed by these mountains fostering a culture of fermentation, Shiso is also known as the “birthplace of sake” and the “hometown of fermentation”.

I went jogging this morning, and the air I breathed through my nose seemed to clear my head and my body. Shiso has a great natural environment, which makes it possible to produce delicious sake.

Oimatsu Dining, housed in a renovated building designated as an Hyogo Prefecture Important Cultural Property for Landscape Development. The sight of the garden from the windows is like the perfect interior design that completes the architecture.

You can also enjoy a taste of good, old-fashioned Japan in the garden of Oimatsu Dining.

“Fermented Momiji Meal” (¥2,310), only available during the autumn leaf season. Menu items vary depending on the season.

One of the things I love about Japanese food is that it can be enjoyed not only with the tongue, but also with all five senses, including sight and smell. The lunch of fermented food served at Oimatsu Dining, packed with a variety of ingredients, is exactly the kind of Japanese food I love. The colorful ingredients and generous amounts of malted rice come together to create a menu that makes the body happy.

You can choose how you want your sake to be served when enjoying your meal. I’m looking forward to drinking some sake here next time!

Try your hand at making washi (traditional Japanese paper) with water from the Chikusa River.

As foreign language support is unavailable, I recommend that you be accompanied by an interpreter guide or use a translation app

Mr. Yoshidome began his career in washi making at the age of 15 and opened his own workshop at the age of 24.

Finally, I visited Banshu Chikusa Handmade Washi Workshop in Chikusa Town. The studio makes ‘ganpishi’ paper, the highest-grade washi paper, using water from the Chikusa River and raw materials of domestic origin, and the washi made here is used to repair cultural properties.

Washi paper making was practiced in Chikusa Town from the 700s to the 1950s. Mr. Shin’ichi Yoshidome, the head of the workshop, fell in love with the water of the Chikusa River and revived the town’s traditional culture, which had come to a halt. At the workshop, I followed Mr. Yoshidome’s guidance and tried my hand at making bookmarks, postcards, and cardboard.

Starting the papermaking process! First, the raw material is put into a container filled with water and stirred.

The raw material is scooped using a tool called a ‘sukiketa’ to spread it out evenly. Making a 45cm×35cm piece of cardboard was quite a strenuous task. I couldn’t help but exclaim “It’s so heavy!”

Carefully handling the postcard-sized paper …

This was my first time making paper. The difficult part was spreading the raw material evenly using the ‘sukiketa’. It was tough to immerse my hands in the cold water…, but the anticipation of making my own paper, the only one of its kind in the whole world, helped me overcome it!

Bookmarks and a postcard (above) which captured the season along with maple leaves, and a large sheet of cardboard on which I drew my own patterns.

My creations were dried in the sun and delivered to my home about a week later. I was surprised to see the pattern that emerged on the cardboard (lol). Out of my creations, I will send the postcard to my family in South Korea together with photos of Shiso. The smooth, yet sturdy washi seems to speak of the purity and strength of the nature of Shiso.

It was a refreshing surprise to discover that the nearby city of Shiso was such an enjoyable place to visit on this trip. Its charm originates from the hospitality of the locals, who are considerate of the neighborhood and others, as well as the dietary culture and traditional culture created by the abundant nature. Next time I visit, I would like to enjoy the illuminated autumn leaves and sake.

Spots

• Shiso Dream Railway Model Railway Diorama Exchange Center
  Address: 207-1 Yamazaki, Yamazakicho, Shiso, Hyogo
  TEL: 0790-71-2525
  Business hours: 10:00〜17:00 (Last admission 16:30)
  Closed: Generally on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays (may be closed irregularly)
  Admission: Adults ¥400, children ¥200, other paid content available
  Website: irori-yumetetsu.com

• Ryokan Satsuki-so
  Address: 333 Senbonya, Yamazakicho, Shiso, Hyogo
  TEL: 0790-62-8333
  Accommodation: ¥8,030 (per night, including 2 meals)
  Website: satukiso.com
  Instagram: Instagram Profile

• Saijo Park Maple Mountain
  Address: Motoyamazaki, Yamazakicho, Shiso, Hyogo
  TEL: 0790-64-0923
  Website: shiso.or.jp

• Oimatsu Dining
  Address: 12 Yamazaki, Yamazakicho, Shiso, Hyogo
  TEL: 0790-62-2345
  Business hours: 11:00〜14:30 (L.O. 13:30)
  Store: 10:00〜17:00
  Closed: Thursdays
  Website: s-oimatsu.com/dining

• Banshu Chikusa Handmade Washi Workshop
  Address: 533-1 Kouchi, Chikusacho, Shiso, Hyogo
  TEL: 0790-76-3716
  Experience fee: ¥2,650 per person (shipping fee for creations separately applicable)
  Website: chikusawasi.com