About
In this tour, you'll gain a comprehensive understanding of the entire journey from field to table, offering a rare opportunity to see every step of how your meat reaches your plate. You'll join a professional hunter in the field to set traps, working through hypotheses and strategies together, making this a truly unique experience. You'll also learn firsthand about the impact of wildlife in Nagano Prefecture from local farmers and hunters, gaining insights that are both eye-opening and educational. To top it off, you'll enjoy some of the most delicious venison dishes available, prepared exclusively with game meat, catering perfectly to those who prefer a purely wild menu. This tour is not just an adventure, but an enriching journey into the heart of nature and the food we eat.
What does "Itadakimasu" mean?
First, let's fill our stomachs! We've arrived in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture! Let me show you our base camp, a mountain lodge.
How is meat produced?
Let's visit a meat processing plant. We'll learn the process of how an animal's life becomes meat on the table and experience butchering venison for our dinner.
Where would you set a trap?
Let's walk through the mountains from a hunter's perspective! To the mountains where wild animals live – there's surely a difference between an ordinary mountain walk and a hunter's walk, right? Let's experience setting traps with a hunter!
What does "Oishii" mean to you?
Venison game dinner! We'll enjoy a game meat dinner using the meat we've butchered ourselves.
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There is no guarantee that you will encounter wild animals.
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The tour will proceed in light rain but will be canceled in severe weather. A decision will be made two days in advance, and in the event of cancellation, the fee will be fully refunded.
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Please inform us of any food allergies or dietary restrictions when you apply for the tour.
Life with Wana Brothers
・When is the most exciting time for you in your activities?
The most exciting times for us are when we enter the field and set traps while observing animal traces. The thrill peaks when an animal is successfully caught in the trap, confirming that the strategy and observations were correct. Additionally, hearing tour participants share their moving experiences from the tour brings us immense joy.
・What is your favorite moment/thing/place in your work?
Our favorite moments are when we are in the mountains, experiencing the constant changes brought by the seasons and the weather. Each day offers something new, and I love feeling the dynamic and ever-changing nature of the environment around us.
BIO
In 2020, our planned hunting experience community couldn't be launched due to the impact of COVID-19. Instead, we launched an online service called "Wana Brothers" (Wana meaning "trap" in Japanese). In 2022, we received the Good Design Award for the service design of Wana Brothers. With the effects of COVID-19 subsiding in 2023, we launched the on-site tour "How We Eat" to deliver experiences that can't be provided online. This tour was selected as a model project by the Cabinet Office.
Meeting Location
Ueda Station
〒386-0025 Nagano, Ueda
1 Chome -1-1
