Beyond the Sushi Bar: The foundations and future of Japanese cuisine
Culinary arts and the tools of the trade
A five-day, four-night tour to experience the best of cuisine and craftsmanship
Start your journey in Niigata Prefecture to learn about and experience traditional techniques for making outstanding kitchenware from the master craftsmen of Tsubame-Sanjo, such as knife making and knife sharpening and care. Using these top-quality knives, enjoy cooking experiences and learn from local professional chefs in Yamagata Prefecture’s Tsuruoka City, a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. Experience the region’s unique food culture through a fermentation culture tour, including visits to a sake brewery and a long-established pickle factory, cooking experiences, and local cuisine including Sakata French.
Tour at a glance
Inclusions:
- Accommodations (4 nights)
- Breakfasts on Days 2-5
- Lunches on Days 1-5
- Dinners on Days 1-4
- English-speaking interpreter-guide
- Dashi, monozukuri, knife sharpening, maiko, and other experiences as described in itinerary
- Other program fees
Exclusions:
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses and gratuities
- Food and drink in addition to the prix fixe meals included as part of the package
- Transportation to starting location
- Other items not explicitly listed as included
We can also provide the following options for an additional fee:
- Interpretation in other languages (please inquire)
- Customization
Minimum number of participants
2 participants
Cost
From ¥750,000 per person (with a minimum of 2 participants)
Tour Length
5 days, 4 nights
Tour availability
Please inquire
Tour Start Location
Tsubamesanjo Station
Important notes
Dietary Restrictions:
Day 1
Tour Highlights
- Meet at Tsubamesanjo Station
- Transfer to a dashi making company for lunch and to learn more about dashi, the staple of Japanese cooking. Learn about how the unique flavors are created and mix different flavor profiles to create your own dashi packets in this unique dashi experiences.
- Visit the Tsubame Industrial Museum to learn more about manufacturing and the industries of the area, and try your hand at a “monotsukuri” experience, such as making your own hammered copper tumbler or plate.
- Tour one of Tsubame-Sanjo’s respected and long-standing knife-making factories or workshops to learn more about the process and high-level skills of the craftsmen. At the end of your tour, take some time to shop for knives to take home as a souvenir that will serve you for the rest of your life.
- Stay overnight at a traditional hot spring inn in the peaceful Iwamuro Onsen area.
Day 2
Tour Highlights
- After breakfast at your accommodations, visit Sanjo Blacksmith Dojo, where you can learn how to sharpen and care for your kitchen knives.
- Transfer to a stylish Italian restaurant for a delicious lunch, served on tableware and featuring utensils carefully selected from among the fine products produced by some of Tsubame Sanjo’s most respected craftsmen.
- After lunch, shop from a curated selection of Tsubame Sanjo’s kitchenware and other products.
- Travel from Tsubame-Sanjo to Tsuruoka City, and stay overnight in the seaside onsen town of Yunohama Onsen.
Day 3
Tour Highlights
- Breakfast at your accommodations and then transfer out to the peaceful fields of Tsuruoka City, where you will join local farmers for an agricultural experience and harvesting.
- After your hard work on the farm, relax at a farmhouse restaurant, enjoying a carefully crafted lunch of fresh ingredients.
- Visit a local pickle factory to observe the facilities, taste their products, and learn more about the processes this long-established shop has been using for over 100 years.
- Visit a local sake museum or brewery to learn more about the process of creating high-quality sakes, along with a tasting session at the end of your tour.
- Savor a luxurious gourmet meal at an award-winning Italian restaurant.
- Return to your hot springs accommodations to enjoy a bath and rest.
Day 4
Tour Highlights
- Head out to sea with a local fisherman guide for a sea-to-table experience.
- Bring the fish you catch to a local restaurant and use the knives you made or purchased in Tsubame-Sanjo to prepare and cook your catch. Or, turn your fish into a fresh plate of nigiri sushi under the instruction of a local chef.
- Visit the world-renowned Kamo Aquarium, famous for housing an incredible number of jellyfish.
- Return to Yunohama Onsen for dinner and relaxation.
Day 5
Tour Highlights
- Transfer to the port town of Sakata, where you will tour a local sake brewery and do some tasting of the locally produced sake.
- Enjoy a lunch of Sakata French cuisine.
- Visit a local teahouse to view a performance by the Sakata maiko (apprentice geisha) and learn about the history of Sakata as a center for culture and commerce.
- End your adventures at Shonai Airport or Sakata Station and move on to your next adventure.
Reservations
You can send a booking inquiry below. After we receive your inquiry, we will check on availability for your request and contact you by email.
Cancellation Policy
Our cancellation policy for this tour is below. Cancellation fees may vary according to exceptional circumstances.
4 business days or more before date of tour
No penalty
3 business days before date of tour
20% of total price
2 business days before date of tour
30% of total price
1 business day before date of tour
50% of total price
Day of the tour
100% of total price
