About theAuthor

As more and more people move out of the countryside into the cities, fewer young people are continuing the tradition. Recently, various places in Japan have begun offering foraging tours to allow visitors a chance to both go out into the bush with guides and then take part in the preparation of a meal with the gathered greens, particularly in Yamagata, Akita and Iwate. As with many aspects of rural culture, tourism may be able to serve some small role in helping to spark interest in continuing ancient traditions. Most Japanese people my age that I speak with about foraging just say that their parents do it. Hopefully their children will too.

Quinlan Faris has been living in Japan for more than 20 years, the last 12 in the wilds of the north. He is based in Morioka, Iwate, where he wears a variety of hats— working as a guide, inbound tourism advisor, narrator, and video creator—all while running a small Airbnb out of the local volcano, hiking through a storm or foraging for wild edibles along a mountain stream to feed his Airbnb guests or entertain his YouTube subscribers. Follow his adventures at youtube.com/c/GoNorthJapan and on Instagram @quinlan