Japan, known universally as The Land of the Rising Sun, is almost ubiquitously known as a land of health and longevity. It is undeniable that one of the main reasons for this can be experienced in the early morning, where you will find countless locals out walking, farming, or engaged in activity regardless of age. People here are active and constantly doing things, and this includes passing down the knowledge of fermented foods to the younger generations. Science has recently shone a spotlight on fermentation as well, citing fermented foods as having a variety of health benefits that may provide insight into why Japanese people live so long.

One of the most popular examples of fermentation is miso, used often in soup. Kyoto by the Sea has multiple miso specialists and bilingual tours/workshops that let visitors get up close at factories, or even learn how to make this food for themselves (and bring it home!). Junko Hamilton is a food specialist with an expertise in miso who offers such experiences. She even pairs her miso making workshop with a visit to Onojin, a soy sauce and miso making factory that still makes their product using traditional methods. While new technology allows fermentation machines to speed the process of soy sauce and miso making down to days or weeks, Onojin still lovingly creates batches slowly. The gem of their soy sauce line takes three years to ferment!

Of course no talk of fermentation in Japan is possible without mentioning sake. And Kyoto prefecture is an excellent example of how to produce the highest quality sake (as Kyoto prefecture is the #2 producer of sake in Japan). This region alone has over a dozen breweries, many of which have won prestigious awards. Brewers will tell you that the main reason for this is in thanks to the geography and climate. Kyoto by the Sea benefits from excellent weather and pristine mountain water. Because of this, the quality of the rice is extremely high. Rice and water are the lifeblood of sake, after all. When visiting Kyoto by the Sea, there are a number of breweries that offer tours of their workshops and tastings on site (sometimes with private stock not sold commercially).

But fermentation is more than sake, soy sauce, and miso. Knowledgeable chefs and artisans in the area have created delicious cuisine based on the art of fermentation. When in the area, seek out specialties such as heshiko, a fermented rice bran covering pieces of fish. There are a few restaurants in the area serving this delicacy (Hisami Restaurant also has a cafe that sells their own brand of this local specialty). A Jersey farm called Sora (Kyotango) operating in the area makes its own cheeses and has a pizza restaurant on site that uses fresh cheese. There is also an award winning craft brewery based out of Tango Kingdom (Kyotango). They make a range of seven different beers, three of which have won international awards.

Come to Kyoto by the Sea, the ancestral home of the God of Food, and learn the secrets of Japanese fermentation in the area that is the birthplace of all food culture in Japan.