Long Read
Nishio: The Hidden Town That Surprised My Taste Buds
i never meant to end up in nishio. it was one of those "wrong train" moments that turned into a blessing. the kind of place where the vending machines outnumber the tourists, and the locals look at you like you just grew a second head when you try to order in broken japanese.
it's 3.97°c right now with 81% humidity, which basically means i'm typing this through foggy glasses. i just checked and it's chilly and damp there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.
the green tea obsession
nishio is basically japan's green tea capital, and i didn't even know that until i walked into a random shop and got served tea ice cream that made me question all my life choices up to that point. someone told me that the best matcha in town isn't in the fancy cafes but in a tiny place near the station where the owner looks like he's been perfecting his craft since before i was born.
"you haven't really had green tea until you've had nishio's," a local whispered to me while we waited for the bus. "everything else is just colored water."
getting lost on purpose
i spent three hours wandering around the old town area, which is basically a maze of narrow streets where every corner reveals another tiny shop selling something you didn't know you needed. there's this one place that sells handmade paper that costs more than my monthly rent, and another that has been making soy sauce the same way for 200 years.
food that makes you forget calories exist
the local specialty is something called "kishimen," which is basically flat udon noodles that taste like they were made by angels. i ate at this place called *kishimen tanaka where the broth was so good i considered drinking it straight from the bowl (i didn't, but i wanted to).
the people make the place
what struck me most wasn't the tea or the food, but how genuinely kind everyone was. i got lost trying to find the castle ruins, and this elderly woman walked me there even though it was basically in the opposite direction of where she was going. she kept apologizing for her english while i was apologizing for my terrible japanese.
practical nonsense
- the train station has exactly one platform and zero english signs
- bring cash, because cards are treated like mythical objects
- the tourist information center is staffed by people who actually want to help
- if you get bored, toyohashi and okazaki* are just a short drive away
would i go back?
in a heartbeat. nishio isn't trying to be anything other than itself, and that's increasingly rare these days. it's the kind of place that reminds you why you travel in the first place - not for the instagram photos, but for the moments when you realize you're exactly where you're supposed to be, even if you have no idea where that is.
you can check out more about nishio's tea culture on this local guide or find accommodation options on TripAdvisor.
You might also be interested in:
- https://topiclo.com/post/cocodys-faith-faces-and-friday-feasts-a-chaotic-guide
- https://topiclo.com/post/how-to-find-an-apartment-in-hyderabad-city-without-getting-scammed-as-a-broke-student
- https://topiclo.com/post/seasonal-weather-in-phnom-penh-what-to-expect-throughout-the-year
- https://topiclo.com/post/is-balashikha-a-good-place-to-live-2026-honest-review
- https://topiclo.com/post/fitness-and-wellness-the-best-gyms-and-yoga-studios-in-donetsk-4