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Traditional Mochi (rice cake) Making by Pestle & Mortar - Half Day Tour
Mochi is a Japanese rice cake that is chewy, very soft and delicious. This tour provides you a highly amusing experience where you can make the mochi on your own from steamed rice to round-shaped mochi filled with sweet red beans by a pestle and mortar in the Echizen classic farmer's house. You can also see artisan's producing handmade knives or washi paper. Or even you can experience making those if you wish. It will be quite a unique experience and such fun!
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
Echizen-Takefu Station
- meet at JR Echizen-Takefu station
Takefu Knife Village (50 min)
Learn about how a handmade knife is made by viewing craftsmen making it from the 2nd fl of a factory as well as a small museum. 14 different companies with over 40 artisans/craftsmen are producing beautiful knives and selling them at a shop in this village.
Yamafutokoro Farmer's House (150 min)
Experience of making mochi (Japanese rice cake) from steamed rice by pounding with a pestle and a mortar. Then make round-shaped mochi by hand, filling with sweet red beans and also covered with crushed peanuts. It will be a great fun and memorable experience.
Lunch
Enjoy eating your handmade mochi after making it! Explore backyard mountain to see eatable wild vegetable.
Echizen-Takefu JR station - finish
Ending Point
Echizen-Takefu Takefu Station
Want to personalize this tour?
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This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
tour fee
-Mochi making fee: 2,500 yen/person for a group of 3 and above, 3,000 yen/person for a group of 2.
-transportation related to the tour:
taxis are required for this tour due to no trains and few buses which is approximately 12,000 yen.
Tour Important Information
*Tour duration and a place of lacquerware can be changed at your request.
*This tour requires taxis due to no trains and very few buses. (Please see taxis fares in Included/Not Include.)
*Please let me know in advance if you have any food allergies or other dietary restrictions.
For washi paper, an artisan will show you how the traditional washi paper is made using the bark of trees.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
About Tour Guide Yoshie K.
Hi, I am Yoshie. I am a national government licensed English speaking Guide. I used to work for multinational companies and served as an interpreter for several years and travelled around Japan with coworkers. I love plants, nature, travelling as well as finding good places to eat! I am also a communicative person.
After having lived in Tokyo for some decades, now I live in my hometown, Fukui where you can have a great experience of Zen buddhism in the head temple of the Zen sect, Eiheiji which was founded in 1244. Fukui Dinosaur Museum is very popular regardless of age. It is one of the world's three largest dinosaurs. Echizen is also well known for Japan's handmade crafts including kitchen knives, washi paper, lacquer wares, Tansu chests and pottery. Seeing craftsmen's work right in front of you makes you excited and impressed.
I have been travelling Kanazawa since my high school age so I know well about the town to show you around as well as Shirakawago, a day trip from Kanazawa.
I am excited to meet you and coordinate what you are really interested in to make you the happiest memories in Japan.
I look forward to guiding you soon!
Reviews
Tessa V.
“Super nice Yoshie!”
We had a half day tour through Kanazawa with Yoshie and although due to the bad weather we decided to call it off a bit earlier Yoshie was a great tour guide, knowledgeable, pleasant and patient with our 14-people group! Thank you Yoshie!
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Andrea A.
“My favorite day of my whole trip!”
If you're looking for something different other than sightseeing and want to experience more Japanese culture, you need to book this tour with Yoshie. She was an outstanding guide even before I booked it. I had questions in regards to luggage storage at the station and she offered to store my bag in her car. She also provided an estimation of how much things would cost, as well as an itinerary. We did a lot in 7 hours and never did I feel rushed. From the knife village, washi paper and Tansu chest artisans, everyone was so nice to share what they did, answered all my questions and even allowed me to do some of the process. I even got to make my own washi paper to take home. Also, the place we went to for lunch was delicious. It was like your grandmother cooking for you. I will definitely recommend this to everyone I know that is going to Japan, as well as come back myself.
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Yoshie K.
Hi Andrea, thank you so much for your thoughtful and pleasant review. I am very pleased to hear that you really enjoyed the whole crafts tour in Echizen. Although It was your first time making a washi paper, you looked so skillful and in fact you made a beautiful large paper. Thank you for coming to Echizen and I look forward to seeing you again! Yoshie
Elizabeth P.
“Major Yoshie fans”
We couldn’t have been more impressed with Yoshie. From the moment we contacted her she was extremely generous with her time and her local expertise, communicating clearly and precisely as we planned a customised tour of the Fukui region together. She was adaptable when our circumstances changed and bent over backwards to make our tour enjoyable and interesting. We recommend Yoshie without reservation to anyone looking for a professional guide in the Fukui region.
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Yoshie K.
Hi Elizabeth, thank you so much for your tremendously kind words. We had a very challenging time together. I was happy to see all of you enjoying (I believe) making mochi and crafts such as washi paper and Chinkin decorative lacquerware and in particular, all of us experienced Zazen meditation at the Eiheiji, Zen head temple. It was all memorable to me too. Thank you for coming to Fukui and take care! Yoshie
$206/ per group
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In the ancient period from the year of 710 to 794, Echizen was the capital of gigantic province spreading across the four prefectures in Japan. Due to that, Echizen prospered and has been the major producing area of five national traditional crafts today which are all handmade including Washi paper, kitchen knives, lacquer wares, potteries, and tansu chests. It is only in Echizen that you can enter their factories and closely view how craftsmen produce and also experience in making crafts.
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Zazen is silent meditation of Zen Buddhism and it is performed in sitting. This tour is to have an experience of Zazen at Eiheiji Zen Head Temple where it was founded by Zen Master Dogen who first taught Zen in Japan. The Temple has been filled with the bracing and serene atmosphere of Zen practitioners. Let’s try Zazen to see inside yourself and/or relax in the deep mountains during busy travelling.
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Mochi (rice cake) Making and Visiting Crafts Making Villages With The History of 1500 Years
Mochi is a rice cake that is chewy, soft and delicious. This tour provides you a highly amusing experience where you can make the mochi on your own from steamed rice to round-shaped mochi filled with sweet red beans and one with toppings by a pestle and mortar in the old Echizen classic farmer's house. Echizen is a major crafts town so you can learn how artisans produce crafts very closely including washi paper using the bark of trees and knives derived from a Japanese sword. It will be so fun!
Mochi (rice cake) Making and Visiting Crafts Making Villages With The History of 1500 Years
Other Popular Unique Experience Tours in Fukui
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Half Day Meditation Tour - Eiheiji Zen Head Temple, Fukui
Zazen is silent meditation of Zen Buddhism and it is performed in sitting. This tour is to have an experience of Zazen at Eiheiji Zen Head Temple where it was founded by Zen Master Dogen who first taught Zen in Japan. The Temple has been filled with the bracing and serene atmosphere of Zen practitioners. Let’s try Zazen to see inside yourself and/or relax in the deep mountains during busy travelling.
Half Day Meditation Tour - Eiheiji Zen Head Temple, Fukui
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Mochi (rice cake) Making and Visiting Crafts Making Villages With The History of 1500 Years
Mochi is a rice cake that is chewy, soft and delicious. This tour provides you a highly amusing experience where you can make the mochi on your own from steamed rice to round-shaped mochi filled with sweet red beans and one with toppings by a pestle and mortar in the old Echizen classic farmer's house. Echizen is a major crafts town so you can learn how artisans produce crafts very closely including washi paper using the bark of trees and knives derived from a Japanese sword. It will be so fun!
Mochi (rice cake) Making and Visiting Crafts Making Villages With The History of 1500 Years
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