Learning Salt-Making from the Salt Master

About this experience

Just a short walk from Oshima Harbor, you'll find Oshima Village Shop. There you'll meet the "Salt Master," as he's known locally. His real name is Kawabe. He makes and sells salt from seawater entirely by hand. This tour is an hour-and-a-half apprenticeship with the Salt Master. You'll draw seawater, heat it in a cauldron, simmer it down, and watch the salt crystallize. The firewood, the cauldron, everything comes from the island. The cauldron itself was repurposed from another use. The firewood comes from branches and leaves trimmed around the island. Within this cycle, a single white grain of salt is born. At the end, you'll eat onigiri (rice balls) seasoned with the salt you made. Just plain salt rice. But the taste of salt you created yourself is truly special. You'll also take home a small pouch of Oshima salt as a souvenir. English interpretation by NOREN's Mitsuki Matsushima is available as an optional add-on (Japanese ⇄ English only). We'll make sure to convey the Salt Master's distinctive Fukuoka dialect as well.

Highlights

Full itinerary

Meeting point

What's included

Good to know

⚠️ Walk from the harbor to Oshima Village Shop

⚠️ Please wear comfortable clothing and shoes

⚠️ Exclusion dates: Obon Holiday (Aug 12-18), Year-end and New Year (Dec 28-Jan 6)

⚠️ Cancelled in case of weather warnings, advisories, or ferry suspension (notification by 3 PM the day before, full refund)

✦ This tour is a recruitment-type planned tour organized and operated by Tourism Creation DMO Munakata (Fukuoka Prefectural Governor Registered Travel Agency Regional No. 1028). NOREN is responsible for multilingual support, interpretation accompaniment, and reservation communication.

Languages

Guest reviews