Akita | Demon Hunter School, Bear Tracking, Mountain Vegetable Cuisine, Snowshoeing Hiking - Certificate Award Experience 090

The “Matagi” are not merely hunters, but also priests of the mountains. They strictly adhere to the rules of the hunting grounds, believing their prey to be gifts lent by the mountain gods, and “not wasting a single piece of their prey from head to toe”—this reverence for life is a true philosophy that cannot be learned in any urban classroom. At the hunter’s school, you will not hear about the spoils of battle, but about the prayers and weight behind every gunshot. Through museum visits and hunters’ accounts, you will gain a completely new perspective on the unbroken lifeline between humans and the mountains.

This is a school without walls; the earth is the best teacher. In spring and autumn, grandmothers and hunters guide you to identify the forest’s bounty and teach you the wisdom of gathering wild vegetables. In winter, don traditionally crafted bamboo snowshoes and venture into the silent white forest to find the footprints of life. Lunch will feature wild boar, bear meat, or seasonal vegetables, allowing you to directly witness the most authentic connection between food and life. Everything you learn here will enable you to re-examine your relationship with nature with greater humility after leaving the mountains—this transformation is the most precious certificate of completion.