Wasabi Farm & Nature Tour in the Mountains of Okutama

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Where would sushi and sashimi be without a dash of spicy wasabi? 

But you've probably never tasted real wasabi before. Most wasabi in restaurants and supermarkets is a mixture of horseradish, mustard and food coloring. Real wasabi tastes smoother than commercially-available pastes, and there's no burning aftertaste. 

To discover more about real wasabi, a trip from Tokyo to the mountain forests of Okutama is a must-do. Learn about the art of water-grown wasabi cultivation, as well as experience the rare treat of tasting freshly-ground wasabi straight from the earth. 

Your guide is David, an Australian wasabi farmer who lives locally. David will guide you through the forest where his wasabi grows, as well as introduce you to many other edible plants. 

Enjoy trying genuine freshly-ground wasabi with sliced roast beef (provided by David) and experiment by bringing your own food to pair with the wasabi (e.g. tofu, konnyaku, and vegetables). You'll also see, touch and smell many varieties of forest plants, including fungi, fruit, edible flower buds, fern tips and young leaf sprays, as well as medicinal herbs.

This tour is perfect for travelers seeking a unique experience in Japan. Just 90 minutes by train from downtown Tokyo, the forests of Okutama are a relaxing oasis filled with beautiful nature and tranquility. 

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Menu

• Fresh-ground wasabi with sliced roast beef
• You're also welcome to bring your own food to taste with wasabi

Besides wasabi, guests can also get to experience the growth of other plants that we have, both cultivated and naturally-occurring plants. 

Cultivated plants:

• Shiitake mushrooms
• Butterbur flower buds
• Red or green shiso
• Myouga: Japanese ginger
• Bamboo shoots

Native plants: 

• Koshiabura, tara-no-ki and yama-udou: Leaf sprays for delicious tempura
• Mukago: Air potatoes - These are bulbils that appear on the vines of nagaimo (long potato)
• Matatabi: Silvervine - Fruit can be eaten as a salted snack
• Warabi and kogomi: Edible fern tips
• Yomogi: Japanese mugwort - The tips are collected in spring to make yomogi mochi

If you're a vegetarian, please let us know on the booking page. 

Programa

• 1:00 pm: Meet at Kawai station platform
• 1:05 pm: Walk along old forestry road to wasabi patch and learn about native plants and their uses
• 1:30 pm: Arrive at wasabi patch
• 1:40 pm: Q&A about the history and characteristics of wasabi and taste wasabi leaf. Harvest, clean and trim wasabi plant.
• 2:30 pm: Wasabi tasting and flavor comparison
• 3:15 pm: Second Q&A: discuss wasabi and other plants of special interest
• 3:45 pm: Leave wasabi patch to return to Kawai station