Funazushi & Lake Biwa Culinary Tour

Shiga Culinary Guides operates this three-hour culinary walk through Sakamoto, a lakeside district of Otsu near the base of Mount Hiei, built around funazushi, the fermented crucian-carp dish widely regarded as an ancestor of modern sushi. The route centers on a historic funazushi workshop where staff demonstrate the fermentation process, showing the salted, rice-packed carp at different stages of its months-long aging before visitors taste the finished product. From there the tour moves to a small tasting stop covering other Lake Biwa freshwater specialties, giving a savoury, umami-heavy comparison across two to three dishes rather than a sweet course. Included in the price are the workshop visit with fermentation demonstration, a guided tasting of funazushi alongside the other lake-fish dishes, a local sake pairing chosen to complement funazushi's strong fermented flavour, and an English-language explanation booklet; transport and additional food or drink orders are not covered. The tour runs in English with the help of the printed booklet, keeping the group small enough for everyone to see the fermentation demonstration up close. Pace is relaxed, with the workshop portion taking roughly half the tour and the remainder spent on tasting and sake pairing. Because funazushi has a distinctive, pungent aroma and sour flavour that some visitors find challenging, the guide typically offers a small first taste before the full portion, and dietary substitutions are limited given the tour's focus on this single specialty dish.