Sustainable Gibier (Wild Game Meat) Hunting Tour at Meiho, Gifu
Overview
Discover the world of sustainable gibier (wild game meat) hunting on this tour held in the woods of Meiho, one of Japan's top areas for gibier hunting and consumption. Led by experienced hunter Shindo Motomitsu, you'll do fieldwork in the mountains and enjoy a hearty lunch of barbecued gibier that Ms. Motomitsu caught herself.
Highlights
- Discover how hunting can be sustainable — gibier hunting helps preserve the ecosystems of Japan's forests
- Learn all about gibier: its texture and taste, its nutritional value, and the best ways to prepare it
- Suitable for a wide range of participants — a Beginner Course that even young children can easily take part in is available
- Enjoy a hearty lunch of barbecued gibier — caught by Ms. Motomitsu herself — plus fresh, seasonal local ingredients
- The perfect experience for those interested in living a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle
Key Information
Important Information
• We require a minimum of 2 participants to accept your booking. If the tour does not meet the minimum number of participants, we will contact you a day before your experience date at the latest to refund or reschedule • Participants must be in good physical and mental health • This experience is held in Japanese, and is not a private tour; for English guidance, please book the private course with English-speaking interpreter. • For the Beginner Course, participants must be aged 5 or older, and able to take part in fieldwork. Children aged 5–12 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian • For the Advanced Course, participants must be aged 13 or older • In case of rain, lunch will be served indoors • Guests are required to drive their own car or rent a car to reach the meeting point. Free parking is available • We will perform a health check before the tour begins. Depending on your condition on your experience date, you may not be able to participate in some or all of the activities • If the experience will be canceled due to inclement weather or other conditions, you will be informed a day before your experience date and fully refunded
Booking
Description
The Meiho district of Gifu Prefecture's Gujo City is known as one of Japan's three leading areas for wild game meat — or 'gibier,' as the Japanese call it. Gujo is surrounded by forested mountains, so its residents make the most of the bounties of the woodlands. For instance, they hunt for wild boars and enjoy the meat in winter.
Gifu and other mountainous regions across Japan suffer from overpopulation of deer and boar, which can negatively affect local ecosystems. As a result, hunting them can be considered a way of conserving forests and farmland. What's more, for those wanting to live a self-sufficient lifestyle, this is a great way of obtaining lean, nutritious, high-protein meat.
On this tour, you'll learn about sustainable gibier hunting from Ms. Shindo Motomitsu, an experienced hunter who has been living in Meiho for several years now. She moved to Gifu from Fukuoka Prefecture to live a sustainable lifestyle. Through trial and error, she learned to hunt. What's more, shocked to see that deer bones and carcasses were being dumped wastefully, she resolved that when hunting, she'd make sure not to waste a single part of an animal. This is the core principle behind her practice of sustainable hunting.
Ms. Motomitsu played a key role in establishing a factory for gibier meat called Gibier Kobo Meiho, trains chefs in how to cook gibier deliciously, holds workshops for children, and instructs young hunters on what sustainable hunting is all about: hunting not for leisure or sport, but for sustenance.
Whether you're just curious about gibier, or you've hunted game before, this experience is sure to be fascinating. Choose from the Beginner Course, which is so beginner-friendly that even children as young as five can participate, or the Advanced Course, which is ideal for those who want an in-depth look into gibier hunting. Both options include hunting-related fieldwork in nearby woods, plus a delicious, hearty barbecued lunch of gibier — caught by Ms. Motomitsu herself — and fresh, seasonal local ingredients.
On the Beginner Course, you'll learn about gibier hunting in a part of the woods that even those who aren't used to hiking can easily access. This means that people of any age or experience level can easily join in. Ms. Motomitsu will teach you how to spot animal tracks — you might even see some, if you're lucky! You'll also make accessories out of deer antlers.
Meanwhile, on the Advanced Course, you'll visit Ms. Motomitsu's hunting grounds, where you'll trace animal tracks and learn to set traps. You'll then visit Gibier Kobo Meiho for a factory tour, where you'll see how the meat is safely and hygienically processed to become gibier products.
Book now for a rare glimpse into the world of sustainable gibier hunting — you too might find yourself wanting to live self-sufficiently after this experience!
