Recent trends indicate Japanese gastronomy is poised to be a trending topic in 2023. Chefs around the world use the best of Japanese ingredients and culinary techniques to create delicious new experiences. The country’s history of gastronomic tourism dates all the way back to the Edo period (1603–1868), and there is no shortage of culinary adventures to sample. When traveling in Japan, here are some recommendations to get ahead of the trends.

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The city of Miyakonojo in Kyushu’s Miyazaki Prefecture presents a Meat Meet program as part of its Meat and Sakagura (sake) campaign, offering tastings and cooking classes centered around local products. The city is a premier producer of meats (specifically beef, pork and chicken) and shochu, a traditional Japanese spirit. Miyakonojo’s shochu is made from sweet potatoes and local rice and barley, pairing perfectly with its top-quality yakiniku (grilled meats).

Experience farm life in Odate, nestled in the mountains of Akita Prefecture in northern Honshu. Host families, most of whom are farmers, provide a day-in-the-life experience for visitors, including harvesting crops and picking vegetables. After a long day of work, piping-hot local specialties such as kiritanpo-nabe (chicken hot pot with pounded rice skewers) await.

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Nara Prefecture’s oldest soy sauce brewery, Maruto, reopened in 2020 as a brewery called NIPPONIA Tawaramoto Maruto Shoyu. With accommodation in its refurbished, 130-year-old warehouse, guests can try their hand at brewing Maruto’s soy sauce, in addition to visiting the town of Tawaramoto, said to have been the birthplace of traditional Noh theater.