Deep in the picturesque woods of Niigata, discover the edible wild mushrooms that thrive under fallen trees beneath the cover of snow, then bring your haul home to a traditional Japanese house where you’ll be treated to a comforting meal by the warm hearth.

An experience that puts travelers back in touch with our ancestral roots as hunter-gatherers, mushroom hunting in Matsunoyama is for those who want to reconnect with the earth that nourishes us. Accompanied by a foraging expert who is knowledgable about the edible (and inedible) varieties of wild mushrooms native to the Matsunoyama Onsen area, you will be able to learn how to find, identify, and harvest local mushrooms such as nameko and oyster.

With a full basket, you will return to the traditional Japanese house, and preparations for the dining experience will commence. Guests can help wash mushrooms and prepare wild mushroom soup. Then, warm up by the “irori” (sunken hearth) and enjoy a multi-course meal served by the host, which includes dishes that are cooked using the local hot spring water. The courses showcase locally grown vegetables, meat, and the famous Uonuma koshihikari rice.

Travelers will leave feeling reinvigorated and full of life, appreciating the bounty of the land that sustains them, as well as the breathtaking beauty of the vast landscape of snow-dusted evergreen trees.