Private Half-Day Japanese Home Fermentation Experience in Nakatsu, Oita, Kyushu
Spend a quality half-day with me in Nakatsu and leave with practical cooking skills and inspiration that will support your health long after you return home.
Looking for a cooking or fermentation experience in Kyushu? You're in the right place.
✨ Private experience — one group per day, offered only twice a week ✨
Health-conscious travelers staying in Beppu & Yufuin who are looking for a unique daytime experience with convenient train access to Nakatsu.
Visitors exploring Kyushu who are interested in learning more about Japanese fermentation, with easy express train access from Fukuoka Airport and no rental car required.
Where is Nakatsu?
Nakatsu is located in northern Kyushu, right on the border of Fukuoka Prefecture. It's easily accessible by the Sonic Express train from both Fukuoka Airport, about 1.5 hours away, and Beppu, just 35 minutes away, making it an easy day trip without renting a car.
If you're staying in Fukuoka or Beppu and looking to experience a quieter, more local side of Japan, you're in the right place.
Keep reading to learn more about Nakatsu and how you can experience everyday Japanese food culture in my traditional home. 🌿
This Experience Goes Beyond Cooking
Most cooking classes end with a recipe. My goal is to help you leave with practical knowledge and the confidence to make fermentation part of your everyday life.
As a certified Gut Health Coach, I'll share how Japanese people incorporate fermented foods into daily meals and how you can do the same in your own kitchen.
You'll learn:
The role of koji in Japanese fermentation
How traditional foods like miso, soy sauce, and amazake are made
The difference between live and non-live fermented foods
Practical ways Japanese people use fermented foods every day
How Japanese people value seasonal eating
Easy ways to incorporate fermentation into your own kitchen after returning home
How healthy home cooking can be simple, enjoyable, and sustainable
My hope is that you'll leave not only with recipes, but also with the confidence to create simple, nourishing meals long after your trip to Japan.
Your Japan Fermentation Experience: What to Expect
1. Pick-up & Tea Shop Visit🍵
Your host, Haruka will meet you at Nakatsu Station, which is easily accessible from both the Fukuoka and Beppu areas via the Sonic Express train. After our experience at the fermentation studio, we’ll stop by a local tea shop that has been serving the community since 1893.
2. Cook with Confidence🧑🍳
Many of Haruka’s clients share how simple yet delicious the meals are during the experience. Everyday cooking doesn’t need to be Instagram-perfect. Here, you’ll learn how to feel more confident and comfortable in the kitchen, regardless of your cooking level.
3. Private Experience with a Certified Gut Health Coach🧑🎓
Your host, Haruka, will guide you through an interactive Japanese fermentation coaching session, sharing how fermented foods have long been part of everyday life in Japan and how you can easily incorporate them into your own routine back home.
✨Kind Words from My Clients✨
How to Book Your Japanese Home Fermentation Experience
Step 1: Please select the number of participants from the options below, check my availability, book your spot, and complete your payment.
Step 2: Once your payment is confirmed, you'll receive a confirmation email immediately, followed by a reminder email two days before the experience.
Experience Pricing
Solo Experience: $299
2 Guests: $399 ($199 per person)
3 Guests: $480 ($160 per person)
*Includes pick-up from Nakatsu Station, all ingredients for the cooking session, an interactive coaching session with Haruka, and a visit to a local tea shop.
Vegan-Friendly Seasonal Menu (June–August)
3-Mushroom Stir-Fry with Soy Sauce Koji
A seasonal stir-fry of three locally grown mushrooms and fresh asparagus, gently seasoned with shoyu-koji, a traditional Japanese fermented soy sauce and rice seasoning, and served with organic black rice from Aso, Kumamoto.
Crisp Summer Cucumbers with Miso Dressing
We will crush cucumbers and prepare a flavorful homemade fermented dressing using white ground sesame, rice vinegar, mirin, sesame oil, and miso.
Dairy-free fermented rice ice cream with cacao nibs
I will prepare this ice cream in advance. It is made with amazake (fermented rice syrup), soy milk, banana, and organic lemon juice, then topped with cacao nibs—creating a refreshing, dairy-free summer treat that everyone can enjoy.
Which Tea Shop Are We Visiting in Nakatsu?
We will be visiting a traditional tea shop called Niwa Chaho, which has been serving the Nakatsu community since 1893. They specialize in Japanese green tea, matcha tools, and high-quality matcha powder. This is also where I personally source the matcha used during our experience.
You’ll have the chance to ask questions about matcha and Japanese green tea culture while exploring the shop. We’ll spend around 20 minutes there, and if you’d like, you can also enjoy their café next door, known for matcha drinks and parfaits. The nostalgic area is lovely to stroll through and within walking distance of Nakatsu Station after the experience ends.
How to Plan Your Trip to Nakatsu for This Experience
Where Is This Private Fermentation Experience Hosted?
Our “temple of fermentation” (our fermentation studio) is just a 5-minute drive from Nakatsu Station, where I will pick you up.
We’re easy to reach by express train - around 1.5 hours from Fukuoka Airport or 30 - 45 minutes from Beppu.
Click here to learn more about how to get to our location from Fukuoka airport or Beppu station.
What should I bring to this private experience?
You don’t need to bring much—aprons and notepads are optional.
What Does the Itinerary Look Like?
10:30 AM – Meet at Nakatsu Station
10:40–11:00 AM — Welcome Matcha Ceremony
11:00–11:30 AM — Interactive Japanese Fermentation Coaching Session
11:30 AM–1:00 PM — Cooking Session
Before 2:00 PM — Tea Shop Visit & End of Experience
Can you recommend us places to stay in Nakatsu or Beppu?
I’ve put together my guide on where to stay & explore in Nakatsu and Beppu. Click the button below to see what works for you! Click here for more info!
Pick-up Point at Nakatsu Station 🚉
There are two exits at Nakatsu Station: the South Gate and the North Gate.
I will be waiting for you at the South Gate at 10:30 AM.
You will see a supermarket called “SunLive” and a FamilyMart near the South Gate!
Who’s Your Host?
Through my experience as an online Gut Health Coach, I've learned how difficult it can be to make lifestyle changes, even when you know they're good for you. I've also seen that lasting change happens when you're inspired to take action, not when someone simply tells you what to do.
A health journey isn't about making drastic changes overnight. It's about building small, sustainable habits that add up over time and make a meaningful difference in the long run.
My hope is that this experience leaves you feeling inspired and motivated to continue making positive changes that support your health long after you return home.
Are you a wellness or health coach looking to deepen your knowledge of Japanese fermented foods?
I also offer a private 4-day Japanese Fermented Foods Practitioner Certification Program!
Your Questions Answered: Japanese Home Fermentation Experience FAQs
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Ingredients
Local shiitake mushrooms
Local king oyster mushrooms
Local maitake mushrooms
Local asparagus
Olive oil
Organic soy sauce (contains wheat)
Organic black rice
Cucumber
Organic white ground sesame seeds
Miso (contains barley)
Mirin
Rice vinegar
Sesame oil
Cacao nibs
Organic lemon juice
Banana
Organic soy milk
House-made fermented rice syrup
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Due to the ingredients used, this seasonal menu may not be suitable for guests with gluten (including coeliac disease), rice, or soy allergies.
Our fermentation studio is part of our home, which we share with two cats and one dog. If you have severe pet allergies, this experience may not be suitable. That said, we’re happy to keep our cats and puppy upstairs during your visit if that helps.
While we keep our home and work cooking equipment separate, our menu changes seasonally and we cannot guarantee that ingredients are completely free from cross-contamination. If you have severe food allergies, we kindly ask you to consider this before booking.
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Your safety is our top priority. We monitor weather conditions closely and make a final decision 24–48 hours before each experience.
✅ Heavy Rain Advisory (no risk of landslides/flooding): Experience continues as scheduled (no credit)
✅ Heavy Rain Warning (risk of landslides/flooding): May be canceled → Future Credit issued
✅ Storm / Strong Wind (15–25 m/s): May be canceled → Future Credit issued
✅ Special Warning (25+ m/s or severe damage expected): Canceled → Future Credit issued
Future Credits are valid for 18 months, transferable, and non-refundable. Credits are issued based on the final 24–48 hour assessment, as weather conditions can change.
We are not responsible for accommodation, transportation, or other personal expenses if an experience is canceled due to weather. Delays or cancellations due to personal reasons are not eligible for credit.
Thank you for your understanding and flexibility.
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Haruka hosts up to two private fermentation experience groups per week, or one certificate course group.
To keep things simple, all payments are converted into Future Credit instead of refunds. As our experiences involve advance preparation and limited availability, this policy helps us manage bookings while allowing you to retain the value of your booking in case of unexpected changes in plans or illness.
Guest-Initiated Cancellations (including illness):
✅ Notify us 7+ days in advance → 100% credit (valid 18 months)
✅ Notify 2–6 days in advance → 50% credit
✅ Same-day notifications → no credit (preparation already begun)
✅ Rescheduling: Contact us at least 7 days in advance.
✅ Flight or Transportation Issues: If travel is disrupted due to extreme weather or unforeseen circumstances, future credit valid for 18 months may be issued (proof may be required).
✅ Organizer-Initiated Cancellations
If we must cancel the fermentation experience due to unforeseen circumstances on our end (such as our own emergency or illness), guests will receive a full refund of the experience fee or may choose to reschedule to another available date.
Please note that we are not responsible for transportation, accommodation, or other related costs incurred as a result of the cancellation.
Click here to check my full policy. -
Yes! You are welcome to join with your child(ren) as long as you can keep a close eye on them, especially when using knives and the gas stove.
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From solo to a maximum of 3 guests.
Why 3 people? Because that’s the maximum number of guests that comfortably fits in my car for transportation during the fermentation experience! 🚗 -
Unfortunately, no. Our business is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
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Please reach out via email or Instagram using the same method you initially used to contact me as soon as possible (my email is gutchefjapan@gmail.com).
I will pick you up at Nakatsu Station at your arrival time. Please note that if you arrive late, we may not be able to extend the experience duration, so kindly plan your trip ahead and aim to arrive on time.