[Yamanashi / Kawaguchiko] Local cuisine "Hoto making experience" | Accepts up to 120 people ☆ 15 minutes walk from the nearest station!

[About Our Restaurant] Located at the foot of Mount Fuji, close to Lake Kawaguchi, Fujiya offers a hands-on workshop where you can make and taste Yamanashi's local dish, "hoto." Kneading, rolling, cutting, and simmering the dough... Come visit with your family or friends in between sightseeing trips to create special memories. [About Yamanashi's proud local dish, "hoto"] "Hoto" is a dish made by slowly simmering wide, thick noodles kneaded from wheat flour with plenty of vegetables, such as pumpkin and root vegetables, in a miso-based broth. Selected by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2007 as one of the "Top 100 Local Dishes of Rural Areas," it is a proud local dish that is deeply rooted in the lives of people in Yamanashi, as evidenced by the saying, "Morning: rice cakes, lunch: barley rice, and dinner: pumpkin hoto." The umami of the ingredients is fully utilized, warming both body and soul. That's the charm of "hoto," a dish beloved by many for many years. [Recommended for the following people] - Those seeking a uniquely Yamanashi experience - Families looking for a fun, child-friendly food education experience - Those seeking a safe experience suitable for beginners - Planners of group tours, school trips, team building events, etc. - Those looking to capture tangible memories of their trip [Experience Menu Information] ◆ [Most Popular] Yamanashi Prefecture Premium Hoto Experience Plan: Create a special hoto using the finest ingredients grown in Yamanashi. This luxurious experience includes everything from the standard experience to toppings like Koshu beef, Akebono soybean miso, creamy brown sugar warabi mochi, and Koshu wine (or grape juice). Experience the flavors of Yamanashi with all five senses. ◆ Hoto Making Experience (Meal Included): Knead, roll, cut, and simmer the dough by hand—you'll enjoy your piping hot "my hoto" on the spot. ◆ Souvenir Hoto Noodle Making Experience (Take-out) Pack your own fresh noodles and take them home. Relive the taste of your trip at home. *No meals included ◆ Indigo Dyeing Experience Set (Meal included) Dye a thin or thick T-shirt with natural indigo and make your own houtou. Why not create a one-of-a-kind indigo-dyed T-shirt? ◆ Medicinal Shichimi Experience Set (Meal included) Blend your own original medicinal shichimi from over 10 types of herbs and spices! Make your own original shichimi to warm and energize your body. ◆ Brown Sugar Soybean Flour Experience Set (Meal included) Roll dumplings, boil them, and finish them with sweet brown sugar syrup and kinako. Enjoy a satisfying after-meal dessert experience with homemade sweets. ◆ Suridane Experience Set (Meal included) Blend Fujiyoshida's specialty, savory and spicy condiment, to your liking! Adjust the spiciness and flavor to your liking and take home your own unique suridane. [Introduction to Atelier Takana Sensei] Atelier Takana Sensei, located across from the shop, you can freely interact with rescued cats. Enjoy a relaxing moment between experiences.

The most appealing part of the experience at the local cooking class "Fujiya" is that you can "hand-make" the hoto noodles yourself from powder form. The taste of the hoto you make yourself is exceptional, so please come hungry. There are few local foods that are as popular as this one, and the rhythm of daily life in Yamanashi (Koshu) was ``oneri in the morning, barley rice in the afternoon, and pumpkin hotou in the evening.'' As the saying goes, ``It's delicious, pumpkin hotou'', it is a local food that can be proud of throughout the country, and is still loved by many people throughout its long history. Unlike udon and soba, hoto is characterized by the fact that the raw noodles are simmered with the ingredients, so the soup thickens and does not cool easily. Since no salt is kneaded into the noodles, they won't be chewy, but there's no need to remove the salt, so you can simmer them as is with the ingredients. Hoto soup is basically miso-based. In the past, miso was mainly made from Koshu miso, which was handmade at each home and was prepared using both rice koji and barley koji. On the other hand, there are no fixed rules regarding the ingredients, and basically several types of vegetables are simmered together. It's a great dish that's both filling and healthy.

At our restaurant, we don't just make "hoto" (hoto noodles). We offer a variety of set menus to allow you to experience Yamanashi's culture, lifestyle, and ingredients on a deeper level. Our particularly popular set menu is the "Hoto Making + Indigo Dyeing Experience." This luxurious plan combines both food and crafts, appealing to a wide range of guests, from children to adults. With the indigo dyeing experience, you can dye your own original handkerchief or tenugui (hand towel) with the dye, creating a one-of-a-kind memory to take home with you. We also offer food-focused plans such as the "Medicinal Shichimi (Seven Miscellaneous Flavor) Making Experience Set" and the "Yamanashi Specialty Suridane (Ground Dough) Making Experience Set." This experience, where you can blend your own aromas and flavors to your liking, makes a perfect souvenir or gift, and has been highly praised by customers, who have described it as "the most memorable experience." All set menus are designed to allow you to experience Yamanashi's nature, traditions, and ingredients. Enjoy an authentic experience that will enrich your travel memories and engage all five senses.

Our spacious experience space can accommodate up to 120 people per day, and is used by a wide variety of groups, including travel agencies, educational institutions, corporations, and international tour groups. We also have a dedicated parking space in front of the facility that can accommodate up to three large buses, ensuring safe and secure access. We have hosted a variety of events, including school trips, summer camps, employee training, senior trips, and community events. Many guests have commented, "Even first-timers enjoyed it!" and "The group cooking experience was more exciting than we expected!" We are also fully prepared to accommodate international tourists. English-speaking staff are always on hand to provide simple explanations and support. Popular as part of cultural exchange and international training, this experience of "seeing, cooking, and eating" traditional Japanese food culture transcends language barriers. Customization of time and content is available for groups, so please feel free to contact us. We look forward to welcoming you and sharing a "moment filled with smiles, learning through food."