Sushi has been considered to be an important part of Japanese food culture. You can now experience the making of this important Japanese food culture at halal sushi-making class in Nara. *Prayer space is also provided.
We introduce features and content quickly.
Feature 1.
Paper made Japanese sushi chef hat/apron/gloves are provided so that you can literally enjoy the feeling of being a sushi chef. Since you are going to make at least 8 pieces of sushi during a single sushi-making class, you will learn how to make sushi the same way the professional sushi-chef is making, such as learning the proper weight of shari (vinegar rice) when squeezing it in your hand.
Feature 2.
Freshly sliced fish and freshly cooked shari are being provided. You will be able to enjoy the quality of sushi that cannot be experienced at storefront take-out sushi or kaiten-sushi. The shari made with the use of plum vinegar brings out a warm sweet aroma, and you are in for a treat to enjoy a mouth melting high quality nigiri-sushi.
Feature 3.
At Umemori Sushi School, we present sushi-making manual/graduation certificate to those who completed the sushi-making class. We make class preparation with whole hearted effort so that when the participants go back to their respective countries, they will remember the memories of Japanese culture and the class experience. We are also selling sushi-making kit.
Umemori Sushi School Information
| Location | 221 Hokkejicho, Nara City (Main store/main office of Umemori company) |
|---|---|
| Reservation/Contact | honbu@umemori.co.jp shiho.u@umemori.co.jp *Please contact us at least 1 week prior to the reservation date |
| Available Time | Please make reservation between the hours of 9am to 8pm (By reservation only) |
| Number of persons | Registration is available from minimum of 10 persons (10 to 180 persons) |
| Class content | Full-scale tenigiri (make by hand) course (8 pieces of nigiri sushi, sushi ingredient will vary depending on the season) We will carefully teach you how to make a good quality nigiri-sushi by showing you the basics on how to make a proper size of shari, forming of bite-sized shari, etc. |
| Class price | They are all listed as before tax price from 10 to 20 persons: 2,800 yen per person from 21 persons: 2,600 yen per person *Addition of tempura (400yen) and mini-udon (300yen) are available. |
| Class time | 60~90 minutes (The class hour will slightly vary depending on the number of participants, content, etc.) To ensure safe/secure sushi class: 5 min How delicious sushi is made: 10 min On-hand experience of making sushi: 30 min Meal time (Take-out not allowed): 15 min (Separate meal menu available) |
| Access | By train: 10 minute walking distance from Kintetsu Shinomiya station (Across from Nara Royal Hotel) By car: From Osaka, 5 minute drive from exit of Horai-Ramp of Daini-Hanna Road From Kyoto, 5 minute drive from the final exit of Keinawa-Expressway |
| Parking | Available (Free-of-charge) 2 buses(Free-of-charge), 5 regular cars(Free-of-charge) |
| Official Web | Please check the below link for further details: |
| Payment method | Cash payment at site |
| Promotional video | Umemori Sushi School |
**Since there is prayer space inside the facility, it is ideal for making a casual stop during your Nara tour.
Why we deiced to correspond to halal?
Umemori opened the sushi-making class called “Umemori Sushi School” in September of 2013, and about 1,000 to 2,000 overseas visitors come out to the school on monthly basis.
Through the channel of sushi which serve as the prominent representation of the intangible world heritage “washoku”, our desire in operating the school is so that many foreign visitors can experience the “spirit” of Japanese culture.
Our definition of “spirit” of Japanese culture is the spirit of “omotenashi” (hospitality). And the definition of “omotenashi” is to show kindness to others. The goal of this is to be a type of person that will provide a helping hand when someone is in need of a help, and be there to share the joyous occasion when someone is excited about something.
In operating the “Umemori Sushi School”, we soon realized that a lot of Muslim tourists visiting Japan are faced with difficulty in finding food that can correspond to their halal standard. We heard a lot of voices from these people saying that although they want to eat authentic Japanese food to enjoy their visit to Japan to the fullest, they were not able to do so. After hearing about such condition, it became our mission to provide authentic food that can correspond to halal.
Washoku is filled with spirit and essence of Japanese culture.
Due to Japan’s distinct landscape where the land is widely stretched in a north-south direction, the country offers a rich variation of seas/mountains/country sides. As a result, various regions in Japan offers various kinds of local ingredients specific to its local produce. Japan is also known for its cooking technique of extracting “umami (tastiness)” through the use of kelp soup-stock, etc. that can bring out the natural taste of various raw ingredients.
Japanese washoku-culture has been expressing the change of four seasons through its “meal” culture, as well as serving the role of strengthening the family ties by providing a communal dinner time, where family can enjoy the delicious seasonal dishes together as a family. Through our strong desire of wanting as many people as possible to be able to experience this wonderful washoku-culture, we’ve decided to provide a place that can correspond to halal.
Some of the points that we thought and worked out
We believe that “vinegar” is the life force behind sushi.
There is no denying that if you use neta (fish) with superior degree of freshness/quality, the sushi is obviously going to taste better. However, sushi is only complete when combined with shari (vinegar rice), and if shari does not taste good, you cannot make good tasting sushi.
The most difficult part in corresponding to halal was to make sure that there weren’t any problems with the alcohol and sugar that were included in the vinegar.
For the school, we use organic kelp, plum vinegar (uses a type of plum called “kishunankoubai”) that brings out the natural taste of rice, and halal corresponding vinegar formulated by our own technique. By arranging in a way that matches ideally with “Asahi Rice of Okayama” considered to be the most premium sushi rice, we were able to come up with shari that has soft texture with a hint of sweetness. With the realization of this kind of shari, we can confidently say that we are able to provide authentic delicious Japanese food to our Muslim friends.
Halal certified production factory is also jointly established at “Umemori Sushi School”. We can also make delivery of bento that can safely be enjoyed by our Muslim friends throughout the region (mainly Kansai region). Please take advantage of our factory/restaurant that provides authentic Japanese food to our Muslim friends (between 3,000 yen to 10,000 yen price range)
At Umemori Sushi School, along with providing halal corresponding sushi ingredients, we also provide sushi ingredients for vegetarians and people who cannot eat raw ingredients. Furthermore, we are also open to visitors who just want to eat at the restaurant without participating in “nigiri-sushi making class”. (*reservation only Mail: shiho.u@umemori.co.jp TEL: +81-742-34-5789).
