Facing the Seto Inland Sea, Utazu Town in Kagawa Prefecture is blessed with a mild, low-rainfall climate. With shallow coastal waters stretching beneath the view of Mount Iino, this land has long harnessed the power of wind and sun. For centuries, Utazu was known as one of Japan’s leading salt-producing areas.
This program offers a hands-on experience of irihama-style salt making, a traditional method that dates back nearly 300 years. Guided explanations carefully unravel the natural conditions, history, and cultural background that gave rise to this technique, allowing participants to understand not just how salt was made, but why it took this particular form in Utazu.
The setting is Utazu Umihotaru うたづ海ホタル, home to restored salt fields.
Seawater is absorbed into sand, concentrated by sun and wind, and finally boiled down in iron kettles. By engaging in each step?more physically demanding than one might expect?you come to appreciate salt making as a true crystallization of nature and human ingenuity. The freshly made natural salt, with its gentle and rounded flavor, is a highlight in itself.
After the experience, guests enjoy “Hamayaki” 浜焼き, roasted sea bream with the salt from Utazu salt fields,
a dish that symbolizes the region’s culinary heritage. Along with the meal, the guide shares local stories, traditional uses of salt, and cooking insights, deepening your appreciation of how ingredients and salt enhance one another. Sea bream, salt, and rice?together they tell the story of food shaped by this land and its climate.
A knowledgeable guide accompanies the salt-field experience throughout, offering a deeper level of interpretation than standard programs. While participation in the salt-making alone is possible, combining it with the sea bream meal and an overnight stay creates a richer, more immersive connection between Utazu’s land, history, and food culture.
A Sanuki experience that begins with salt.Only in Utazu can you enjoy this quiet yet powerful encounter with place and tradition.
Roasted Setouchi Sea Bream
Setouchi-style sea bream roasting is a local dish born from salt-field culture. During the Edo period, workers at irihama-style salt fields are said to have used the residual heat from salt production to gently steam freshly caught sea bream.
Wrapped in straw and slowly cooked with salt, the fish becomes moist and tender, its umami concentrated. A faint aroma of straw infuses the flesh, creating a depth of flavor distinct from ordinary grilled sea bream.
The Seto Inland Sea off Utazu is an ideal fishing ground for red sea bream, rich in shrimp, crabs, and small fish. Known as sakura-dai in spring, sea bream has long been cherished as a celebratory fish for special occasions. This dish embodies both the maritime bounty and the salt-making heritage of Utazu?a food culture passed down through generations.
Basic Schedule
- 13:30〜 Meet at Utazu Umihotaru うたづ海ホタル → Salt Field Experience
- 14:30〜 Transfer to Co-machi-no-ie 古街の家
Please note: Transportation is not provided. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements. - 15:00〜 Check-in at Co-machi-no-ie 古街の家 Please relax and enjoy your stay.
- 17:00〜 Grilled Sea Bream (Hama-yaki) delivered to Co-machi-no-ie 古街の家
We will explain how to prepare and separate the fish, after which you may enjoy your meal at your leisure.
Inquiry / Reservation
Co-machi-no-ie Office (Chiiori Alliance Inc.)
TEL: 0877-85-6941 / FAX : 0877-85-6945
Office Hour: 9:00~18:00(Closed on irregular days)