The coastal town of Urahoro in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido is blessed with the riches of the sea and the forests. It is also famous for the Urahoro Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to marriage, fertility, and safe travels. In this tour, you will visit the Urahoro Shrine to learn and experience various aspects of traditional Japanese culture, from Japanese shrine etiquette to “mochitsuki” rice pounding.

Highlights

• Visit a Shinto shrine and enjoy matcha and Japanese sweets
• Learn about Shinto shrine etiquette and customs
• Experience traditional rice pounding known as “mochitsuki”
• Enjoy the mochi as daifuku mochi, kinako mochi, or yakimochi

After arriving at Urahoro Shrine, you will be welcomed by the head priest (known as the Guji) and his wife. At the shrine’s guest hall, you can relax with a bowl of freshly whisked matcha and some traditional Japanese sweets that reflect the current season.

Next, the head priest will tell you all about the history of Urahoro Shrine while teaching you proper etiquette and customs at a Shinto shrine.

Now it’s time to experience mochitsuki or traditional rice pounding. After placing the frehsly steamed glutinous rice in the mortar, you will pound it with a hammer-like pestle in a rhythmical manner until it becomes a smooth and sticky lump of mochi.

You will then use the mochi to make various sweets such as daifuku mochi (with sweet red bean paste filling) or kinako mochi (coated with roasted soybean flour). Depending on the season, you can also enjoy it as ozoni, a broth with mochi rice cakes.

Another way to enjoy the mochi is to grill them over charcoal on a hibachi brazier, which gives it a roasted aroma and a crispy outer texture. The charcoal used is from Urahoro Charcoal, a charcoal making company owned by the head priest’s wife Madoka Seko.

Note: All images are for illustration purposes only. Your actual experience may vary.

Schedule

10:00	Meetup at Urahoro Shrine, orientation
10:05	Welcome tea (matcha) and Japanese sweets
10:30	Explanation of Urahoro Shrine history and shrine etiquette
11:00	Mochitsuki rice pounding experience
11:20	Snack with various kinds of mochi
12:30	Tour finish