At Kinnagoajiro, you can experience nature without sacrificing comfort<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe other half of the longhouse is a suite with a larger kitchen unit including an IH stovetop and a bedroom with 2 double beds. The size is perfect for a family getaway, and its proximity to the city center and port makes it convenient to access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The furniture is outdoor camping style, so if you prefer, take it outside and enjoy the sun on your face. You can have a campfire outside at night, barbecue something for dinner, and sit around watching the stars overhead. <\/strong>The whole idea about Kinnagoajiro is to experience nature without sacrificing comfort<\/strong>. If, like me, you’re the type of person who loves the outdoors but would rather not sleep with a rock poking into your back or insects sharing your bed, Kinnagoajiro is perfect for you. I fell asleep to the sounds of the crickets and other insects chirping nearby but with the comforts of a soft mattress and a wi-fi connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure><\/li> <\/figure><\/li> <\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nTent Camping Under the Stars at Nordisk Village<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The following night, I moved a little down the coast to Nordisk Village<\/strong>, a curious collaboration between a Danish outdoor goods manufacturer and a few young Japanese entrepreneurs. Nordisk Village is a concept created by the Nordisk company, bringing glamping facilities to 5 locations in Italy, Poland, Argentina, and the latest here in Goto<\/strong>. On several wooden platforms built on the property, luxuriously outfitted Nordisk tents have been erected, capable of housing 2 or 3 people each. Inside the tents are comfortable beds, chairs, small appliances, and a heater\/air conditioner unit that keeps the tent comfortable in all seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNordisk Village<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure><\/li> <\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nFor those who assume that camping requires shared facilities, Nordisk Village has gender-separated communal bathrooms and showers, though they are maintained at a level of cleanliness rivaling a hotel. An old schoolhouse on the property has been lovingly renovated into a restaurant, common kitchen, and a few private rooms<\/strong>. You’ll also find the Nordisk Village office here, where you can ask for advice on things to see and do around the island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure><\/li> <\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure><\/li> <\/figure><\/li> <\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nRising early the next morning, I stepped out of my tent and stood at the edge of the rice paddies, watching the sunrise over the ocean and hills. It was refreshing to spend the night in a tent, so close to the elements yet cozily snuggled between a down comforter and soft mattress. It felt right to be glamping on Goto Island, another opportunity to get a little closer to nature and a little more separation from urbanity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Goto Cuisine: Healthy and Home-grown<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Goto can basically sustain its residents with its own food supply, owing a debt of gratitude to the abundant seas and large areas of farmable land with rich volcanic soil. The islands also raise beef, pork, and chicken, contributing to a surprisingly diverse local cuisine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because camellia, known as tsubaki <\/em>in Japanese, grows wild all over the islands, locals have been able to make camellia oil an important export. Camellia oil is full of antioxidants as well as Vitamin A and B and is believed to have anti-aging properties.<\/strong> It can be found in beauty products and used in the local cuisine. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe seeds and fruit of the tsubaki <\/em>(camellia) plant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nYou can sample many of the local favorites at Tsubaki Chaya<\/strong>. This restaurant sits on the cliffside above Kojushi Beach, where you can enjoy a view of the ocean as you dig into the Goto cuisine prepared traditionally, grilled on the irori<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTsubaki Chaya sits on the cliffside above Kojushi Beach<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nIrori<\/em> is the name of the firepit used for both cooking and heating traditional Japanese homes. At Tsubaki Chaya, several of Goto’s local specialties are grilled right in front of you, seated around an irori<\/em>. A whole grilled flying fish is the main course, with various locally grown vegetables, seafood, and kankoro mochi<\/em>, a type of mochi flavored with local sweet potatoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure><\/li> <\/figure><\/li> <\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHealthy Local Noodles at Oddontei<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Kankoro mochi<\/em> is one of several Goto Island specialties; another is Goto Udon. The best place to sample this unusual type of noodle is from its source, the restaurant attached to the Nakamoto Seimen udon factory, Oddontei<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIf the udon factory was not next door, Oddontei might appear to just be another cafeteria-style Japanese restaurant. But Oddontei serves the Goto specialty, an udon noodle thinner and more supple than the traditional style<\/strong>. The secret is a coating of camellia oil applied during the production process, which allows them to stretch the noodles thinner without breaking them. Camellia oil is also said to add a subtle flavor, so subtle, in fact, that my untrained tastebuds could not detect it. But not to worry, the flavor of the meal comes from the condiments. You can try Goto udon in a Nagasaki-style champon<\/em> bowl of noodles or dipped in a salty-sweet tsuyu<\/em> sauce (the sweetness is a trademark of Kyushu sauces, where sugar was more readily available due to international trade routes).<\/p>\n\n\n\nGoto udon in a Nagasaki-style champon<\/em> bowl of noodles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure><\/li> <\/figure><\/li><\/ul>Oddontei serves the Goto specialty, an udon noodle thinner and more supple than the traditional style<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nLocal Favorite in the City: Sagara<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Back in the city, Sagara<\/strong> is a local favorite located on a quiet side street of the central business area. We charged our electric car near the ferry port and walked about five minutes to the restaurant. Sagara serves reasonably priced meals consisting of local products, including Goto beef and pork, and of course, a variety of seafood. It has a spacious interior where the staff seats customers with attention to social distancing guidelines.<\/strong> Olivier and I were given our own dining room on the second floor where we could relax and enjoy meals with tonkatsu (fried pork loin), oroshi hamburg<\/em> (hamburger patties topped with grated Japanese radish), followed by dessert and coffee. Okay, maybe the dessert wasn’t such a healthy choice, but with all the other incredible meals I had on the Goto Islands, I thought I could break the rules this one time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure><\/li> <\/figure><\/li><\/ul>Sagara is a local favorite serving dishes consisting of local products such as Goto beef, pork, and a variety of seafood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nI’ll be honest; three days in the Goto Islands is not nearly enough time. In fact, we never left Fukue Island, though there are many sights to see on the neighboring islands accessible by ferry. Still, three days of fresh air, healthy and delicious food, and sleeping under the stars was a refreshing taste of what Goto has to offer and only left me craving more of this paradise in Nagasaki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n