Seafood that land that day in Shimotsui is stocked. This day, it was flatfish and a conger eel. The eel is prepared and sold.
Kakiage (vegetable and seafood mix) Tempura (Japanese cuisine in which vegetables and/or seafood are dipped in a batter, then deep fried) (50 Yen), Sweet Potato Tempura (50 Yen), Lotus Tempura (50 Yen), Burdock Tempura (85 Yen). Ready-to-eat foods prepared by Aunt Makiko, who is up and cooking from 6:00 a.m., are popular among customers. All sold out by the evening!
Deep fried Donko fish (300 Yen), deep fried Sugeko fish (300 Yen), and Shimotsui's Jako (small fish) (150 Yen). Aunt Makiko transforms Shimotsui's seafood into delicious dishes.
Makiko who used to draw customers to the cafe. She toasted me a homemade bean rice cake after the interview. How good it was!
There are two things you can find in any other town but Shimotsui. One is a signal light. Do not be surprised -- in Shimotsui, where narrow alleys run in all directions like a labyrinth, there is not a single signal light. The other is a convenience store. For one reason, it is difficult to find a piece of land big enough to build a store with a parking lot. The other greater reason is the stores that are already there. There are good old fashioned general stores that are a part of people's lives here in Shimotsui.
Store Wadashika is located in Shimotsui 1-Chome, on an old road near Gion Shrine. It began operating around 1950. The founder, Shikataro Wada, took the first Chinese character, Shika, from his name and stuck it to his last name and named his store "Wadashika." His daughter Makiko, age 75, runs the store today. Makiko's oldest son, Yasuhiro, is the current president. Besides the two, Makiko's daughters-in-law also help at the store. Merchandise, as you can see from the photograph, is spread out evenly outside on the street. Fresh produce, instant cup noodles, flowers, and fresh seafood from the market that day (a true Shimotsui sight!). There is also a full line up of daily goods. Detergents, make-up, cleaning goods, socks, candles, light bulbs, batteries, elastic bands, gloves, tooth picks, portable gas stoves, reading glasses, eye glasses cases, tapes, lighters, and so on. In addition to all of this, there is also Makiko's home-made food. In Shimotsui, there is no place available for convenience stores to step in.