Come join this Japanese Fermentation Tour in Nakatsu City, one of Japan’s centers of fermentation culture, led by bilingual certified Gut Health Coach, Haruka Kato
Private Half-Day Fermentation Tour in Nakatsu, Oita, Japan
Who This Private Half-Day Japan Fermentation Tour Is For
✨A Private, One-Group-Per-Day Tour✨
Health-conscious travelers staying in Beppu who are looking for a unique daytime experience, with easy train access to Nakatsu from Beppu Station.
Visitors exploring Northern Kyushu or Fukuoka who want a meaningful cultural activity within easy travel distance, accessible by train from Fukuoka Airport.
Your Japan Fermentation Tour: What to Expect
1. Station Drop-off & Transportation
Transportation is provided during the experience, including a car ride to a local soy sauce brewery and return to our fermentation studio. The tour concludes with drop-off at Nakatsu Station. 🚗
2. Local Soy Sauce Brewery Visit & Cooking Experience
Visit traditional soy sauce and miso shops in Nakatsu to explore Japanese fermented seasonings, learn how they’re made, and taste their unique flavors.
Then, cook a vegan-friendly seasonal lunch together using local, seasonal ingredients—experiencing how fermentation is used in everyday Japanese cooking.
3. Private Experience with a Certified Gut Health Coach
Your host, Haruka, is a certified Gut Health Coach and graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York. During the experience, she will guide you through the history and culture of Japanese fermented foods and their impact on health in Japan.
Kind Words from My Clients
“My experience with her was wonderful from start to finish. She took the time to be thorough, informative, and genuinely invested in making sure I left with exactly what I needed. It’s rare to come across someone who combines professionalism with such a warm, welcoming approach.”
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- Deja Wainwright (USA)
“From the very first moment, Haruka was incredibly kind, helpful, and welcoming—it truly felt like spending time with an old friend. I felt an instant connection, like she was a sister to me. If you’re thinking about booking this experience, don’t hesitate. It’s a unique and truly special opportunity, and without a doubt one of the highlights of my entire trip.”
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- Emilia Hantscheke (Germany)
“The hands-on cooking experience was fantastic. I learned about new, healthy ingredients that I can incorporate into my daily cooking, and Haruka answered all of my questions. She is kind and incredibly friendly, which made the experience even more enjoyable from the very start. I would highly recommend booking a private tour with her.”
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- Hebert Valmond (USA)
How to Book Your Japan Fermentation Tour
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 parking information and digital recipes from gutchefjapan@gmail.com two days before your retreat.
🎁 Private Fermentation Tour Pricing – Special Introductory Offer Until June 30th!
Solo: $270➡ $240 (1:1 immersive experience)
2 people: $380➡$330 ($165 per person)
3 people: $480➡$420 ($140 per person)
Includes drop-off at Nakatsu Station, transportation during the tour, and all ingredients for the cooking session.
Seasonal Menu: Cook Seasonal Vegan-Friendly Dishes Together
Coming up soon!
Learn More About This Japan Fermentation Tour
Where Is This Private Fermentation Tour Hosted?
Our “Temple of Fermentation”—also known as our fermentation studio—is located about a 25 minute walk from Nakatsu Station. You can easily reach Nakatsu by express train directly from Fukuoka International Airport in about 1 hour and 30 minutes, or from Beppu—one of Japan’s most famous hot spring destinations—in just 30–45 minutes.
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 tour?
No need to bring much—aprons are optional, and we’ll provide green tea. Just come curious and ready to enjoy learning about Japanese fermentation. Please bring water for the outdoor portion.
What time does the tour start & end?
We will meet at my fermentation studio, Temple of Fermentation, which is a short walk or about a 7-minute taxi ride from Nakatsu Station.
Please arrive at 10:30 AM. After our cooking experience and lunch, I will drive you back to Nakatsu Station.
What Does the Itinerary Look Like?
10:30 AM – Meet at Temple of Fermentation
10:30 – 11:00 AM – Get to know each other, followed by a wellness talk on Japanese fermented foods
11:00 – 11:30 AM – Visit a local soy sauce brewery
11:40 AM – around 1:30 PM – Return to the studio for a seasonal cooking experience, enjoy lunch together, and then I will drop you off at Nakatsu Station 🚗
Can you recommend us places to stay in Nakatsu or Beppu?
I’ve also put together a guide on where to stay, eat, and explore in Nakatsu and Beppu to help you plan your visit. Click here for more info!
Who’s Hosting This Private Japan Fermentation Tour?
I’m a certified Gut Health Coach and Japanese Fermented Foods & Medicinal Cooking Specialist, based in Nakatsu, Oita, Kyushu.
Growing up, I often felt like I didn’t fully fit into my own culture. But living in Vancouver helped me rediscover and appreciate Japanese food on a deeper level. Now, I’m passionate about sharing that connection with health-conscious travelers visiting Japan from around the world.
Are you a health professional and want to learn more about Japanese fermented foods?
I also offer a private 4-day Japanese Fermented Foods Practitioner Certification Program!
Your Questions Answered: Japan Fermentation Tour FAQs
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Coming up soon!
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This tour may not be suitable for guests with rice, gluten (coeliac), and soy.
Please also note that the experience takes place at our home-based fermentation studio, where we live with two cats and one dog. If you have severe cat or dog allergies, this experience may not be the best fit.
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 tour 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 tour due to unforeseen circumstances on our end (such as our own emergency or illness), guests will receive a full refund of the tour 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 tour! 🚗 -
Unfortunately, no. Our business is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
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Unfortunately, I do not offer station pick-up. I can only park in front of the station for a limited time, and travel plans can sometimes change—you might miss a train or arrive earlier than expected. For the smoothest flow of the tour, we’ll meet directly at my fermentation studio.