Route 378 runs along the Seto Inland Sea, passing through Iyo, Futami and Nagahama. It’s a popular road with drivers, motorbike riders, and cyclists alike, offering expansive views out over the sea on one side, and steep mountain ridges on the other.
I was passing along this way one cold but sunny Sunday. Around 1 o’clock, I dropped into the Michi no Eki at Futami looking for some lunch, but was told they had finished lunch already. Futami is a popular place and I suppose they just ran out. However a kindly lady serving there advised me that I could get something to eat “about seven minutes” down the road. People in these parts are remarkably knowledgeable about matters of space and time.
About seven minutes later, I found the Shioji Kaisen Restaurant on the left and parked my car under the building. I imagine that in summer, when the seaside sun beats down, it’s a good thing to be able to park in some shade.
Up the steps on the second floor, I was seated at a table right next to the picture windows that face the sea. Off in the distance, I could see the main Japanese island, Honshu, and in front of it, a blue car transporting ship creeping slowly across the sea. Seagulls wheeled in the air in front of the window or sat on the seawall watching the cars pass on the road.
Kaisen means ‘seafood’ and the menu offers a good variety. I ordered the Sunset Set for 1,050 yen—assorted tempura, nigiri sushi, and a small bowl of udon noodles. It arrived promptly. The tempura was excellent, with light, crispy batter. The various seafood and vegetables in the coating were a very agreeable mixture of textures. I made haste to eat the tempura while it was hot, leaving the sushi and noodles till later. The sushi was average, typical of the sushi you get in a seafood restaurant rather than a dedicated sushi shop.
As I ate, I enjoyed watching bright yellow fishing boats churning across the sea before my eyes, followed by seagulls who dived into their wake. By the time I had finished my meal, the car transporter had swum the whole length of the picture window.
I paid up and left, well satisfied, down the road towards Nagahama.
