[Aichi] 10 Recommended Spots When Driving in Chita Peninsula/Minamichita! From Seafood to Cafes and Hot Spring

Chita Peninsula is a scenic spot facing Ise Bay on the west and Mikawa Bay on the east.
It is full of great sightseeing spots you’d definitely want to check out when you get a rental car, such as gourmet restaurants serving fresh seafood, aquarium and flower fields.
In the middle of Chita Peninsula, there are two main roads that run through: Chitahanto Road from Midori Ward, Nagoya City, Aichi, and Minamichita Road. Easily accessible from Nagoya, you can get to Toyooka Exit, the end of the route, in around 30 minutes. National Route 247 that runs along the perimeter of the peninsula is an exhilarating coastal route for driving.
Minamichita area houses many hot spring ryokans (traditional Japanese-style inn), so it is great for a day trip to soothe the fatigue from traveling or for an overnight trip to enjoy seafood dishes. Choose the best plan to for your rental car package.

Article published by：Jalan Rent-a-Car

Minamichita Beach Land

Get thrilled by the dolphin show up close!

This is an interactive aquarium where you can interact with sea creatures. With a capacity of 1,000 guests, the Dolphin Stadium offers dolphin and sea lion shows daily. The front row is right in front of the pool. You can enjoy the performance of dolphins from up close, and sea lions will even come to your seat just to greet you.

Finless porpoises live in Ise Bay and Mikawa Bay surrounding Chita Peninsula, and are loved for their cute faces and graceful swimming demeanor. They are housed together with fish from nearby waters like horse mackerels and sardines in the huge tank. Don’t miss the “Feeding Guide in the Huge Tank” in which the caretaker feeds the fish and talks about the ecology of fish. There is only one show per day, so check the schedule beforehand.

There are many interactive events that will let you touch dolphins and sea lions, including the new event that debuted in March

Kanko Noen Hana Hiroba

Enjoy the glorious view of flowers in all seasons

The vast field is filled with flowers in season throughout the year. The sunflowers are especially famous, characterized by their being in season for five months from late June to late November. There are always 14,0000 sunflowers in bloom in the vast 5,000 – 7,000 sq.m. land, as if the field is covered by a yellow carpet.

The flower field has an observation deck and photography spots, and you can even enter the monthly photo competition. Buy an en

A new restaurant opened inside the park in March 2018. Don’t miss this eatery where you can taste “flower sweets” made with edible flowers.

Toyohama Fish Garden

Feel the beat of a fishermen’s town! Get souvenirs at the market!

Ise Bay and Mikawa Bay have many fisheries as they are blessed with mild climate and the Black Current. Surrounded by these bays, Chita Peninsula is home to many fishing harbors, one of which is Toyooka Fishing Port where tons of seafood are caught every day.

All kinds of fresh seafood as well as a wide range of processed food like dried fish and shrimp crackers are available at the adjacent “Toyohama Fish Garden”! You will get to feel the real atmosphere of a fishing port in a space filled with the kind of energy that is only found in markets.

Inside the building, you will find the diner “Ichiba Shokudo” where you can enjoy fresh seafood dishes like seafood bowls with generous amount of toppings and Chita’s signature food, purplish Washington-clams.

CHINAMI

Treat yourself to the fresh seafood cooked right in front of you

CHINAMI is a restaurant that sits by the beach of Morozaki at the tip of Chita Peninsula. Devoted to Japanese cuisine, this restaurant’s chef mainly uses seafood from Minamichita to show off his expert culinary technique.

In addition to the popular seafood bowl with many kinds of colorful sashimi on top, this restaurant also takes pride in its dishes that are made with the freshest seafood, such as conger eel from Minamichita that is grilled with homemade sauce.

Shellfish is another must-have specialty of Minamichita. Purplish Washington-clam, one of such specialties, is simply delicious when grilled with soy-based sauce.

The Japanese geoduck, which is known for its long siphon, does not have a strong smell, so it is best eaten fresh as sashimi. Food made with ingredients kept in the in-house fish tank tastes nothing but fresh!

Rainbow Art

A cafe in an old Japanese-style house where you can feel the warmth of home cooking

With local vegetables as my main ingredients, I try to ensure a good balance between taste and colors. I hope our guests will find our food delicious and pleasing to the eyes, commented Sengoku, the cafe’s owner.

Here, safe and quality ingredients like vegetables and herbs the owner grows, vegetables and fruits that come directly from loc

Feel the welcoming ambience not just in the dishes, but in the interior decorations, too. The owner renovated the interior by himself, using recycled wood wherever possible.

This cafe participates in the local marché and holds a wide range of activities on the culinary culture such as rice planting/h

Suzuen-Honpo

Shrimp cracker cooked by the master chef

Himakajima Island is a small island in Mikawa Bay, about 10 minutes by speed boat from Morozaki Port in Minamichita. This island is home to many ryokans, restaurants and gift shops, one of which is Suzuen-Honpo.

The shrimp crackers that are hand-grilled by a master chef who used to serve as the head chef of a ryokan on this island are masterpieces made solely with cocktail shrimps. The chef evaluates the dough and temperature of the day, and then carefully adjusts the water content and drying time.

The owner, Mr. Onishi, commented that, “Our chef is familiar with the seasonal ingredients of Himakajima Island as well as how tasty they are. His dedication and culinary sense add the depth to the flavor of our crackers”. That seems to be the true secret ingredient.

Finished shrimp crackers have exquisite texture and release the umami of shrimps as you chew on them. “Soft Sugatayaki” and “S

ASSEMBLAGE

Find goods to add some colorful touch to your daily life

ASSEMBLAGE is a gallery and shop that the owner/sculptor and his wife operate in a house surrounded by greenery.

Here, a wide range of carefully selected works of artists nationwide are exhibited and sold, including paintings, sculptures, garments, accessories, tableware and cutlery. Among the works available here are bags of ATELIER MANIS, the brand known for its natural texture, and HEDI, as well as accessories from Akio Mori.

Permanent exhibitions of artists’ tableware and other items, and monthly special exhibitions are also held here. You can even h

Patisserie La Mimosa

Colorful macarons are crunchy and moist

Patisserie La Mimosa is a pastry shop in Handa City that offers cakes, small baked goodies, jams and chocolates. “I named my shop following the tradition that ‘the gift of a mimosa bouquet gives happiness’ as I wish to give happiness with my cakes”, said its owner, Morimoto.

Its chief pastry chef worked as a sous-chef at ANA Hotel. Committed to using only the best ingredients, he uses chocolates of different flavors and aromas for different cakes. Other ingredients like jam are also handmade wherever possible.

Its signature product, macaron, is crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside. Made by sandwiching ganache filling between almond-dough meringue cookies, these macarons will fill your mouth with rich and elegant flavors.

Its artistic parfait is so photogenic!

This cafe is famous for a wide variety of parfaits – 15 kinds including seasonal variety.

It is located on a hill with an undisturbed view of the ocean. It’s also nice to relax at the terrace on warm days.

The over 30 different flavors of ice cream that are used for parfaits are all handmade without the help of machines. They are dedicated to using the right level of heats when cooking the sauces and jam, so the original flavors of ingredients are kept intact.

This is the Sicilian-style, Mediterranean Parfait (1,500 yen) with ice cream flavored with lemon from Mihama and olives. The lime jelly with a touch of balsamic vinegar is the kind of taste adults love.

Here, the “Strawberry Parfait (1,350 yen)” is especially popular, as it is topped with ice cream flavored with domestic strawberry jam and strawberry puree from France.

This is the Parfait Tiara (1,600 yen) that is made with 13 different ingredients including large-sized/regular-sized strawberri

Mihama Lemon Madeleine (190 yen per piece) made with the juice of lemons from Mihama

Mango Parfait (1,500 yen) that is rich mango-flavored goodness is another gorgeous treat. Why don’t you bring home cakes and sm

Patisserie Au Fraisvert Radieux

Postal Code/470-2403
Address/1-1 Tachido Miyahigashi, Kitagata, Mihama-cho, Chita-gun, Aichi
Phone/0569-82-3568
Hours/10:00～18:00
Parking/Available (65 slots/Free parking)
Closed/Wednesdays and 2nd/4th Tuesdays

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HOTEL DE MARRONNIER Utsumi Onsen

Outdoor bath at the membership-based hotel that is also open to the public

This is the outdoor bath with a view of Ise Bay. Enjoy the spectacular view of the ocean colored by the setting sun.

A membership-based resort on the coast, this hotel also welcomes non-member guests who do not wish to stay overnight to its day

Indoor bath in the main bath area

The open-air bath and rock bath in the large public bath area are filled with natural hot spring water. The water is sodium-chl

A resort hotel with guestrooms with ocean view, banquet rooms and heated swimming pool

HOTEL DE MARRONNIER Utsumi Onsen

Postal Code/470-3321
Address/40 Utsumi Komasu, Minamichita-cho, Chita-gun, Aichi
Phone/0569-62-3255
Hours/Day-trip 1:00 pm – , Tuesdays/Thursdays 3:00 pm –
Parking/Available (Free parking)
Price/Day-trip (with one bath towel and one face towel) 1,000 yen for adults and 500 yen for children
Closed/Open daily

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Summary

Surrounded by the sea, Chita Peninsula offers all kinds of unique recreational activities and culinary delights. At the same time, the peninsula is also abundant in the blessings of the earth like dishes made with local vegetables and vast flower fields. Go for a drive in Chita Peninsula and discover the charm and allure of the sea and mountains to the fullest.
*This article is based on information is valid as of April 2018.
*Information and photos shown here may not be up to date. Readers are recommended to check the latest information before visiting.

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