VIDEO: Exploring Japan: A pleasant autumn stroll in scenic Iida City

(Photos by Takahiro Takiguchi)

Situated in the valley between Japan’s Chuo and Southern Alps, Iida is a tiny, but scenic castle city with plenty of natural and historical attractions.

Looking for a pleasant autumn stroll, my wife and I embarked on a five-hour drive from Yokosuka City to Iida.

Iida is known for its apple crop and the fruit is designated as its symbol. In early September, the area orchards start to ripen to reddish hues. Several streets in the city center are lined with countless apple trees of different varieties. According to an official of the city’s tourism bureau, planting and harvesting apples is part of the local middle school curriculum.

(Iida City)

(Outemachi Elementary School)

Near the apple streets, we found a tiny, admission-free zoo where penguins, alpacas, sheep, monkeys and hawks greet visitors.

In addition to apples, soba noodles, sake and wagyu beef are some of Iida’s specialties. The city center is also home to many wagashi sweets shops. We dropped by Miyoshino, located near the classical-looking 95-year-old Outemachi Elementary School, for a sweets break.

At Miyoshino, we bought mamedaifuku (bean daifuku mochi) and kusamochi (rice-flour dumpling mixed and flavored with mugwort) for 110 yen each, while chatting with the shop clerk, Reiko Yoshino. Our wagashi made from lightly sweetened bean paste wrapped with springy, chewy and flavorful mochi was very tasty.

Nearby, we also dropped by bento shop “Take-out no Gyu” to buy our beef steak lunch boxes for 1,190 yen each. The bento shop kept us waiting for nearly 30 minutes, but the flavor was worth the wait. It was one of the best bentos in our lives – the hot and juicy beef was extremely tender and matched well with the special garlic-flavored soy-based broth, while all vegetables on the side were fresh and well salted, perfect to go along with meat and rice.

Iida has developed since Iida Castle was built in the 13^th century. You can still find a few remains from the feudal age, such as Akamon (red castle gate) and Osahime Jinja (Shinto shrine), but compared with other castle cities in Japan, Iida seemed rather new and modern with Western-style buildings and shopping arcades.

(Akamon)

The Tourism Bureau official explained that most of the Iida City’s center was destroyed by a massive fire that swept through the city in 1947. So, most of the city center was rebuilt in the 1950s or later.

Although there are only a few old buildings that help us trace back to the golden time of the city, Iida still accommodates the tradition of the Bunraku Puppet Show, which goes back more than 300 years. There are four puppet troupes still active in the area, so you can enjoy a traditional show when you visit.

(apples)

The refreshing air, impressive townscape with apples, and tasteful wagashi and bento lunch made our trip one that we won’t easily forget. Plan to visit the impressive apple city of Iida!

Iida City Zoo