Trip to Gunma, rainbow trout Ginhikari is so great!

 In previous post, I talked about "ゆっくり".

At the beggining of the post, I wrote I want to talk about trip to Gunma.

Because of the reason, I'll talk about my trip to Gunma in this post.

It was nice trip.

Summary

Not limited to Gunma, there are many hot springs in Japan.

Japanese pepole often visit there.

I went to Gunma and enjoyed hot spring and sightseeing. And I ate rainbow trout Ginhikari, it's taste was good.

In this post, I wrote first day sightseeing.

Why did I chose Gunma in this trip?

In this trip, I chose Gunma as a travel destination.

The reason why I chose is I haven't been to much recently.

My house is near other hot spring resort than Gunma prefecture (for example, Izu is in Shizuoka Prefecture) .

Gunma has many hotspring, for example ”草津(kusatsu)” or ”伊香保(ikaho)” .

In this trip, I chose ”猿ヶ京(saru-ga-kyo)”.

I found hot spring inn with open-air bath in the room. That was a reason I deceided to visit "猿ヶ京(saru-ga-kyo)".

 In literal translation, ”猿ヶ京(saru-ga-kyo)” is translated City of monkey.(”猿 ”means monkey and ”京” means city)

But I didn't see monkey in this trip, the hot spring wasn't filled with monkey.

It is natural, the origin of name isn't monkey.

 (But wild monkey live in Gunma, they sometime appear human settlement.)

The origin of 猿ヶ京

In 1560, famous warload Kenshin Uesugi (上杉謙信) visited the place. He saw the place and wanted to govern the place.

At the night, he had a dream his eight teeth come off.

He said he had nightmare to his servant, the servant said it is good dream to govern eight state.

The day he had a dream is monkey year and monkey month and monkey day, moreover he was born monkey year. (Monkey day or year is traditional calendar in Japan. Animals were used for calendar in japan. It isn't used normally today. But it is mainly used for to celebrate new year today. For example, I was born on sheep year.)

He wanted to rename the place "申が今日(Saru-ga-kyou)" that mean monkey is today.

In Japanese language, "京" means city and "今日" means today have same pronunciation. Years made "申が今日(monkey is today)" "猿ヶ京(city of monkey)".("申" is old expression that mean monkey.)

There is a reason that place is called "猿ヶ京".

As a side note, I knew the reason now. I thought the place has many monkey.

Origin of "猿ヶ京" is here.

上杉謙信(Uesugi-Kenshin) named the place 猿ヶ京(Saru-ga-kyo).

He fought 70 times and only had one big defeat. 

His anecdote is famous. He sent salt to 武田信玄(Takeda-Shingen, he is nemesis of Uesugi Kenshin) to hate cowardly deeds.(But the latest reserch says it's lie. However he didn't prevent transport of salt.)

Way to the "猿ヶ京" and some sightseeing

Let's back main story.

I rent a small car in this trip. I can go Gunma by train and bus.

But it is easy to visit some tourist area by car and I have only bike.

Because it is long way and hard tour by bike with my girlfriend, then I rent a car.

It's cost \18000($136) including insurance for 2 days. It's high because holiday price.

If you use highway, SA(service area) or PA(parking area) is places to visit.

You can rest and buy food or drink or local speciality.

In this trip I stopped 高坂(Takasaka)SA.

SA is popular place.

There are many stalls.

In previous photo, fried chiken is sold. Later stall sold ice cream.

Is it some kind of collaboration project? Ultraman was.

Ginhikari, Gunma is proud of rainbow trout .

After getting of the highway, I went fish farm my friend work at.

In the Gunma, farming fish is one of the industry.

The picture shows Ginhikari(ギンヒカリ), it is variety of rainbow trout. They grow up for 3 years.(Normally, rainbow trout grow up for 2 years.)

Before spawing, quality of the fish is deteriorated. Because of the reason, rainbow trout in farm is usually eaten in less than a year.

About 200g rainbow trout is usually shown in japanese supermarket. They are sold for grill. (I don't want to dress 200g rainbow trout for sashimi. But I can do.)

But Ginhikari can be grown 2 years, the fish weighs about 1kg and they can be eaten in sashimi without deteriorating.

川場田園プラザ is the best roadside station I have visited.

If you want to eat Ginhikari? You can eat in ”川場田園プラザ(Kawaba-Denen-Plaza)”.

After showing the fish firm, we had no choice but to eat Ginhikari.

Kawaba-Denen-Plaza is a bigeest ”道の駅(station of roadside)” I have visited.

To explain first, "道の駅(station of roadside)" is place to visit and we can rest or buy something like a SA or PA.

It is named station, but no train come. The institution is for car and it is named station of roadside.

But they aren't in the highway and usually don't equip convinience store.

They are built for regional promotion and deal with local speciality. 

In trip, I have been roadside station many times.

But I saw "川場田園プラザ(Kawaba-Denen-Plaza)", I was suprised for its scale. Roadside station usually has one or two building. Kawaba Denen Plaza had many buildings.

If you want, you can play celamic art experience or harvest of blueberry or enjoying spa.

Bridge and pound

Restaurant is.

No one used table because it was rain.

I can't take all building photo in Kawaba Denen Plaza.

We went "地ビールレストラン武尊(Beer Restaurant Hotaka)". The Restaurant serves Ginhikari.

The restaurant serves some local speciality in Kawava village. For example, "もちぶた(One of the variety of Japanese Pig)" or "赤城牛(Beef from Mt.Akagi)" is.

Of course, we ordered "ギンヒカリ御膳(Ginhikari Set)". It's cost \1,670($13).

The menu use local speciality, it is normal price I think.

Please see the photo.

Sashimi, I had never eaten rainbow trout sashimi before.

There are some sashimi and fried fish. It's looked nice.

Sashimi of Ginhikari taste was good. The taste don't cheat with fat like salmon.

Original trout flavor was satisfied us.

Fried trout and other menu was satisfied us too.

After lunch, we took a walk in Kawaba Denen Plaza.

Many local food and drink is sold.

We bought cheese and ”玉こんにゃく(tama-konnyaku:roled konnyaku rhizome)” and beer and cider.

Cider and milk.

Beer and Sake.

Many people buy fresh vegetables.

小豆 is red been. It is used cooking with rice. It is usually made in some celebration.

Not only food is sold. Dry flower and broom might be made from local material.

Cabbage is famous at Gunma.

Mushroom and wild vegetable are famous too.

Udon is sold. But I like udon from Sanuki.

Wild vegetable is pickled.

Rice is eaten in Japan. 

”山賊焼き(grilleed pork like bandit)”

”野沢菜(nowawana)” is vegetable I like. It is usually pickled. I have ever seen raw Nozawana. Picked nozawana is solty but delicious. I should like solt taste than nozawana.

Yogurt for drink is local speciality. It's delicious.

After shopping, we went to the hot spring.

I will write it next post! See you again.