Nagano ¨C Nagano is just a 90-minute shinkansen ride from central Tokyo, but for chefs in search of some of Japan¡¯s freshest ingredients, the mountainous prefecture might as well be a world away from the concrete jungle of the country¡¯s capital.
Since 2023, Shishi-Iwa House, a hotel located in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, and chef Masashi Okamoto have invited gourmands from around Asia and beyond to tour the region¡¯s natural bounty while staying in villas designed by renowned architect Shigeru Ban.
As the tour¡¯s name implies, Shishi-Iwa House¡¯s Chef¡¯s Retreat is a three-night, four-day excursion across Nagano Prefecture, with visits to organic farms and wild mushroom foraging capped by a communal meal cooked by the chefs-turned-tourists themselves.
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