Six world renowned chefs gather at Karuizawa in search of cuisine inspired by the Jōmon prehistoric era
KARUIZAWA, JAPAN, 8 August 2024 – Shishi-Iwa House will host its second Culinary Retreat this October with six celebrated chefs journeying “Into the Wild" to explore how Japan’s prehistoric Jōmon civilization and Nagano’s natural landscapes have shaped Japanese cuisine today.
Chefs Julien Royer (Odette, Singapore), Mingoo Kang (Hansik Goo, Hong Kong & Mingles, Seoul), Vaughan Mabee (Amisfield, New Zealand), Joris Rousseau (Feuille, Hong Kong), Stephan Duhesme (Metiz, Manila), and Masashi Okamoto (Shola, Karuizawa) will go on mountain foraging and volcano hikes, and visit local farms, purveyors and award-winning wineries.
This year’s theme “Into the Wild" draws from Japan’s culinary traditions and flavours, which originated from the Jōmon period dating back to 10,000 BC. Nowhere is Japan’s indigenous hunters and gatherers’ ways more evident today than in Nagano Prefecture, where the soaring mountains, volcanic soil and cold climate have resulted in a way of life rooted in farming, foraging and fermentation traditions.
Shishi-Iwa House’s annual by-invitation only Culinary Retreat is an experimentation in collaborative creativity, exploring the intersection of local culture, nature, and gastronomy. The program started in 2023 with the premise: Can architecture and nature inspire creativity? Shishi-Iwa House, a collection of architectural masterpieces in a nature sanctuary in Karuizawa, brought together six chefs for a private culinary retreat to explore the roots of creativity. The chefs were chosen for their reverence for seasonal ingredients, close collaborations with local farmers, and groundbreaking culinary approaches.
The annual culinary retreat is just one of many Shishi-Iwa House experiences – from bespoke epicurean escapes, wilderness trekking adventures and craftmanship workshops – encouraging guests to slow down and journey deeper within while being transformed by its majestic surroundings.
