A drive to Mimitori Pass An April detour for views of the port town and distant Mount Kaimon

In April, my friend and I drove around Makurazaki before heading to Mimitori Pass. I’d brought along the bag of dried bonito I’d picked out in town. When we reached the lookout and got out of the car, the town we’d just driven through spread out below us.

I pushed up the sleeves of my light cardigan and looked out toward the sea. Beyond the rooftops and fields lay a stretch of water, then Mount Kaimon in the distance. The view unfolded from near to far, and I was glad when I spotted the mountain.

I took the dried bonito from the bag, still wrapped in paper, and held it in my hand. So this is what it looks like before it becomes those familiar flakes. I pressed a knuckle lightly against it and couldn’t believe how hard it was.

“Does this turn into those soft, fluffy bonito flakes when you shave it?” I asked my friend. I looked down at the block, then back out over Makurazaki. Seeing the whole block before it’s shaved into the flakes I know made looking out over the town even more fun.

At Makurazaki Osakana Center, you can shop for dried bonito and enjoy Makurazaki Katsuo Funabito Meshi, a bonito rice bowl. Next time, I want to savor it properly, starting with a pour of dashi. Now I have one more reason to head back to the town I saw from the pass.

Before we left, I slipped the dried bonito back into its bag and looked for Mount Kaimon one more time. Route 226 also takes you past Minamisatsuma Kaido Hakkei, the Eight Scenic Views of Minamisatsuma. If you enjoyed the view here, I’d love to pick another lookout next time and keep exploring the coast.