Discover the depth of Japanese fermentation through Moriguchizuke, one of Nagoya’s most distinctive traditional foods.
Aichi Prefecture has long been a center of fermentation, producing everything from miso and soy sauce to sake, mirin, and vinegar. Moriguchizuke is part of this rich culinary heritage, made from Moriguchi daikon, an exceptionally long and slender radish traditionally grown in the region.
Creating Moriguchizuke is a slow process that takes around three years, with the radish repeatedly matured in sake lees and mirin lees. During this experience, discover how these by-products of sake and mirin production are transformed into essential ingredients for traditional pickling.
Taste sake and mirin, compare the character of their lees, and learn how generations of knowledge have shaped the distinctive flavor of Moriguchizuke. Then step into the process yourself by blending sake lees and mirin lees to create a pickling bed and trying shiage-zuke, the final stage of traditional Moriguchizuke production.
Through touch, aroma, and taste, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the time, craftsmanship, and fermentation techniques behind this Nagoya specialty.
After the hands-on experience, enjoy dinner at Suzunami, featuring fish marinated in mirin lees, red miso soup, Moriguchizuke, and other flavors rooted in Aichi’s fermentation culture. You can also browse the adjoining shop for Moriguchizuke and other fermented specialties to take home.
This intimate experience offers a fascinating window into how fermentation has shaped the food culture of Nagoya and the wider Aichi region.
Meet your English-speaking guide at the flagship store of Yamato-ya Moriguchizuke Sohonke, a long-established producer specializing in one of Nagoya’s best-known traditional foods. Your guide will accompany you throughout the experience and provide interpretation.
Begin with an introduction to the rich fermentation traditions that have developed across Aichi. Learn how miso, soy sauce, vinegar, sake, mirin, and other fermented products became deeply woven into the region’s food culture and everyday cuisine.
Discover two key ingredients behind Moriguchizuke: sake kasu, the lees remaining from sake production, and mirin kasu, produced during the making of mirin. Learn about their different characteristics and taste sake and mirin to understand the products from which these flavorful ingredients originate.
Meet the Moriguchi daikon, a remarkably long and slender traditional vegetable of the Nagoya region.
Discover how it is transformed into Moriguchizuke through a painstaking process lasting around three years, with repeated stages of pickling in specially blended sake and mirin lees.
Put traditional knowledge into practice by blending sake lees and mirin lees to prepare your own pickling bed. Using Moriguchi daikon, experience shiage-zuke, the final stage in the traditional Moriguchizuke-making process.
This hands-on session brings you closer to the techniques, aromas, and textures behind the finished product.
After the experience, visit Suzunami, Yamato-ya’s popular restaurant, for dinner showcasing Aichi’s fermentation culture.
Enjoy fish marinated in mirin lees alongside red miso soup, Moriguchizuke, and kasu vinegar, bringing together several distinctive fermented flavors in one meal.
Before leaving, you can browse the shop for Moriguchizuke and other traditional pickles and specialties.
Yamato-ya Moriguchizuke Sohonke is a long-established producer dedicated to preserving Moriguchizuke, one of Nagoya’s signature traditional foods.
Its distinctive method uses slender Moriguchi daikon matured in sake lees and mirin lees, reflecting the fermentation culture deeply rooted in Aichi.
Drawing on generations of craftsmanship and accumulated knowledge, Yamato-ya continues to preserve the techniques and flavors of this regional specialty. Its flagship store in Nagoya’s Sakae district offers a wide selection of Moriguchizuke and related products, while its restaurant Suzunami is known for set meals featuring fish marinated in sake lees.
The experience concludes after dinner and time to browse the shop.
Moriguchizuke Sohonke
This package tour includes statutory accident compensation in accordance with Japan’s Travel Agency Act. We also recommend that travelers purchase their own travel insurance for broader medical and travel-related coverage.
Please inform us of any dietary restrictions at the time of booking. If no dietary information is provided, we will assume you have no restrictions.
This experience is booked on request. We will respond to the request within 5 days
| Cancellation Date | Cancellation Fee |
|---|---|
| No-show or cancellation after tour departure | 100% of the tour price |
| On the tour date | 50% of the tour price |
| 1 day prior to the tour date | 40% of the tour price |
| 2 to 7 days prior to the tour date | 30% of the tour price |
| 8 to 10 days prior to the tour date | 20% of the tour price |
| 11 or more days prior to the tour date | Free |
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The locations to visit in this tour
Moriguchizuke Sohonke & Suzunami
Moriguchizuke Sohonke & Suzunami
