Friday, December 13, 2024
International students from Gifu University came to visit Yaotsu — a group from India and Malaysia. Having heard that they were interested in Yaotsu’s fermentation and brewing culture, we centered the day around just that, showing them around town with that theme as our guide.
Yaotsu prospered through river transport along the Kiso River, growing into a regional logistics hub — and it was against that historical backdrop that its culture of fermentation, brewing, and sake production took root and flourished.
At Suisuikyō, we shared the story of how timber and goods were once carried along the river, and the group got enthusiastic about photos with the vast reservoir lake as a backdrop. All of this, of course, with generous support from the teacher and Japanese students helping with interpretation.
Words that come embedded in history, things that simply don’t exist in another country, experiences that can’t be conveyed in a single word — I felt acutely how hard it is to translate not just language but meaning. And yet, when something finally clicked and landed, there was a real joy in it. It was a different kind of fun from my usual “playing in the mountain village” tours.
I found myself wondering how the Japanese countryside looked through the eyes of students from India and Malaysia.
From there, we made our way to the Hidakimi area, sharing the story of how goods that arrived by river were transferred to overland routes heading in that direction. At Iwahira Tea Garden, we borrowed the space for lunch — with vinegar tastings from Uchibori Brewing, side dish miso and soy sauce from Misohira Brewing, and Hidakimi-age tofu from Marunobo Tofu Shop all on the table.
Here too, the Japanese students worked hard to explain Yaotsu’s food culture to the group. As some of the international students had dietary restrictions due to religious reasons, we entrusted the main meal to ONIGIRI_STAND COCOCA723 (@onista_cococa723), who are able to cater for vegan needs.
The “okan’s miso onigiri” made with miso from Misohira Brewing was delicious!
After the meal came the moment everyone had been waiting for — the tea blending experience. Michiko-sensei from Iwahira Tea Garden (@iwadairacyaenn) gave it everything she had! The Gifu University teacher shared photos of tea plantations in the Assam region of India, sparking a really fascinating conversation about the common ground between Indian and Japanese tea culture — and the subtle differences in how the plantations look.
The international students seemed to take a real liking to the Hanadoki Bancha — and took some home with them! Thank you so much!
The happy hours flew by. A gentle stroll through the tea garden, a look at the Shin-Tabisoku Bridge in the distance — and with that, the day’s program drew to a close.
It wrapped up around 3pm, and some of the students were heading straight to Takayama to make the most of the weekend. It’ll be cold there, I’m sure! Take care and don’t catch a cold!
It was a wonderfully enjoyable day for me too. I do hope they’ll come back to visit again someday.
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