In a small, open space a few streets from the harbor, rows of octopus flutter in the breeze.
Skillfully pulled taut across bamboo stakes to dry under the winter sun, they are crisp and almost white: an indication that the dehydration process that brings out their umami flavor is almost complete. Soon they will be packaged so that the tourists who hung them can easily take them home — for these octopuses are not a fisherman's catch but part of a popular tourist activity.
Visitors flock to this small island of Aichi Prefecture's Chita Penninsula to catch, dry and eat the renowned local octopus, which is ranked among the freshest and tastiest in the country. Such is its reputation that Himakajima has affectionately been named "Octopus Island" (Tako-no-shima) by tourists searching for gourmet delicacies and traditional experiences. And, as tako (octopus) is a rough homophone for takō (much happiness), the island also draws people keen to celebrate and welcome good luck in a unique way.
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