The goal is "Roadside Station Donari
But there were cars everywhere, so we decided to pass by and have lunch at "Kanagin Sakano".
Since I was here, I could not miss the "Tarai Udon". I ordered the udon set meal. Here it is.
As the name suggests, it is udon in a tub. It's a hearty dish. It comes with two rice balls, pickles, and fried chicken for 1,200 yen.
I slurp my udon by myself with the happy voices of families as background music. Ah, udon is so good! It's good even if you eat it alone. I also recommend the fried tofu, which is also very tasty.
After a hearty meal, we returned the way we came and went to the somewhat empty roadside station, Donari.
This is the roadside station itself. It is said that the shape is due to the fact that the ceiling inside resembles a tub.
There's even a coin-operated shower that costs 300 yen for 15 minutes! (Available 24 hours a day)
This would be great for those who want to stay in their cars. I had never seen this at any other roadside station.
So, I wandered around and went to the dumpling shop "Tamagatsuya" in front of the facility.
I was full, but it looked good, so I ordered the grilled soy sauce that the lady recommended and bit into it. The sticky texture and soy sauce flavor went well together.
Apparently all the dumplings here are brown rice dumplings. I've heard that they are poisonous for gout, but they are delicious, so I guess it's okay.
It would have been five times better if I had eaten it on an empty stomach.
Now that our bellies are full, let's go to today's main attraction, "Tsuchibashira!
A clay pillar is, well, it's hard to explain, so I'll copy and paste from "Awa Navi.
The erosion of the sand and gravel beds has created dozens of pillars of earth, and the pillars soar high above each other in a variety of shapes, including columns and pinnacles. The topography is composed of five mountains: Habotake (designated as a natural monument), Tachibanatake, Hattatake, Furotake, and Lanternake, and is considered one of the world's three most beautiful sights. Reference source: Awa Navi
Not knowing where to park, I ended up leaving my car in a municipal parking lot along the road and walking down a very sloping path.
I guess the picture doesn't do it justice. It feels like a 45 degree angle to my body, and my calves are sore as I walk.
To be honest, it was hell. When I got back, I looked on Google Maps and it said 200m, but it wasn't like that.
A few dozen meters from the start, I began to regret walking, but I was determined and walked and walked.