1.5 hour private experience
Location: Shima City, Mie Prefecture
Offered in Japanese, with a friendly Deeper Japan guide interpreting in your language
A minimum of 2 guests is required to book. Solo participants are welcome but will be charged the 2-person rate
Meet the Master
A 4th-generation katsuo-bushi maker, Yukiaki's family history of creating katsuo-bushi extends far beyond the foundation of the current smokery and company. His products have decorated the offering plates of the Shinto gods, served countless local people, and been utilized in collaboration with a wide range of both domestic and global chefs fascinated by the flavor of katuso-bushi.
What you’ll do
Learn the process of making katsuo bushi with the 4th-generation owner and his 5th-generation daughter. See where the smoking occurs while learning about the history and practices of katsuo bushi. Try slicing your own katsuo bushi flakes from the solid base. Enjoy how katsuo bushi complements food with deep flavor, with a sampling of sake, fresh rice, and ochazuke.
Availability
Everyday except Wednesdays and Sundays
Winter Schedule (October~May)
Session 1 (11:00 - 12:30)
Session 2 (13:00 - 14:30)
Summer Schedule (June~September)
Session 1 (10:00 - 11:30)
Not available during the first half of January.
Who can attend
Children must be 10+
What’s included
Tastings of bonito in various forms.
You will also receive a bonito gift set to take home with you.
What else you should know
Smoke inside the smokehouse
During the experience, you will enter the workshop where the bonito fish are smoked.
While smoke is a vital part of the traditional curing process, it can be intense. If you have asthma or other respiratory sensitivities, please consider this before entering, as the air quality may be challenging.
The smokehouse is not air-conditioned or heated
Please wear clothing that allows for easy temperature regulation.
If you have any food allergies, please contact us in advance.
If you would like to purchase additional souvenirs at the venue, please note that only cash is accepted.
Access
1 hour 35 minutes by car from Tsu Station
Serving Gods and Gourmands
On a coastal cliff above the crashing Pacific, framed by wildflowers and craggy foliage, stands one of the last remaining katsuo-bushi factories in the Ise-Shima area. Here, a 4th-generation master and his daughter oversee the making of one of Japan's most essential ingredients. Crafting katsuo-bushi is a slow, exacting process. Bonito is first filleted, then smoked for just 90 minutes a day over more than a month, developing its distinctive aroma during cooling. After smoking, the blocks begin fermentation: a carefully cultivated culinary mold is applied, and the fish is sun-dried for months, carefully monitored. The result? A rock-hard block—shrunk to a fraction of its original size—that releases extraordinary depth when shaved into feathery flakes. Mie Prefecture itself boasts a rare connection to both the culinary arts and Japan's spiritual heritage, said to have been selected as a location to enshrine the sacred goddess Amaterasu due to the region's ample ingredients: lobster, rice, salt, shellfish, and bonito. Still an essential item on Shinto offering plates, Ise Shrine currently utilizes over 6000 katuso-bushi blocks a year for their daily rituals to the deities. As sweet smoke drifts from the chimney into scenery once captured by Taisho-era artists drawn to Mie’s rustic coastal charm, discover the craft behind this simple ingredient that nourishes the body and honors Japan's religious spirit.
Cancellation Policy
Please make your booking at least 5 days in advance. See cancellation policy here.
A detailed itinerary will be emailed to you once your booking has been confirmed.
