Rice, Tea, and Herbs: Take a Gastronomic Tour in Koga City

Interact with locals as you taste some of the most iconic Japanese culinary delights

The Musubi tour is a gastronomic experience centered around the rice and tea cultures of Koga City, Ibaraki Prefecture, just one train ride away from Tokyo. Here, you will interact directly with local experts who have been passing down this heritage for generations, and learn how to both savor and make use of these ingredients.

Learn how to make delicious rice balls and bento boxed lunches directly from the proprietress of Komegin, a rice specialty store that has been operating since the Edo period (1603–1867). 

Next, visit the Yoshida Tea Farm, established back in 1839. There, you will tour the grounds and can experience a taste-testing of their green and black teas as well as some sweets at Room’z Tea, the farm’s on-site cafe. You will also dine on the rice-based lunches created earlier at Komegin during a delightful picnic on the spectacular tea farm. 

Afterward, travel to Akiba Noen farm for an herbal tea blending lesson with some fragrant herbs sourced from only a small number of producers.

The tour can be extended with a number of delightful add-ons, including touring sake and beer breweries, visiting a farmer’s market, and plum blossom-viewing, depending on the season.

By participating in this countryside tour with an enthusiastic, local English-language interpreter, you will have the unique opportunity to intimately learn about the livelihoods of the people of Koga City and savor some of Japan’s most iconic ingredients.

Access: From Tokyo Station, take the Ueno-Tokyo Line train to Koga Station (about one hour 16 minutes).

Farm and Picnic (Musubi Ltd.)