Octopus Sasame, Semi Gyoza, Ageduke: A Look at Beloved Regional Side Dishes

Scared of Wild Animals While Visiting Supermarkets

Last year, after his daughter went abroad for study and he was freed from the responsibilities of raising children, Sugawara embarked on a nationwide journey in a camper van to visit local supermarkets. He lived a lifestyle where every meal consisted of food from local supermarket bento and ready-made dishes. During this trip, he encountered tako-sasame (octopus gills), which had been mentioned earlier in the article.

“At first, I thought I’d park the camper van by a lake in Hokkaido and enjoy a relaxed evening, maybe play some music. But then I heard about bears possibly being in the area, and it was so terrifying that I couldn’t sleep. There’s a place where you can park your camper van for a few thousand yen, but even walking 10 meters to the bathroom in the dark was too scary. In Tohoku, they frequently broadcast warnings over the town’s loudspeakers about bears being spotted, so I was always on edge.”

Traveling alone meant he had to focus on driving, leaving him no time to work on writing or taking photos. At night, he was too fearful of wild animals to enjoy a peaceful evening. Despite the challenges, he found great satisfaction in enjoying three meals a day from local supermarkets, indulging in their bento and ready-made dishes.

For readers of this magazine, Sugawara has carefully selected some of his favorite local products, perfect for pairing with alcohol or white rice. Though he continues his daily duties as a househusband, his journey to explore local supermarkets remains ongoing.

“There’s always some food in a supermarket somewhere in Japan that I don’t yet know about, waiting for me. My journey will never end.”

If readers take a look in their own local supermarkets, they might just find a hidden culinary treasure waiting for them.