Shizoka Prefecture, Japan is renowned for its sun-dried seafood. Fresh-caught fish, octupus, and squid are dried on wire racks in the sun. At this street-side shop in Ito City, the small wooden sign identifies these as "iidako", or Amphioctopus fangsiao, a species of octopus found in the Pacific Ocean. The whole dried octopus is available at left, and on the right are presented "takoyaki", a ball-shaped snack made of a wheat flour-based batter stuffed with minced octopus and cooked in a special takoyaki pan.
Tokaikan (東海館), meaning "east sea inn", was built in 1928 in central Ito City on the Izu Peninsula and was expanded in 1938 and 1949. It is one of only few remaining hot spring ryokan [Japanese Inn] built of wood during the early Showa Period. It lies on the bank of the 松川 (Pine River).
