Kamikatsu Dining
Kamikatsu’s restaurants and cafes offer an eclectic range of cuisine and they each have unique atmosphere and scenery that add to every meal. For example, the farmer’s market next to Lake Bishu has a restaurant on the second floor looking out over the still lake water and the mountains across from it. Connection with the farmer’s market means the ingredients are all fresh and locally grown. The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch and serves standard Japanese fare like thick udon noodles and curry rice.
Local dining is also a way to directly experience Kamikatsu’s culture and values. The Zero Waste accreditation system inspires local shops to reduce trash, and one coffee shop utilizes tsumamono decorations made with locally gathered leaves as a way to reuse resources.
One restaurant in the Jiden district was mostly built by local volunteers according to design ideas from the neighborhood. Volunteers serve udon, soba, rice balls, and grilled red spotted salmon (amego). The rice they serve is grown in the terraced fields for even more local flavor.
A way to get a taste of old Kamikatsu is at a small cafe in a former shop constructed over 70 years ago. It plays vinyl records and makes chai-style tea using Awa Bancha tea leaves. In addition to spicy chai, there are a variety of curries made with local ingredients like the Awa Odori breed of chicken. This and other spots in the town were used in the filming of It’s a Beautiful Life – Irodori.
Many establishments close early, often by 6:00 p.m., so advance planning is recommended.