Where to Stay: Inns for the Ultimate Oyster Feast
Updated: Oct 1
By Toshio Hanatani
Local in Toba
3 recommended stays that have perfected oyster dishes
Uramura boasts about its oysters and stunning ocean views. While visiting, why not stay at an inn that prides itself on excellent cuisine and breathtaking scenery?
In this article, we curated three distinct types of accommodations in the Uramura-cho area—a cozy family-run inn, a secluded hideaway, and a traditional hot spring ryokan—tailored to different travel styles.
We also interviewed the chefs at each spot about their unique approach to creating oyster dishes that stand out from the rest.
A Cozy Stay That Prides Itself on Hospitality and Charcoal-Grilled Dishes: Ryori-no-yado Ginrin
Ryori no Yado Ginrin is located on the hill east of Onoura Bridge. It’s a cozy inn with just seven guest rooms. All of the rooms are Japanese-style with traditional tatami flooring, and the communal baths, featuring both indoor and open-air hot springs, are surrounded by greenery and offer a scenic view overlooking Onoura Bay.
“I hope you get to enjoy the rustic and simple atmosphere of a rural fishing village," is what Yohei Yamanaka said. A highly skilled chef delivers authentic Japanese cuisine.
From autumn through March, a kaiseki meal plan called “Oyster Feast” is served, featuring oysters harvested in Uramura.
Enjoy a luxurious course featuring roasted oysters, oyster tempura, oyster miso hot pot, and Oyster Nanban (fritters served with tartar sauce). The highlight is a grand 'Funamori' boat platter of fresh sashimi, served with spiny lobster and Japanese flounder.
Ginrin’s charm is that you can grill oysters yourself at the dining table equipped with a charcoal grill.
When charcoal-grilled, the oyster’s smell wafts gently; not to mention, as it loses its water content, the sea salt flavor becomes concentrated. The staff will both light the grill and rest assured, as they will also offer tips on how to grill the oysters perfectly. Additional oysters are also available to order once you’ve run out.
The menu I’d love to highlight from the course is the Oyster Miso Hot Pot. It’s a modern twist on Kaki no Nimiso (oyster miso stew), a traditional home-cooked dish from the local town of Uramura.
While every family is said to have their own unique recipe for nimiso (miso hot pot), Executive Chef Nakayama creates his by blending local Toba red miso with Hatcho miso, finishing it with a rich, sweet-and-savory flavor using tamari soy sauce and sugar. He also insists on adding Chinese chives—a non-negotiable rule passed down in the Nakayama household. It’s a truly secret piece of local food.
TEPPAN Auberge CaroCaro Toba Ura-Bettei: Enjoy the Art of Chef-manship
TEPPAN Auberge CaroCaro Toba Ura-Bettei is a secluded auberge where guests can indulge in fine dining featuring Ise-Shima’s seafood and Wagyu beef. All six guest rooms are equipped with private hot spring baths. While most rooms are Western-style, some Japanese-style rooms also feature both beds and kotatsu tables.
Dining takes place in a dedicated room, where a chef stands across the teppan iron griddle to showcase the art of cooking with heat and flame.
Their dinner course features seasonal ingredients, serving local Uramura Pacific oysters from October through late March each year.
While teppanyaki is a uniquely Japanese cooking style, one of the main courses—sautéed oyster—is paired with a classic French beurre blanc sauce. When paired together, it brings the natural rich flavor of the oyster, the depth of butter, and a refreshing acidity perfectly. During the summer, plump rock oysters are served.
Steamed to perfection within their shells right on the teppan grill.
Creative dishes delightful to both the eye and the palate, such as local Uramura oysters wrapped in crispy Turkish kadaif noodles and an ice cream dessert flambéed directly on the teppan, are also available.
"Enjoy the thrill and entertainment of having your food cooked right in front of you," says Chef Ryuji Kimura. While dinner certainly builds anticipation, he notes that "the morning view from the windows is actually just as popular." From your table in the dining room, you might even catch sight of the local fishing boats setting out into Onoura Bay.
Expertly Selected Ingredients and Master Craftsmanship: Toba Motoura Onsen, Ryokan Sun Urashima Yuki no Sato
"Toba Motoura Onsen Ryokan Sun Urashima Yuki no Sato" is an authentic hot spring inn featuring its own natural source on-site. The property offers spacious communal baths with both open-air and indoor baths. Private open-air baths are also available for rent to the public, with guest rooms equipped with their own private open-air hot spring baths.
The lounge areas also reflect the unique charm of the region, featuring an observation deck overlooking Onoura Bay with its floating oyster rafts, as well as a cafe space adorned with copperplate prints of local Ama (female free-divers) created by local artists.
For dinner, a traditional multi-course kaiseki (Japanese meal) serving seafood like Ise spiny lobster alongside mountain delicacies such as Matsusaka beef. Dining arrangements—whether in a private table-seating dining area or directly in your room—depend on your accommodation plan.
From around October through March, Uramura oysters are served. Highlights of this seasonal kaiseki typically include grilled oysters, houroku-yaki (steam-roasted in a clay pot), and dobin-mushi (broth steamed in an earthenware teapot). Off-menu dishes may also be served depending on the market availability. Fresh raw oysters can be ordered as well, but because their availability is not guaranteed, checking in advance when making your reservation is strongly recommended.
Oysters Simmered in Miso is another dish you might encounter if timing is on your side—a recreation of the well-known "Kaki no Nimiso" (Oysters Simmered in Miso) mentioned earlier. The kitchen uses a custom blend of red miso, cooking it alongside ingredients like white leeks and enoki mushrooms.
Head Chef Kenichi Tabata, with 38 years of experience in Japanese cuisine, is widely respected for his technical skill and his eye for quality ingredients.
"While oysters are the signature seafood of Uramura, the local fish and broad squid (aori-ika) are also delicious served as sashimi or grilled," he says.
"We're even happy to cook the fish our guests catch right from our on-site pier!" he adds with a smile, ready to roll up his sleeves.
Go Deeper:
Both the "Oyster Miso Hot Pot" and "Oyster Miso Stew" featured here originate from Nimiso, a simple, traditional home-style dish from Uramura Town. What makes them interesting is how they pick what their miso blends and their choice of ingredients. Also, Nimiso is also featured in the article Inside Uramura: A Glimpse into the Oyster Fishermen's Daily Life.
Please check the following websites if you are interested in any of the stays we introduced.
Ginrin (Japanese only)
