Chopsticks Rest Casting Experience & Wakatsuru Brewery

OVERVIEW

Watch master craftsmen cast chopstick rests using a centuries-old process and see how single malt whiskies are distilled for an enlightening immersion into the world of Japanese spirits. The Nousaku foundry in Takaoka has been casting innovative tin products ranging from chopsticks to sake cups for more than a century and it still relies on age-old techniques. It is a fascinating process that uses clay molds similar to the ones that Nousaku initially created to produce Buddhist ritual objects. You may see some of those items in context while visiting the nearby Zen Buddhist temple Zuiryu-ji, which the Japanese government officially recognized as a national treasure. Lunch follows, after which you will tour the Wakatsuru Saburomaru whisky distillery, whose atypical still pots were designed by a foundry that specialized in manufacturing bonshō Buddhist bells. As you will discover during a tasting, the still pots impart a unique character to the whiskies.

HIGHLIGHTS

• See how castings are made in centuries-old clay molds.
• Chopstick Rest Casting Experience.
• Sample a selection of single malt whiskies that are produced in unusual still pots.
• Visit a Buddhist temple so culturally important that it was declared a national treasure.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.