Episode 4: Shops the Locals Frequent — Atami's Small Hidden Gems —
In Atami, apart from the pudding shops and seafood rice bowl restaurants where tourists line up,
there are shops that have quietly kept going, day after day.
A bartender I know told me about a few of these places, so I decided to visit them.
These are shops you won't find in any tourist guidebook—places woven into the fabric of everyday life here.
Mizuguchi Tofu Shop
The first place I visited was Mizuguchi Tofu Shop.
I bought some cotton tofu and thick fried tofu (atsuage) and tried them.
The aroma of soybeans was strong, and the flavor was rich and concentrated.
It was nothing like the tofu you buy at the supermarket these days—this had real substance and presence.
I was a little surprised that a shop like this still exists in Atami.
Yamada Tofu Shop
I also made my way to another shop, Yamada Tofu Shop.
Along with the tofu, I picked up some soy milk too.
When I opened the pack, the tofu had a dense, tightly-packed texture.
The soy milk, too, had a robust flavor where the taste of the soybeans themselves came through more than any sweetness.
Even though both are "tofu shops," Yamada Tofu Shop has a distinct character from Mizuguchi's.
It might be fun to compare the two, tasting one against the other.
Murakoshi Fish Shop
Murakoshi Fish Shop, located along the Itokawa River, is a bit tricky in terms of timing.
Depending on when you visit, the shelves might be empty.
The storefront is old, retaining the atmosphere of the Showa era just as it was.
Purely by chance, a heron sat perched on the balcony above, as if it belonged there all along.
When you happen to visit at just the right time,
you'll find skewered eel, aji tataki (minced horse mackerel), and assorted sashimi platters lined up.
You can eat right there in front of the shop, gazing at the flow of the Itokawa River.
Savoring sashimi you just bought, paired with a drink purchased somewhere else, out in the open air.
It was a quiet kind of moment, nothing like the food-hopping you'd do at a typical tourist spot.
Nishijima Butcher Shop
Nishijima Butcher Shop was another place where the window of opportunity to find items on the shelves was limited.
I managed to buy some beef minced cutlets and horse liver.
Here too, the flavors were rich and concentrated, leaving a satisfying impression.
It's by no means a large shop, but it had the kind of atmosphere where locals quietly come in to buy what they need—
that particular feeling a shop earns over time.
Shops Like These Are What Keep Atami's Daily Life Going
Away from the bustle of the tourist crowds near the station,
shops like these continue on, quietly, even now.
Sometimes, if the timing isn't right, you won't be able to get what you came for.
Even so, I think it's because people keep coming back that these shops manage to survive.
Going forward, whenever I come across places like these, I want to keep recording them.
Atami is a tourist destination, but it's also someone's everyday living space.
I'd like to keep writing about both sides of this town.