From tea fields to fine dining: a culinary journey through Japan’s historic Kansai region

To learn about Japanese cuisine, one must look to the past. But one must also look to Kansai, for this is where the story starts. This land, stretching across the west of Japan’s main island of Honshu and encompassing 10 prefectures, used to be known as Miketsukuni, meaning land of royal provisions. Food here was so bountiful and so delicious it was fit not only for the royal family, but for the gods. It’s a reputation that continues today. In the fields, low-hanging sea mist provides the cover and warmth for delicate tea leaves and rice stalks to flourish. Rainfall filters through the mountains, collecting nutrients and minerals before flowing out to sea, feeding marine life and creating some of the best fishing grounds in the world. The abundance and quality of the region’s produce: mackerel, spiny lobster, rice, wild mushrooms and boar — has fostered rich culinary traditions. From soy sauce and miso to sake and green tea, much of what’s now considered distinctively Japanese was first created in Kansai. Visitors to Kansai today can experience the ancient art of washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine) prepared by master chefs in Kyoto, and learn the more modern practice of matcha latte art in local cafes. They can dine on delicious vegetarian meals at Buddhist temples, and feast on grilled shellfish caught by the women of the sea. A culinary tour of Kansai will take travellers from the fields to the fine-dining restaurants, but wherever they go, they will always be close to the earth. 

Uera Takashi is an eighth-generation farmer from Hyogo. He’s growing gold-standard brewing rice used for sake, the region’s excellent soil and climate contributing to its terroir. Efforts are underway to preserve growing traditions and pass down knowledge to the next generation and for this, Uera-san is invaluable. But there’s another element that can’t be overlooked: “Love is the most important characteristic of a farmer,” he says. “Our rice is like our child.” There are three key elements to sake: water, rice, and the toji (master brewers). All are highly prized in Hyogo; the rice for its taste, the water for its purity and the toji for their diligence and honesty. In fact, the toji from Tamba Sasayama sake district are some of the most respected in Japan. 

When Kansai was known as Miketsukuni, offerings from both the sea and land were sent to the imperial family. Today, the catch remains bountiful and ancient traditions continue, fuelling culinary excellence. On Awaji Island, known for its onsen and abundance of  fresh seafood, chefs carry on the  ritual of finely slicing hamo (conger eel) before serving it simmered or raw as part of a traditional multi-course meal.

In Wakasa, meanwhile, fishermen bring in boatloads of yopparai saba for market. Known as drunken mackerel, fish are fed on sake lees, giving them a slightly sweet taste.

Around 2,000 years ago, Japan was facing disease, famine and war, and in an effort to bring peace and prosperity back to the land, Emperor Suinin sent his daughter in search of a suitable location to enshrine the sun goddess, one of the most important deities of Japan. While searching, she encountered an ama, or woman of the sea, who gave her an abalone (shellfish) as a gift. Soon after, the princess found an ideal site for establishing Ise Jingu, Japan’s most famous shrine, and began to leave gifts of abalone there every year in thanks.

Today, the women of Ise-Shima continue the tradition of sea diving, searching the ocean floor for shellfish. Okano Mitsue has been making her living beneath the waves for 60 years, swimming half a mile from the shore before taking a deep breath and sinking to the ocean floor. Back at her kamado, a seaside hut where visitors can dine on the fresh seafood, Okano-san describes the work of ama while grilling an assortment of shellfish. “There’s lots of seaweed,” she notes, “but the water is crystal clear. I can even see well 30ft below the waves.” Even so, catching her prey takes skill and strength. “The abalone can sense they’re being caught,” she says, “so they’ll latch on to the rocks like superglue.” The ama carry long knife-like chisels called kaginomi, which they use to prise the shellfish away from the rocks, or maybe even snag an octopus on a good day.“If we want it, we’ll just catch it,” Okano-san says with a chuckle. There’s an abundance of food in these waters, but abalone are the real prize: “They taste exquisite.”

The story of green tea in Japan begins more than 800 years ago in the countryside around Yamashiro in southern Kyoto. This beautiful, fertile area has played a vital role in the development of Japanese tea, and various methods of production unique to the country, such as gyokuro and matcha, where leaves require a lot of shade, were born here.

Tea grown in the Ishitera tea fields is considered to be extremely fine; the morning fog acts as a curtain to protect the plants from sunlight, producing a sweet, mild cup. 

Traditions surrounding Japanese tea and how it’s consumed can be traced back to Buddhist monks who brought green tea from China. The plantations that sprung up around Manpukuji Temple to the south of Kyoto, were key in its development and it was in this area that the method of making sencha was first developed  by Nagatani Soen in the 18th century.

Matcha, meanwhile, is now so popular that it’s used to flavour both savoury and sweet dishes, such as the ice cream served at Blodge Lodge guesthouse in Wazuka, Kyoto. 

The quintessential Japanese plate, the Shokado bento box draws inspiration from the partitioned paint boxes used by artist, monk and tea ceremony master, Shoukado Shojyo in the Edo Period. 

Kyoto by the Sea is the gateway from the Asian continent to ancient Kyoto, and served as an important route for the movement of goods — as well as culture— between China and Japan. Rice cultivation, it’s believed, was first introduced in Tango, Kyoto’s northern region. Japanese sake was sent to Ise Jingu shrine as omiki sake, an offering to the gods. Yukimachi Yoshiki, master brewer at Takeno Sake Brewery in Kyotango, works with local rice farmers to craft truly heavenly sake.

Iio Jozo vinegar brewery was founded in 1893 and is unique in Japan. It’s the only vinegar brewery that performs every step of the crafting process, from growing the rice, to brewing the sake, to creating the vinegar itself.

At Kadocho soy sauce, or shōyu, factory, Kano Makoto and his son, Tsunenori, are sixth- and seventh-generation brewers, making shōyu in the same place, using the same methods as their forebears. 

Japanese shōyu was first discovered as a byproduct of kinzanji-miso and quickly became an essential flavouring in Japanese cuisine. Yuasa in Wakayama is home to Japan’s first shōyu factories, which began to flourish during the Edo Period (1603-1868).

Yoshidome Masanobu isn’t from Koyasan. Nor is he a monk. He lives and works, however, in this high mountain temple complex, the home of Japanese esoteric Buddhism. Yoshidome is the head chef at Ekoin, a temple that welcomes travellers to stay and experience life alongside the adherents who live and study here. “I adore the tradition of Japanese food,” says Yoshidome-san; “There are so many flavours, and there is such a strong focus on seasonal ingredients.” “In shojin ryori, we can’t use fish stock widely used in Japanese cooking,” he explains. “I had to learn to cook differently here.”

The dietary requirements of monks are somewhat different from those of the general populace. Accordingly, an alternative culinary tradition flourishes in places like Koyasan. Since the early 9th century, Shojin ryori (devotion food) has evolved so that noble guests  can be served what was originally a Monk’s humble meal. Not only are meat and fish prohibited, but so are any foods with strong flavours, like onion, garlic and ginger, that might excite the senses and disturb a life of contemplation. Yoshidome-san prepares exquisite meals like miso aubergine, lotus root and green pepper tempura with green tea salt, that are then served to guests by monks. His passion for food shines through in every dish.

The atmospheric city of Kyoto was home to the Imperial family throughout the Heian period (794 to 1185), and the food brought to them from the surrounding regions: hamo from Awaji Island in Hyogo; abalone from Ise-Shima in Mie prefecture; and saba from Wakasa in Fukui prefecture all contributed to a highly-developed cuisine that Kyoto still has today.

Murata Yoshihiro, head chef of Kyoto’s three-Michelin-star restaurant, Kikunoi, has a kitchen to oversee and guests to serve, but this question of washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine) is close to his heart. “First, the features of the four seasons must be present,” he proclaims. “Second, the original taste of the ingredients should be fully reflected. Nutrition is third; the food must be well-balanced. Finally, the food should have close contact with Japanese citizens and their daily lives; it shouldn’t be above the people.” Yoshihiro exemplifies this, using sophisticated techniques and the finest local produce to create delicate, complicated dishes. “Of course,” he smiles, “the best ingredients come from Kansai.”

How to do it
Accessing Kansai’s amazing cuisine and ancient temples is straightforward. Japan Airlines and British Airways fly direct to Kansai International Airport from London Heathrow with an average flight time of 12h10. Once there, trains and buses run throughout the region, although the easiest way to travel around the region is by car. Nippon Rent-ACar is available from Kansai International Airport.
To find out more about Kansai, click here.