Iwate-Miyagi | Sanriku Food Culture Deep Dive × Fishing and Hunting Expert Abalone and Shark Fin 5-Day 4-Night Tour

The meeting point is Huajuan Airport. International flights need to be booked independently. Suggested flight: Tigerair Taiwan IT258, departing from Taoyuan Airport at 12:15 and arriving at Huajuan Airport at 16:35.

The space is decorated with kappa legends and images of old houses. The local products hall displays seasonal fruits and vegetables, processed products and local wines from Tono, making it a starting point to taste the terroir of Iwate before entering Sanriku.

Owner Mikio Suda insists on using only local Tono ingredients: homegrown vegetables, Tono Wagyu beef, and their own Jersey milk products, with water sourced from a spring at the foot of the Tono mountains. In 2025, it was selected as one of Tabelog’s Top 100 Italian Restaurants in Eastern Japan.

Traveling north along the Sanliu Fuxing Highway, layers upon layers of sea-eroded cliffs can be seen outside the car window.

Yamada-cho is one of Japan’s most important production areas for dried small fish. This is not a tourist factory but a real processing site where you can see how a fish transforms into the soul of dashi broth in a single day.

The noodles, broth, and toppings are almost entirely made with local ingredients. The signature oyster tempura udon and iso udon are served, and there is a barbecue grill area where you can taste the fresh flavors of Yamada Bay.

Take a boat directly to the aquaculture rafts and taste the freshly harvested scallops on the spot; oysters are only available for viewing to compare one-year-old, two-year-old, and three-year-old oysters; you can also experience the unique flavor of sea squirts.

A comparison of broth tasting and sake-based matured drinks, featuring eight limited-edition bar seats, and having been featured in a French magazine and received numerous awards.

The first venison processing facility in Iwate Prefecture opened in 2020.

Follow local hunters into the mountains and forests to learn about the real threat that increased deer populations pose to farmland, and the significance of hunting as a way to maintain balance between humans and wildlife.

Participate in the processing of captured deer firsthand, safely and under detailed guidance, and honestly face the original appearance of the food.

The current fourth-generation owner, Takeshi Sato, was a professional boxer. After retiring, he apprenticed for twenty years before returning to his hometown to take over the business, upholding the belief of “local cuisine”.

Let the heavy and profound experience of this day settle down.

Car headlights sweep across the scene, occasionally revealing herds of deer wandering by; with luck, one might even spot Japanese serows. Simultaneously, one learns about the real impact of increased deer populations on local agriculture.

Catch silver salmon by hand, learn how to prepare them, roll them into handmade sushi, and make salmon donburi – a family-friendly destination.

Along the way, you will pass the restored ancient ship “Kisenmama”, the Seagull Terrace, and the Saito flagship store of Sanriku Kagaku.

Since 1982, we have been engaged in land-based abalone farming, producing 1.2-1.3 million “Sanliu Jade Abalone” annually. We understand the post-earthquake recovery process and the differences between farmed and natural abalone.

The earthquake-reconstructed shopping street features about 30 local shops where you can buy fresh fish, sample food, and enjoy a sip of San Luk beer.

Abalone sashimi and steamed abalone are served side by side, allowing you to taste the subtle differences between farmed and natural, raw and steamed.

I walked quietly past the venue that records disaster and rebirth.

The Kesennuma Port Complex is home to fresh fish shops, seafood restaurants, and local product stores.

Whether you can stop to watch the unloading operation and happen to catch a glimpse of the auction is entirely up to luck.

The city with the highest shark unloading volume in Japan accounts for nearly 80% of the national total, with about 80% of the catch coming from longline fishing. The main species resources are stable, and the city adheres to the philosophy of utilizing whole fish without wasting any.

After learning about the origins and development of the industry, savor the shark fin soup made by a skilled artisan.

Arrived at Sendai Airport, ready to board a flight back to Taiwan.

Suggested itinerary: Tigerair Taiwan IT255, economy class, departs at 19:40, flight time approximately 4 hours and 20 minutes, arrives in Taoyuan at 23:00.