Differing from kaiseki, which is sometimes referred to as Japanese haute cuisine, cha-kaiseki is a meal that precedes the serving of tea during a tea ceremony. Cha-kaiseki developed in Komatsu along with the local tea culture of the townspeople and has been passed down in the manner of artisan crafts from master to apprentice for centuries. This cuisine is known for its refined and delicate flavor and is often served on beautiful Kutani porcelain ware.
We gather a variety of attractive food in Mori-no-Kyoto. Among them, there is a custom of cooking colorful seasonal vegetables and putting them into “oyaki,” which is eaten as an “okobiru” (= snack) between rice plantings, a custom that has continued to this day.
During peasant rule, a cuisine known as hoonko was developed. Another specialty to sample is Komatsu udon, made from thin, soft noodles and a broth incorporating dried fish. Komatsu has many wonderful flavors to explore.
Containing 48 different kinds of moss, Hiyo Moss Garden is one of the most famous moss gardens in Japan. Hiyo Village is a beautiful hamlet with shrines, old traditional homes, and of course the mosses and cedar trees of the Moss Garden.
Take part in any of more than 50 traditional crafts workshops, such as Wajima lacquerware and Kutani porcelain at Yunokuni-no-Mori Handicraft Village, a center for Kaga handicrafts. One of the most famous cultural traditions is the yearly Hikiyama Children’s Kabuki, in which children perform kabuki on the Hikiyama festival floats. You can also put on the kabuki makeup yourself. Afterwards, try a sumptuous cha-kaiseki meal at a traditional restaurant. You can also tour a sake brewery (and taste the sake!) and take part in a tea ceremony in a teahouse. Hit all the attractions and experience the historical town life of Komatsu.
the sake brewing traditions from that era are known to produce smooth, delicate flavors.
Takigahara House, where you can experience farm life in a natural setting and enjoy fresh seasonal vegetables at the adjacent café. Komatsu has many other fun attractions.
a rafting trip on the Yoshino River, or a tour on a sightseeing boat to see the beautiful scenery of a gorge. The blessings of the mountains and the rivers are the true attractions of Nishi-Awa.
Filled with steeply sloping fields, traditional homes, and stone walls, these communities rise as much as 400 meters in altitude from one end to another.
We also recommend the ‘Karaoto Suisen Park’, where about 2 million Japanese daffodils bloom on the rocks facing the Sea of Japan, and the Ebisu Shrine, which is called the Monsan Michel in the Sanin region.