Kihoku Town [鬼北町]
Kihoku is a broad town made up of amalgamated villages, primarily the two hubs of Hiyoshi and Hiromi. The population is about 11,600. Kihoku’s local products are pheasant, yuzu, shiitake and rice. Website: http://www.town.kihoku.ehime.jp/
Location / Access / Transport
- Car: 20 minutes north of Uwajima
- Train: The main station is Chikanaga (近永) – 35-40 minutes from Uwajima (360 yen)
Tourism / Festivals / Highlights
- Ushioni Festival – demon cow festival in November
- Dechikonka – town fair-style festival in October with booths selling local products, large taiko performances and various bands
- Naganoichi – festival in April
- Dechikonka Natsunojin, Kawanobri – celebrate summer by running up a river! A very difficult race held in July, but a lot of fun. Not inconsiderable risk of injury
- Crying baby festival – a rather unusual ceremony in early winter where a man dressed as an oni is handed small children, and they either cry or stare nonplussed
- Fireflies – common around the town’s rivers in late May and early June. The best place to find them is in Aiji
Dining Out
- Korean
- Juju – good Korean BBQ restaurant
- Toyoken – Korean BBQ and sushi
- Izakaya and Bars
- Mama – Japanese-style izakaya
- Ichi – izakaya
- Yesterday – café/bar with great atmosphere, often hosts live bands
- Haruya – izakaya, primarily for large gatherings/enkai
- Begin – located just around the corner from Chikanaga station. The owner speaks English!
- Japanese
- Nagashi somen – river of cold noodles; summer only
- Hoka Hoka Ben – decent take-out bento
- Family Restaurants
- Joyfull – chain restaurant with cheap, fast food
Shopping
- Supermarkets – Fuji, Direx, Shinbashi
- Clothing – Shimamura, across from Fuji
- Home Improvement – Home Stock
- Books – Haruya. Chain bookstore with a decent selection (but unfortunately no foreign-language books)
- Pharmacy – two pharmacies, one located next to Fuji, and one next to Haruya
- Local Goods – Yumesanchi and Morinosankakuboshi. Locally made products, farmer’s market and souvenirs
Leisure
- Narukawa Onsen
- Narukawa Gorge – a beautiful nature area near the hot spring. There are several hiking trails near the Narukawa lodge area. The lodge is well known for serving pheasant products
- BG Pool – outdoor covered pool, open from early May to mid-September
- Community Park – large gym building near the JHS, has a small, inexpensive gym with some weights and treadmills. There is an interesting playground with large slides above the gym
- Fitness Gym Athlete – a well-equipped gym with a variety of weights and machines. ￥30,000 annual fee, with discount for multiple sign-ups
- Camping – recreation/camping sites on the far end of town in Hiyoshi and near Mishima
- Fishing – several freshwater species live in the area, including eel and carp