Soy Sauce Pressing and Onigiri-Making in Asuka, Nara

Rice has been at the heart of Japanese food culture for thousands of years, shaping daily meals and traditions across generations. In Asuka, Nara, Japan’s ancient capital, you’ll step into this history and experience food practices that date back over 1,500 years, in a place where old customs are still carefully preserved. The experience begins with red rice, an ancient variety that once fed Japan. With guidance from a local host, you’ll cook it in a traditional earthenware pot and watch it turn soft and fluffy as steam rises. While the rice cooks, you’ll visit a soy sauce brewery with more than 100 years of history. Inside, you’ll learn how soy sauce is still made using traditional methods. Wearing kurabito-style clothing, you’ll take part in the process by hand-pressing soy sauce from the mash, then bottling and labeling your own creation. Before leaving the brewery, you’ll taste fresh tofu from a local shop, served with rich artisanal soy sauce. This simple pairing brings out its natural flavor. Back in the kitchen, you’ll shape rice into onigiri, brush them with soy sauce, and grill them until lightly charred. The experience ends with tasting your freshly made onigiri, paired with the soy sauce you pressed yourself, offering a simple and deeply satisfying connection to Japan’s culinary past.