🍚 Tako-meshi(octopus rice)
“Tako-meshi” (octopus rice) is said to have been a type of fisherman's meal in which octopus caught by fishermen was chopped into small pieces on the boat and cooked with rice. In addition to Aichi Prefecture, it is often eaten in the Seto Inland Sea region, including Ehime, Kagawa and Hiroshima prefectures. Himaka Island, located in Mikawa Bay, is called the "Island of Octopus" because it is rich in high-quality octopus. Octopus characters can be seen everywhere on the island, including monuments and manhole covers, and a summer octopus festival is held to pray for the octopus and a good catch. The Anraku-ji Temple on the island is known as "Tako Amida" because of an anecdote about a large octopus wrapped around the temple's statue of Buddha to protect it when it was pulled out of the water by fishermen after it sank during an earthquake. On Himaka Island, where octopus is a specialty, you can enjoy various kinds of octopus dishes including "Tako-meshi".