©JNTOFeed Your Inner Foodie – Unique Culinary Experiences in Japan
Japanese food, or washoku, is so much more than the mere notion of sushi and includes an incredibly diverse range of regional delicacies and flavors composed of local seasonal ingredients. Whether you’re crafting your own ramen masterpiece, grilling seafood with free-divers, or picking tea leaves with local farmers, there are so many ways to satisfy your inner foodie while immersing yourself in the local culture. Check out this list for inspiration on planning the perfect culinary experiences in Japan from our newly printed guide: “100 Experiences in Japan”. For this and more information, be sure to email us at infolax@jnto.go.jp for a copy or download online here: https://asset.japan.travel/image/upload/v1563519630/pdf/100experiencesinjapan.pdf
Your One-Stop Destination for All Things Ramen
Longing for ramen? Why not head to the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum, and savor a wide selection of this favorite soul-food dish. Nine ramen shops, set up to replicate a 1950’s street scene, serve specialty ramen dishes from across Japan – including miso, soy sauce, salt and tonkotsu pork broth among others. Visit the gallery to learn the history of how ramen noodles first came from China and later evolved into the distinctive present-day Japanese delicacy. The museum shop even gives visitors the chance to create their very own brand of ramen! The Ramen Museum is just 45 minutes away from Tokyo by train.
Shinyokohama Ramen Museum: www.raumen.co.jp/english/
Meet Ise-Shima’s Traditional Free-Divers and Savor Seafood Delicacies
Since times of yore, Japan’s ama (“women of the sea”) have been diving for abalone and other underwater bounty – and most famously of all, for pearls. At Ama Hut Hachiman in Ise-Shima, take the chance for a close-up look at their way of life. Try on an elegant ama diving garb, join the divers in a traditional dance and feast on freshly caught seafood (vegetarians also catered for). Their warm hospitality and tales of the sea will move each and every listener. Ise-Shima, equidistant between Tokyo and Osaka, is less than 2 hours from Chubu Centrair International Airport Nagoya.
Ama Hut HACHIMAN: http://amakoya.com/english%20page.htm
A Stayover in the Green Tea Heartlands
Long-prized for its healthful and soothing properties, green tea is one of Japan’s greatest gifts to the world. Now, take this chance to explore the beautiful countryside of Shizuoka Prefecture, the largest tea-producing area in Japan and enjoy staying over at a traditional inn, which was once a farmhouse. You’ll learn all about how green tea is made – including traditional growing techniques recognized by the United Nations as a Globally Significant Agricultural Heritage – and can even help tea farmers in their work. Depending on the time of year, you may harvest leaves, assist at a tea factory, or cut grass to prepare for the next planting season. Just over 90 minutes or so from Tokyo, transcendental tea experience awaits you.
Tabinoya: https://www.tabinoya-oldjapanese.com/home-en
An Authentic Japanese Drinking Tour in the Back Alleys of Sendai
Narrow streets lined with alluring red lanterns, enticing you into the coziest of watering holes – Japan is a foodie’s paradise and the friendly and knowledgeable guides at Tohoku Local Secret Tours will take you to places normally only locals know. Soak up the atmosphere of traditional izakaya (Japanese- style pubs), savor regional delicacies and make some new friends along the way as you hop to three back-alley bars. Once the night is over, you’ll feel like a local yourself! Tours run every evening and include an English-speaking interpreter. Sendai is just 90 minutes from Tokyo by bullet train.
In-outbound Sendai Matsushima Inc.: www.iroha-yokocho.jp/en/
