A&I Lifestyle Report #1: Kawazu
A hillside cottage near the beach, an off-the-beaten-path ryokan recommendation, and some of the best eel around.
Kawazu, Shizuoka
Kawazu is a relatively well-known stop in the Southern Izu Peninsula due to its close proximity to the popular beach destination of Shimoda. To a lesser extent, Kawazu is also known for its annual Cherry Blossoms, which is comparatively early to the rest of the Chubu/Kanto region, and also runs beautifully along the shore of the eponymous river.
The Restaurant
Ōkawaya（大川屋）
Ōkawaya is Kawazu’s flagship eel restaurants, and for good reason - Kawazu is a mating ground for Japan’s prized unagi eel, who spawn in the deep waters of the Marianas Trench, go on an exceedingly long journey up to East Asia in their adolescence, and end up in Kawazu 3 or so years later! It’s no wonder they’re so delicious - their life story is absolutely epic!
This restaurant is also very nearby to the ryokan we mention in the paid section, so if you choose not to dine there for at least one night, you’ll have Ōkawaya as a backup. Or for the next time you visit… your new property?
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