Make your way to Karatsu, in the Northwest corner of Kyushu, a little over an hour by train from the Fukuoka airport or shinkansen station. Join us at the Mirukashi salon high on a hilltop in the heart of Japan’s countryside for a lively welcome dinner full of fresh seasonal flavors.

We'll gather in Mirukashi and start the day with a foraging excursion to gather angelica shoots and bracken fern. Back in the kitchen we'll cover a few Japanese cuisine fundamentals, including how to make dashi, as we prepare a delicious lunch full of fresh seasonal flavors.

Travel & Welcome

Foraging & Cooking

day 1

day 2 Morning

We'll start the day with a multi-course tofu-focused brunch at a 250 year old renowned establishment. Then we'll travel to the village of Nao heralded for it's long washi paper making tradition. Gen Taniguchi, a young master paper maker, will lead us in a hands-on experience.

Japanese Paper

DAy 3 Morning

We'll join Hanako in her pottery studio and learn about the art and craft of Japanese tableware. Then we'll head into town to visit the local shrine and a few shops before enjoying dinner at a beloved classy yet casual restaurant featuring female-forward food, craft, and design.

Atelier Visit

Day 2 afternoon

How We'll Spend Our Time

We’ll visit Tenzan, an innovative sake brewery, and enjoy a tasting of unique products like sparkling sake made in the champagne tradition and cask aged shochu made in the whisky tradition. Then we'll return to Karatsu for a private dinner at an intimate countryside restaurant. 

We'll gather in Mirukashi for a second cooking session and craft bite sized temarizushi. We'll pick the first tender, tiny leaves of kinome from our sansho trees and sandwich them between translucent slices of tai red snapper and orbs of vinegared rice. Then it's off to find the flowers.

Sake Tasting

Temarizushi

day 3 Afternoon

day 4 Morning

Pack your swag and enjoy one last morning at your hotel by the sea before you hug your new best friends goodbye. You are now an honored member of the Mirukashi Collective, a group of culturally curious gastronomes who have formed lasting bonds while spending time in Mirukashi.

Hugs & Goodbyes

DAy 5

We'll pack our picnic and head out to dine al fresco under a pale pink canopy of a cherry trees in bloom. We'll whisk up bowls of matcha to enjoy with sweets and savor this very special season. Then it's off to your hotel to freshen up before our final farewell dinner in Mirukashi.

Flower Viewing

Day 4 Afternoon