Northern Japan Travel in Miyagi Fall and Winter Version
Explore the Splendor of Miyagi's Fall and Winter Culinary Delights
This is a Fall and Winter variation of a culinary and artisan tour of Miyagi that you can view here. On this three night gastronomy and artisan tour, explore Miyagi Prefecture`s charming countryside just north of its capital of Sendai City. With ease of access from Tokyo via the Tohoku Bullet Train, this tour program is designed to introduce the countryside charm in a compact package that can fit into a variety of tour itineraries.
This is a program that puts an emphasis on interaction with local chefs, farms, artisans, and is fully guided by a local guide.
It is for those looking to form relationships, learn new things, and of course go on an adventure a world away from the crowded tourist routes.
Tour at a glance
Inclusions:
- All lodging and accommodation fees
- Breakfast on days 2 and 3
- Lunch on Days 1-3
- Dinner on Days 1 and 2
- On-trip remote support via WhatsApp or other instant messaging service
- English-speaking interpreter-guide
- Transportation between accommodations
- All Workshops and Activities
- Exclusive time with local chefs
- Onsen Hotel Stay
Exclusions:
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses and gratuities
- Admission fees to attractions during self-guided time
- Food and drink in addition to the prix fixe meals included as part of the package
- Optional extensions or customizations to trip
- Other items not explicitly listed as included
We can also provide the following options for an additional fee:
- Add-ons to the tour
- Interpretation in languages other than English
Minimum number of participants
2 (Solo travellers may book, but the price will be greater!)
Cost
From ¥400,000 (per person, based on a group of 2)
Tour Length
3 days, 3 nights
Tour availability
Year-round, though weather may impact availability of some experiences.
Tour Start/End Location
Sendai Station
Important notes
Dietary Restrictions:
Day 1: The Oysters of Matsushima Bay
Day 1 Tour Highlights
One of the culinary delights of Northern Japan when the temperature cools are found along the Sanriku Coastline as its aquaculture harvests hit their peak season. Here the opposing Kuroshio and Oyashio currents combined with the mineral rich rocky coastline here forms one of the richest aquaculture grounds in the entire world.
Among the many shellfish raised here are the Miyagi Oysters, one of the famous products of this region that are most delicious in the Fall and Winter when they are plumped up for the colder weather.
Starting off our tour we will meet some of the local fisherman of Matsushima Bay and join them out on a chartered boat to tour the breeding grounds of the oysters away from the normal tourist ferries that travel through Matsushima.
Here we will see the various stages of the oysters growing in the bay before shucking open our own oysters and tasting them on the boat. This will be followed by a steamed oyster lunch or other seafood at the Matsushima Fish Market.
Following this we will then have open time to explore Zuiganji Temple and the lovely islands of Matsushima to walk off the feast we have enjoyed.
Following this we will return back to Sendai City with free options for dinner.
Day 2: Crafts, Crops, and Dinner
Day 2 Tour Highlights
After breakfast we will head to the studio of one of the oldest coppersmiths in Japan in downtown Sendai to take part in a special workshop to make our own kitchenware we will use later in the day.
Hammer out your own small copper-pan together with these artisans who have practiced here in Sendai for over 400 years.
These pans have unique heat distribution from steel pans with excellent temperature conductivity for a unique cooking experience.
We will head out into the fields of Miyagi along with a local chef to gather a variety of seasonal ingredients from the farmers of Miyagi. This season will focus on the mushroom farms of Miyagi where we will meet a family that produces shiitake mushroom from aged oak logs. This method is starkly different from the sawdust propagation used to produce a vast majority of shiitake available around the world. Tour the farm and learn how this year-long method produces mushrooms with superior aroma, texture, and flavors.
Check into a boutique lodging in the hills of Kurihara City where you will stay in a renovated Japanese farm house managed by the local chef and his wife. Here we will take part in a short cooking experience with these mushroom in the copper pan we made with the chef followed by free time to relax in gorgeous countryside around the home here.
Dinner will be a fabulous multi-course meal featuring the local ingredients you gathered, prepared by the chef just for your group.
This lodging only accepts one group per night and is a fully private experience.
Day 3: Traditional Food in Muikamachi
Day 3 Tour Highlights
Enjoy breakfast at your lodging in the morning before a visit to the small town of Muikamachi to take part in a variety of local experiences with the residents of this town which embodies the rural charm of Northern Japan. This town has taken up the challenge of addressing the aging population of this region with a variety of experiences to draw both Japanese and international tourists to support the local people here.
We will take part in some of these experiences like mochi pounding and taiyaki grilling before enjoying a local lunch in the town.
Finish the experience and take a bullet train back to Sendai City where you will check into a hotel by the station.
Here we have an optional bar-hopping experience in the drinking alleys and local izaya of Sendai.
Reservations
You can send a booking inquiry below. After we receive your inquiry, we will confirm if we can accommodate your group and tour dates and contact you from there.
Cancellation Policy
Our cancellation policy for this tour is below.
21 days or more before date of tour
No penalty
20 days to 8 days before date of tour
20% of total price
7 days to 2 days before date of tour
30% of total price
1 day before date of tour
40% of total price
Day of the tour
50% of total price
After start of tour or no-show
100% of total price
