Drive to Cape Irago (4) - Tea at lakeside hotel

It was late in the afternoon when we came back to Hamamatsu. While driving along Lake Hamana, my mother told me that clamming there (this lake is connected with the sea) had become impossible in recent years. It was because the catch quantity had been decreasing. Clamming had been one of the major summer activities in Lake Hamana, and I was participated in it for several times when I was little. Being a vegetarian, I no longer cared about clamming, but I was a little horrified by the significant decrease of clams. Not only clams but also fish such as eel and horse mackerel liked by Japanese people are decreasing. We have a good reason to be a vegetarian or flexitarian.

Before we went home, we dropped in a lakeside hotel THE HAMANAKO (Daiwa Royal Hotel). There were many guests in the lobby. Maybe they came to enjoy the open-air spa or swim in the pool. We went to the tea lounge to have some refreshment. First, we got a glass of water with a coaster that looked like a melon!

This was a western-style tea lounge, and my mother intended to have coffee. But I found an interesting set menu with green tea (the most famous specialty of Shizuoka Prefecture), and two Japanese sweets that could be chosen from three options. Unfortunately, one of the options saka-manju was sold out, so I had miso-manju and hu-manju with green tea.

Miso-manju (often called misoman) is a specialty in the area north of Lake Hamana. Manju is a bun stuffed with adzuki bean paste, and misoman has a skin containing black sugar. As the color resembles that of miso, it is called misoman. I think it is more tasty than ordinary white manju, and the one I ate at the hotel was also good. The other sweet, hu-manju, has a skin made from hu or wheat gluten. I gave it to my mother who ordered coffee. This set was quite reasonable, 480 yen. According to my mother, it is also possible to order your favorite Japanese sweet separately, and saka-manju, which contains sake in the skin, is very good. That may be the reason why it was sold out.

Near the souvenir shop of the hotel, there was a corner where products of local traditional textile were sold. It is called Enshu-Mentsumugi and has been woven since Edo period.

In addition, there were towels dyed by craftsmen with a traditional technique.

This hotel seemed to be comfortable to stay at night. Lake Hamana is just beyond the building, and you may be able to see beautiful sunset if it is fine.