Conveyor Belt Sushi -Nemuro-hanamaru Head Office in Nemuro-

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[Hanamaru Head Office in Nemuro] One of 3 Major Conveyor Belt Sushi Chain Stores in Hokkaido

June 5th, 2017

CONTENTS

Hanamaru
Conveyor Belt Sushi

Hanamaru

Kaitenzushi Nemuro Hanamaru (回転寿司根室花まる) is a popular conveyor belt sushi chain store (回転寿司チェーン店) founded in 1982, and the head office is in Nemuro city. The Hanamaru is one of the 3 major conveyor belt sushi chain restraunts together with Toriton (トリトン) and Nagoyakatei (なごやか亭) in Hokkaido, and is well-known for serving reasonable fresh sushi. Hanamaru corp. (株式会社はなまる) runs it, and Mr. Tetsushi Shimizu (清水鉄志) is a company president, and sometimes appears on TV programs. A lot of branches open a business in Sapporo, Nakashibetsu, Hakodate, Marunouchi and Ginza at present.

My visited place is the Nemuro Head Office along National Route 44, and it is near Hakuryo Junior High School (柏陵中学校). The appearance looks like just a typical Japanese restaurant chain. The building is large, and the interior decoration has an atmosphere such as a typical conveyor belt sushi chain store. Counter seats and table seats are provided, so I guess that even family customers enjoy meals.

As for tourists attractions in the Nemuro, Cape Nosappu, Lake Furen and Shunkunitai, Cape Ochiishi, Kurumaishi, Meiji Park, Cherry Blossom of Seiryuji Temple and Roadside Station Swan 44 Nemuro are relatively famous. Unfortunately, hot springs do not gush out in the Nemuro.

Cape Nosappu

Cape Nosappu (納沙布岬) is a cape in the eastern part of Nemuro city, and was named after "A place that the cape is like jutting out a chin" in Ainu language. As its name suggests, the cape is at the tip of Nemuro Peninsula, and is well-known as the easternmost tip in Japan mainland, and a lot of tourists come to view a scenery such as 4 northern islands (北方四島) and Shiretoko Peninsula (知床半島). The Cape Nosappu is also famous as a place to see the earliest morning sun in the Japan, and is crowded with visitors to watch the first sunrise on New Year's Day. First Sunrise of a New Year in Cape Nosappu (納沙布岬初日詣) is held in January 1. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. Article is here

Lake Furen

Lake Furen (風蓮湖) is a brackish water lake between Nemuro city and Bekkai town, and is the 3rd largest brackish water lake after Lake Saroma (サロマ湖) and Lake Notoro (能取湖) in Hokkaido, and has been designed as a wetland under Ramsar Convention since 2005, and was named after Furen River meant "A red river" in Ainu language. The perimeter of the lake is about 96 km, and the maximum depth is 11 m. The lake is famous for one of the largest sweetbrier colonies in Japan, and is well-known for watching White-tailed Sea Eagle and Steller's Sea-eagle in a winter. In addition, it is well-known as a paradise of deers around Hashirikotan (走古丹) in the north side of the lake. There are Shunkunitai (春国岱), Roadside station "swan 44 Nemuro (スワン44ねむろ)", Hashirikotan Primeval Flower Garden (走古丹原生花園) around the lake. A song of "Lake Furen" sung by Mr. Keishuke Yamauchi (山内恵介), a Japanese famous enka singer, uses here as a motif. By the way, a highway bus "Aurora-go (オーロラ号)" runs between the Nemuro and the Sapporo, and a highway bus "Limited Express Nemuro-go (特急ねむろ号)". Article is here

Cape Ochiishi

Cape Ochiishi (落石岬) is a cape in the southwestern part of Nemuro city, and is one of the 3 major secret capes in Hokkaido together with Cape Ofuyu (雄冬岬) and Cape Chikyu (地球岬), and is about 20 km far away from the downtown of the Nemuro. There are Ochiishi Marshland (落石湿原), Ninoushichashi Ruins (ニノウシチャシ跡), Afuramoichashi Ruins (アフラモイチャシ跡) and Megane-rocks (眼鏡岩) near the Cape Ochiishi. The top of about 40 m altitude cliffs is relatively flat, and it is like Kiritappu (霧多布). Ochiishimisaki Lighthouse (落石岬灯台) that has been chosen as one of "50 Best Lighthouses in Japan" is built there, and only the lighthouse on the cliffs can be seen from the sea side, but a good scenery such as the lighthouse on the marshland from the land side can be enjoyed. Sakai Azalea that has been designed as a national nature treasure can be seen only here in Japan. The best season to see is about mid June. Admission free. A bio-toilet is built near an entrance of a gate. Article is here

Kurumaishi

Kurumaishi (車石) is strange shaped rocks under Hanasaki Lighthouse (花咲灯台) in the southernern part of Nemuro city, and is about 6 km away from the downtown of the Nemuro. The Hanasaki Lighthouse is built near an entrance of the Hanasaki Port (花咲港), and a foundatio of the lighthouse is made of scraggy basalt, and a part of those is the Kurumaishi. As for the Kurumaishi, Lava was cooled about 65 million years ago, and about 7.5 m width basalt developed radially, and it turned into the strange shaped rocks. It has been designated as a national monument since 1939. Because it looked like a shape of a wheel, It is also called wheel stone. * Kuruma means "a wheel or a tire" in Japanese, and ishi means "a stone or a rock" in Japanese. This case example is very rare in the world, and the Kurumaishi is one of the most famous radial joints in the world together with Ulleungdo Island (鬱陵島) in South Korea, and it seems to be valuable academically. The state covered with scraggy basalt is a strange view, and tourists can enjoy a mysterious scene. Around here is developed as a park, and a parking lot and a public restroom are built. Admission free. The parking lot is free of charge. Article is here

NEMURO

Nemuro (根室) that about 26,000 people live in is the 26th largest fishery city in Hokkaido, and one of regional hub cities of the East Hokkaido area, and is the easternmost port town in Japan. The Nemuro has 4 ports, Nemuro Port (根室港), Hanasaki Port (花咲港), Ochiishi Fishing Port (落石漁港) and Habomai Fishing Port (歯舞漁港), and it is famous for catching Hanasaki Crab (花咲ガニ) and Saury, and a catch of the saury is the largest in the Japan. As for a climate, the Nemuro faces the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pcific Ocean, so a wind blows hard. Average annual temperature is 6 degrees, and it is chilly in a summer, and it does not snow hard in a winter. Various things such as Cape Nosappu (納沙布岬) is the easternmost in the Japan, so visitors know the joy of the easternmost things in the Japan. It is a good point to see the earliest sunrise in the Japan, too. In addition, It is said that the Nemuro is famous for coming the last Cherry Blossom Front, and is one of latest cherry blossoming places in the Japan. Article is here

Sushi of Hokkaido

Sushi is a rice dish using various types of ingredients such as raw seafood, and Hand-rolled Sushi (握り寿司) is most famous, and others are Rolled Sushi (巻きずし), Sushi Pocket (いなり寿司 * Inarizushi), Scattered Sushi (バラ寿司・ちらし寿司), Pressed Sushi (押し寿司), Izushi Fermented Sushi (飯寿し) and so on. In Japan, Fermented Sushi (なれずし) has been eaten since Nara Period, and old Japanese made sushi as a fermented food. In Edo Period, the Hand-rolled Sushi was born, and was popular with Edo people in Edo Castle Town. It was not a dish but a snack in those days. Since Meiji peropd, sushi using sashimi has become widespread in the Japan, and a bite-sized vinegared rice has become common. So the sushi refers to the Hand-rolled Sushi in a large number of cases. Article is here

Conveyor Belt Sushi

Although I could eat Hanamaru's sushi in the Sapporo, I would eat their sushi at the birthplace, so I visted here around 11:00 on a weekday. 3 groups of customers came to the restraunt at this early hour. They looked local people and tourists. I guessed that the tourists wanted to eat the Hamaru's sushi at the head office, too.

I sat at a counter seat, and read a menu. Since I was already there, I wanted to eat sushi items caught in the Nemuro, so I ordered a dish of Sea Peach Caught around Nemuro (根室産赤ほや), a dish of Raw Octopus Caught around Ochiishi (落石産活きだこ) and a dish of Raw Gosogarei Flatfish (Caught around Nemuro) Served with Kelp (根室産ごそがれいの昆布〆). I was interested in Raw Scallop Caught in Notsuke (野付産の生ホタテ), King Crab Roe (たらば蟹外子), Abdomen of Crab (かにのふんどし) and Raw Squid with Grating Horseradish (真いか山わさび), and ordered those. The prices were the Sea Peach (JPY 320), the King Crab Roe (JPY 320), the Raw Octopus (JPY 230), the Gosogarei Flatfish Served with Kelp (JPY 230), Raw Scallop (JPY 420), the Abdomen of Crab (JPY 270) and the Raw Squid with Grating Horseradish (JPY 230).

After a short while, the Sea Peach Caught in the Nemuro was served. The appearance was very unordinary. Red sushi item reminded me of salomn, but its shape was not the salmon. I ate it immediately. The taste was just sea squirt, and was a little bitter. I guessed that it went well with sake. Then the King Crab Roe and Raw Scallop were served. Black roe was cool, and I got hooked on the pop texture. As for the Raw Scallop, it was very large! That was chewy, and was tasty.

After eating the King Crab Roe and Raw Scallop, the Raw Gosogarei Flatfish Served with Kelp and Raw Octopus were served. Both the sushi items were very chewy. I thought that those were very fresh. Last I ate the Abdomen of Crab and the Raw Squid with Grating Horseradish. Those were tasy, too. The horseradish irritated my nose very much. The Hanamru is famous for large sushi items, and I think so, too. It is just a confidential of the popularity. Thanks for the tasty sushi!

Conveyor Belt Sushi and Atmosphere of Restaurant Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of Conveyor Belt Sushi

Parking lot	Parking is provided (20 Cars)
Business hours	11:00-22:00
Regular closing day	Irregular closing day
Telephone number	+81-153-24-1444
Home page	Home page is here
Mapcode	423 549 733*64