A two-day event selling local specialties from the Hata region of Kochi Prefecture and promoting its tourism appeal opens tomorrow, the 28th, in the free space beside the main entrance on the first floor of the Palaceside Building. About 80 products will be on display, including bonito ajillo, soda-bushi dried fish flakes, canned confit of wild ayu sweetfish from the Shimanto River and imo kenpi fried sweet potato sticks. Tourism brochures, relocation guidebooks and other pamphlets and materials will also be on hand, with individual consultations available as well.
The event is organized by Japan Learning Co. (first floor of the Palaceside Building), with cooperation from the seven municipalities that make up the Hata region in western Kochi -- the cities of Shimanto, Sukumo and Tosashimizu, the towns of Kuroshio, Otsuki and Shimanto, and the village of Mihara -- along with nine roadside stations operating in the area and the Tosa Hata no Kai foundation, whose members include natives of the region, all joining forces to showcase Hata in a big way.
According to "Michi-no-Eki Saikyo Ranking," a mook on Japan's best roadside stations published in May this year by Fuyusha, two stations taking part in the event enjoy nationwide popularity: Michi-no-Eki Shimanto Towa (Shimanto Town) ranks 13th in the country, and Michi-no-Eki Yotte Nishitosa (Shimanto City) comes in 31st. Come experience and savor the charms of Hata.