"Ayaka Nakamura's 10,000 Steps Treasure Hunt" is a segment where CBC reporter Ayaka Nakamura personally walks and investigates the hidden charms of notable areas in the Tokai region.

This time, we will introduce three impressive spots – people, gourmet food, and outing spots – found in Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture, famous for its magnificent Tezutsu fireworks and other events at the "Toyohashi Gion Festival."

Impressive Spot ①: Nameshi Dengaku, a specialty dish of the Tokaido that has continued since the Edo period!

Nakamura, visiting Toyohashi City for the first time, began her research near Toyohashi Station. She entered a shop that caught her eye and asked around.

(Woman)
"(In Toyohashi) Nameshi Dengaku is famous. Radish leaves are mixed with rice. Miso is spread on tofu. Kikusou-san (is famous)."

She immediately headed to "Kikusou." In front of the shop, there was a line even before opening. The first impressive spot, reached after 2911 steps, was Nameshi Dengaku, a historical specialty dish of the Tokaido.

The "Nameshi Dengaku Teishoku" is, as the name suggests, rice mixed with radish greens and tofu dengaku with miso spread on it, but...

(8th generation, Keisuke Ota)
"Our shop is in front of the old Tokaido. It's a food from the Yoshida post town. (Q: How long has this shop been here?) As far as we know, since the Edo period."

"Kikusou" is a long-established shop that has been in this location, which flourished as a post town on the Tokaido, since at least the Edo period. Dengaku, which has been loved as a Tokaido specialty since ancient times, is made by spreading a sweet and savory red miso-based sauce on tofu and grilling it until fragrant. Nakamura first tried the tofu dengaku alone.

(Ayaka Nakamura)
"The tofu is fluffy and smooth, and you can taste the rich, sweet and savory miso."

Next, when she ate the dengaku with plenty of miso on nameshi, the gentle flavor of the greens and the saltiness further enhanced the umami and richness of the miso, creating an exquisite taste. Nakamura was deeply impressed.

Impressive Spot ②: A shop with an automatic mitarashi dango grilling machine that can only be seen here!

To find the next treasure spot, she researched in the shopping district. After mentioning that she had just been to "Kikusou," she asked if there were any other recommendations.

(Man)
"Have you been to the dango shop before that? Taishoken. You can see the dango being grilled right in front of you, with the machine moving automatically."

The second impressive spot, found after 5933 steps, was a great invention: an automatic dango grilling machine.

(Shop staff)
"It's an original machine, so you won't find it anywhere else. We grill it after receiving your order."

What she found at this 150-year-old long-established shop was an automatic machine that grills mitarashi dango. In fact, it was devised and built by the previous generation in 1963. After the war, when Western sweets began to spread, it was installed in front of the shop to attract children's attention to dango.

First, it is carefully grilled, then grilled a second time and dipped in sauce twice to complete. It's a dish with a focus on taste. Nakamura, after trying it, said...

(Ayaka Nakamura)
"The gooey, sweet and savory sauce and the chewy texture of the dango are the best. It's rare to see the process of making it, so I can eat it with a different feeling."

She enjoyed it as a delicious dessert after the nameshi dengaku.

Impressive Spot ③: A building on the river! A mysterious structure with a river flowing beneath the building.

As Nakamura walked in search of more treasures, she discovered a retro building. To unravel the mystery of the bridge railing that suddenly appeared between the buildings, she researched the surrounding area.

(Ayaka Nakamura)
"It was strange because there was no river, but it looked like a bridge."

(Man)
"There is a river. If you go all the way to the end, water is flowing. (Q: Is it flowing under this shop?) It's commonly called the Suijo Building (Waterfront Building)."

The third impressive spot, found after 8163 steps, was the Suijo Building, built on water. The so-called Suijo Building, constructed between 1964 and 1967, is a rare building built over an agricultural waterway for about 800m. In recent years, new shops that utilize its retro atmosphere have increased.

Walking around the building, she asked for recommended shops.

(Man)
"Na. Cafe is a cafe that has crispy crepes. They're delicious."

"Na. Cafe" is a stylish cafe that particularly stands out among the retro buildings. Its specialty is crispy crepes, and it has gained popularity by posting visually appealing crepes on social media.

Nakamura ordered the most popular item, the "Na. Specialty Anko Butter Whip." How was the taste?

(Ayaka Nakamura)
"Crispy. The whip cream and anko have a gentle sweetness, and the saltiness of the butter enhances it."

Nakamura was very satisfied with the exquisite sweets that relieved her fatigue from walking around the city. She eventually walked to the end of the 800m long Suijo Building, finishing with 10,073 steps.

She enjoyed Toyohashi City, from historical specialties to retro buildings.

From CBC TV "Chant!" broadcast on July 15, 2026