After visiting the Jigokudani Monkey Park, we headed to Obuse. Obuse is well-known for its chestnuts so it was heavily featured in many things that we tried.

For lunch, we went to Chikufudo Honten which was recommended by my co-worker as they are well-known for their kuri okowa (sticky rice with chestnuts). It is actually both a shop and restaurant selling foods that feature chestnuts. Located within a 2 story building, the confectionery shop occupies the main floor and the restaurant is found on the upper floor. 

Their lunch menu only consisted of two set meals that were nearly identical. They both came with chestnut sticky rice, miso soup, pickled vegetables, a mushroom dish and tiny potatoes that I initially mistook for small meatballs. I opted for the slightly more expensive set meal that came with an additional dish of trout and a small glass of apple wine. The most interesting part of the meal was that everything had been locally grown and produced. Even the trout had been caught from a local river! 

I was surprised that the chestnut rice was a bit sweet but I still enjoyed it. Overall, it was a delicious and filling lunch.

Although we did take a look at some of the sweets on the first floor, we ended up heading to the shop next door (Kinari Syunsui) to pick up a chestnut soft serve ice cream for dessert. We later purchased another chestnut ice cream cone. However, this variation used regular vanilla ice cream and added a sweet chestnut paste inside the cone instead. I also bought a box of chestnut macarons to take home.

From there, we wandered in and out of the various shops and local breweries. We also walked through some private gardens that were part of the “My Garden” program. Homeowners openly invite visitors to explore their gardens by placing “My Garden” signs by their homes. I thought this was such a sweet and clever idea. 

Another chestnut-based snack that I picked up during our walk was something that I believe is called a fukuguri-yaki cake. I wasn’t sure if I was actually going to get to try this as the first shop I visited had a 30 minute wait for their next batch! Fortunately, we came across another shop down the street that had ones ready for sale. This particular version was almond-shaped and made to look like a little man with his hands in prayer. Inside, it had a whole chestnut. Soft, warm and with just the right amount of sweetness, it made for a great snack. 

There were quite a few gift shops filled with various folk crafts but my favourite one was probably Washi No Nakajo which sells beautiful products made of washi paper. Washi paper is much tougher than regular paper and almost seems like paper machie but is more flexible. Their window display put their creations into a beautiful scene that attracted us into the shop in the first place.

My co-worker also made sure we visited Sakura Kanseido Honten, which is a well-known confectionery shop with a long legacy (over 200 years!). I was able to try to their chestnut dorayaki, which is a delicious variation on the pancake sandwich pastries that are normally filled with red bean paste rather than chestnut paste. 

As our trip winded down, we passed by these brightly coloured statues. I didn’t recognize these anime characters but my always knowledgeable co-worker informed me that they are from an older manga called “GeGeGe no Kitaro.” Apparently, the eyeball creature is actually the boy’s father!

Obuse ended up being a great day trip destination for us especially with all its beautiful traditional buildings and chestnut-infused foods. There are also a few museums if you want something else to do besides shopping and eating.