It seems that the best time to enjoy summer clams is during the reservations made in November, but I have been unsuccessful in the lottery for two consecutive years. So, I reluctantly made a reservation for this time.According to the staff, "The clams during this season are quite light in flavor." I had the kaiseki course, but honestly, I feel that dining here is sufficient for just this one time.The dishes that highlighted the natural flavors of the clams were indeed delicious, but they were exactly as I expected. Unfortunately, there were also many disappointing items, particularly the butter-fried clams and the tuna sashimi, which were inedible due to their poor taste.As someone who loves fish, especially sashimi, I found the tuna sashimi so unappetizing that I couldn't finish it. It's rare for me to leave behind sashimi, which is one of my favorites!It seems that the menu changes monthly, likely due to the limited availability of fresh ingredients. I felt compelled to ask, "When was this thawed?" because the taste was disappointing.Since the restaurant is near the sea, it would be great if they offered "fresh sashimi from the day's catch" on the menu. What a waste! The sashimi was at a level you would expect from a hot spring inn deep in the mountains of Nagano or Fukushima.The butter-fried dish completely masked the natural flavor of the clams. Younger diners might prefer this style, but I found it lacking.Another point of concern was the "hōsho" (the white paper used in hot pots). Compared to my experience at Chikushitei in Nakatsu, Oita, the flavor of the hōsho did not transfer to the broth as much, but it was still disappointing to taste some of it in the broth after the clams were cooked.The dishes were not served in the order described on the menu. The hot pot, which should have arrived earlier, was served just before the rice. I was looking at the menu wondering what would come next, but I was confused about why the order was changed.After finishing the hot pot, I was finally told that the rice would take about 12 minutes to cook, as it was being made from scratch. However, another staff member said, "Please let it steam a bit after the heat is turned off," which was contradictory.If I had started cooking the rice at the same time as the clam hot pot, it would have been perfect. It took 20 minutes for the heat to turn off, and the staff did not come to check on us at the best timing, leaving us in a completely neglected situation. We had to decide for ourselves when to open the lid and serve the rice, despite the service charge.During the 20 minutes of waiting for the rice to cook, there was nothing to eat, just a long wait. The rice itself was overly seasoned and not very tasty.While the dishes that highlighted the flavor and quality of the clams were very good, they were still within the realm of my expectations. I felt that if I could source good clams, I could easily make these dishes at home.The only dish that stood out as something I couldn't replicate at home was the clam fish cake. The bowl with the clam fish cake was exceptionally delicious, and the junsei (water shield) complemented it well. That was the only dish that truly impressed me.There were also quite a few times when I had to wait a long time for the next dish to arrive.Next time, I think I would prefer to casually enjoy clam dishes at a more local eatery for lunch. Or perhaps I could try grilled clams cooked over pine cones at Chōjiya?I had always wanted to visit Hinode, but I was quite disappointed. I have no desire to return.The meal for two cost around JPY 26,000, and with three servings of Japanese sake, the total came to about JPY 38,000, which felt overpriced for what we received.I stayed at a hotel near Kuwana Station and checked in advance how to escape to a height of over 5 meters in case of an earthquake. However, I found that there are no elevation markers on the utility poles in Kuwana. (The predicted tsunami arrival height in this area is 2.4 meters, and the recommended evacuation target is over 5 meters.) I apologize; I used to work in disaster management, so I take these matters seriously.My rating criteria:★5: Please let me live here!!★4.5 and above: Exceptional, worthy of being the main destination of my trip★4.0 and above: Noteworthy, I would want to revisit even if it requires effort★3.5: I might stop by if I'm in the area★3 and below: I will not revisit.