こんにちは！国際貢献学部グローバル観光学科１年次生の長渡静流です。本格的な冬の寒さを感じ、春も待ち遠しく感じる季節ですね。皆さん、いかがお過ごしでしょうか。

今回は私の地元である東大阪市の石切参道商店街について、その魅力をご紹介いたします。

病気平癒のご利益が高い石切劔箭神社へ続く参道を、ぐるりと囲うように立ち並ぶ商店は、いつも参道者達で賑わっています。お菓子屋、漢方薬、衣料品、雑貨など独特な雰囲気が感じられる商店が立ち並ぶ参道は、レトロを漂わせ、古きよき魅力が沢山詰まっています。

石切参道は坂道になっているので、あちこちに点在するお土産屋に寄りながらのんびり歩くのがおすすめです。例えば、生姜の香りとピリッとした辛味と麦芽糖の優しい甘さが特徴の冷やし飴や、ほんのり甘くて癖になる「太田屋」の煎餅などを召し上がってみてはいかがでしょうか。

この「太田屋」で売られている煎餅、実は生地を練るところから焼くまで全て、職人さんが1枚1枚丁寧に作っています。この太田屋の煎餅は店主の「この店に足を運んでくれるお客さんに最高の味を届けたい」と言う思いからここでしか売られていません。連日多くの人が買いに来るので、昼過ぎには完売してしまう事も。お求めの際は是非、早い時間に訪れる事をオススメします。

今回は私の地元大阪府東大阪市の「石切参道商店街｣をご紹介致しました。石切にはまだまだ他にも、美味しい食べ物や、心躍る観光地がたくさんあります。是非1度石切に足を運んでみてください！！


Hello! My name is Shizuru Nagato, a first-year college student here at KUFS. It's that time of the year when you can feel the cold wind of winter against your skin and of course everybody cannot wait for the spring season to come, right? How is everyone doing?

This time, I would like to introduce my hometown and the charms of Ishikiri Shopping Street, which is located in Higashi Osaka.

First, maybe you have heard about Ishikiri Tsurugiya Shrine. People say that it's highly beneficial for sick people to cure their illnesses by praying there! Plus, there are many stalls lined up close to the shrine and they're always crowded with visitors. They usually sell sweets, herbal medicines, clothes, and various goods. The atmosphere there has a unique and old-fashioned charm.

If you plan to visit Ishikiri, I recommend you walk around the shopping district, especially the souvenir shops. For example, why don't you buy some hard candy with the aroma and spiciness of ginger and the gentle sweetness of malt sugar? Or maybe you can buy the sweet and addictive rice crackers from Ota-ya!

The rice crackers there are made carefully from scratch by the workers, from kneading to baking. Ota-ya only sell their delicious rice crackers directly from their store because the owner wants to make them available only to customers who visit the store in person. Many regulars come from far and wide to buy rice crackers everyday so they often sell out by midday. If you want to buy some, I highly recommend you go as early as you can.

Here I've introduced my hometown, the shopping district of Ishikiri, a neighborhood of Higashi Osaka City in Osaka Prefecture. There are many more places in Ishikiri with delicious foods stalls and sightseeing spots. Please do come and visit Ishikiri!