In Search of the Phantom Sea Urchin Rice Ball: Heading to Sanriku Railway Kuji Station on a Snowy Morning

[1395th Rice Ball] Sanriku Rias-tei (Kuji Station) Sea Urchin Rice Ball
<<2026th Consecutive Day!>>

The clock pointed to 7:00 AM.
The harsh winter cold of Northern Sanriku chilled me to the bone.
In the town of Kuji, known as a filming location for the drama 'Amachan,' I encountered the 'phantom sea urchin rice ball.'

The term 'rice ball tourism' might become popular in the future.

Actually, this is a term I coined myself.
Visiting a travel destination with the goal of eating rice balls made with local ingredients unique to that area.
I named it that with the hope that such a simple and heartwarming form of travel will one day spread.
That is what I called it.

On this day, I stayed at a hotel near Kuji Station and woke up in the early morning while it was still dark. When I opened the curtains, the snow that had been falling since last night had dyed the town of Kuji pure white.
The clock was at 7:00 AM. Undeterred by the freezing cold, I threw on a thick coat and headed to Kuji Station.

The road surface was frozen solid like a skating rink.
Even as I waddled along with an unfamiliar penguin-like walk, my heart was filled with excitement.

Kuji Station is a hub for the Sanriku Railway.
Speaking of the Sanriku Railway, it is also known as the setting for the NHK morning drama 'Amachan.' It is a place that still makes me feel the vitality and nostalgia that the drama gave to all of Japan.
In the silence in front of the station, I felt as if I had stepped into a part of that story.

Exactly 7:00 AM. It should have been a busy morning hour, but there was no one inside the station.
There was no one on the platform either.
Perhaps the train had just left.

Inside the Kuji Station building, there was a slightly spacious area where one could wait.
On the left side, there was a ticket counter and a ticket gate.

On the right side, there was a standing-style soba noodle shop.

The name of the soba shop was Sanriku Rias-tei.

A shop where you can eat soba and udon noodles made with local mekabu seaweed and scallops.
Also, the sea urchin bento, limited to 20 servings per day, is said to be a legendary flavor, and it seems many people visit this station from all over the country just for it.

Sanriku Rias-tei seems to open at 7:00 AM, and the sea urchin bento for the day was not yet on sale.

It seems that besides the sea urchin bento, this Sanriku Rias-tei has another legendary menu item known only to those in the know.

That is the "sea urchin rice ball."

Because the number sold is small and the timing of the sales is not fixed, it seems it is quite hard to come across.

I want to eat the legendary "sea urchin rice ball."
This was the purpose of this trip.

The station premises were empty. The shop had just opened.
The shop staff were busy preparing ingredients in the kitchen.

There is no way there would be rice balls at such an hour.

There is no way.

Just when I was about to give up...

I spotted a single, golden, round object on the counter.

Je-je-je!

It was the legendary "sea urchin rice ball."

When I asked the shop staff, they told me they had only been able to make one, so they put it out.
Among the various rice ball menu items, it was the only one made.
And to think, that was the phantom sea urchin rice ball!

I'm lucky. Or rather, this is a miraculous encounter.

Perhaps God was watching me as I diligently reported on rice balls from all over the country for over 2,000 days.

When I asked the price, they said it was 200 yen each.

I'll take it!

I gently picked it up and tasted it right there.

The scent of the sea wafted up from the freshly made, still-warm rice ball.

Itadakimasu.
Chomp.

Ahhh. Pure bliss.

The rich umami and sweetness of the sea urchin spread throughout my mouth.
What a luxurious flavor.

The chewy texture of the rice combined with the deliciousness of the scattered sea urchin.
It felt as if the Sanriku sea was gently wrapping around the rice ball.

I truly felt that it was worth making the trip to Kuji Station early in the morning.

Special rice balls that can only be tasted in that specific region gently embrace the traveler's heart. Isn't that charm the essence of rice ball tourism?

The winter in Northern Sanriku is harsh, but the warmth encountered amidst that cold is exactly what highlights the goodness of this region. The 'phantom sea urchin rice ball' I encountered at Kuji Station was, for me, a symbol of that.

Why don't you all try experiencing rice ball tourism as well?

That was a delicious meal.

If you'd like, please have another rice ball from the shop that inspired the morning drama 'Chimudondon'.

You can fully enjoy the world of rice ball tourism.

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