It's summer vacation. Maybe some people are riding in a car and traveling around while staying in the car with their families?

If you are running in the Chubu region, why not take a short detour to Higashishirakawa Village? This is a place where witnesses of "Tschinoko" have been seen one after another for a long time, and "Tschinoko-yaki" is sold after that.


"Tsuchinoko-yaki" is a Taiyaki-type Japanese sweet. It is made by baking in a special baking mold. Tsuchinoko should not have been captured yet ... so it is probable that the baking mold was made based on the witness testimony so far.


By the way, Tsuchinoko's body shape is "a triangular head sticking out from the body about the size of a beer bottle" (from the official website of Higashishirakawa Village). The feature is "Stand vertically. Roll. Move straight back and forth without meandering. Jump (there is a theory that it is about 2m)". If you read this much, it may seem like a scary creature, but "Tschinoko-yaki" is very cute. Maybe it's a bit like the second form of Godzilla that appears in "Shin Godzilla," commonly known as "Kamata-kun."


The standard flavor is special handmade bean paste and custard cream. Furthermore, on the first Saturday of every month, a different flavor will appear.


It is sold at Shirakawa Chaya in Higashishirakawa Village. It's relatively close to Gero Onsen, so why not stop by on your way home from the hot springs?

■ Shirakawa Chaya Store Information Store Location: 3323-1 Goka, Higashishirakawa-mura, Kamo-gun, Gifu Prefecture
Regular holiday: Every Tuesday Business hours: 8:00 to 16:00 (order stop 14:00)
Nearest station: 15 minutes by car from JR Shirakawaguchi Station Regular holidays and business hours are subject to change, so it is recommended to check in advance on the official website.

"Tschinoko-yaki" can also be purchased on the online shopping site "Tschinoko Marche". The price starts from 1,320 yen for an assortment of 4 red bean paste and 4 cream. A separate shipping fee will be required.


If you purchase by mail order, the expiration date is often the day it arrives, so make a planned purchase.