Hokkaido Nature Tours
  • Home
  • Sample Tours
    • Sample Custom-Made Tours >
      • Sample Custom-Made Tours Highlights
      • Spring: 7 Day Spring Variety 10pax Sample Tour
      • Spring: 5 Day Southern Spring Blossoms Sample Tour
      • Spring: 8 Day Hiking & Wildlife Luxury Sample Tour
      • Summer: 7 Day Summer Variety Sample Tour
      • Summer: 7 Day Hiking & Sightseeing Sample Tour
      • Summer: 6 Day Hokkaido Heartland Sample Tour
      • Fall: 8 Day Fall Foliage Family Fun Sample Tour
      • Fall: 8 Day Central & Eastern Hokkaido Fall Luxury Sample Tour
      • Fall: 6 Day Fall Variety & Scenic Roads Sample Tour
      • Winter: 7 Day Winter Wonderland Sample Tour
      • Winter: 4 Day Winter Family Fun Sample Tour
      • Winter: 7 Day Winter Active Luxury Sample Tour
    • Sample 2-Day Tours >
      • Sample 2-Day Tours Highlights
      • 2-Day Tour Lake Toya, Lake Onuma & Noboribetsu
      • 2-Day Tour Niseko, Shakotan Peninsula & Otaru
      • 2-Day Tour Tokachi, Furano & Biei
      • 2-Day Tour Snowshoeing, Ice Fishing & Furano
      • 2-Day Tour Asahidake & Sounkyo Snowshoeing
      • 2-Day Tour Asahikawa, Dogsledding & Daisetsuzan
      • 2-Day Tour Asahidake Onsen & Sounkyo Gorge
      • 2-Day Tour Takinoue Pink Moss, Tulip & Biei
      • 2-Day Tour Mountain Hut Overnight Hiking
    • Sample Day Trips >
      • Sample Day Trips Highlights
      • Noboribetsu & Lake Toya Day Trip
      • Furano & Biei Flower Fields Day Trip
      • Shakotan Peninsula & Otaru Day Trip
      • Mt. Tarumae & Mt. Moiwa Day Trip
      • Jozankei & Niseko Fall Foliage Day Trip
      • Asahikawa & Mt. Asahidake Day Trip
      • Mt. Asariyama Snowshoeing & Onsen Day Trip
      • Ice Fishing & Dogsledding Day Trip
      • Furano Snowmobiling & Ice Fishing Day Trip
  • HNT Insight
    • Awards, Reviews & Accolades
    • FAQ
    • HNT Blog
    • Hokkaido Activities by Season >
      • Spring Season >
        • Spring Sightseeing
        • Spring Gourmet
        • Spring Festivals & Sakura
        • Hot Spring
        • Spring Wildlife & Zoos
        • Farm Visits & Horseback Riding
        • Boat Excursions
        • Hiking & Trekking
        • Hot Air Ballooning
        • Adventure Activities: Spring
        • Resort & Backcountry Spring Skiing & Snowboarding
        • Daisetsuzan Nat'l Park: Spring
        • Crafts, Culture & Cooking
      • Summer Season >
        • Summer Sightseeing
        • Summer Gourmet
        • Summer Festivals
        • Summer Hiking & Trekking
        • Hot Springs
        • Summer Wildlife & Zoos
        • Farm Visits & Horseback Riding
        • Boat Excursions
        • Hot Air Ballooning
        • Adventure Activities: Summer
        • Daisetsuzan Nat'l Park: Summer
        • Crafts, Culture & Cooking
      • Fall Season >
        • Fall Sightseeing
        • Fall Gourmet
        • Fall Festivals
        • Hot Springs
        • Boat Excursions
        • Fall Hiking & Trekking
        • Hot Air Ballooning
        • Farm Visits & Horseback Riding
        • Adventure Activities: Fall
        • Daisetsuzan Nat'l Park: Fall
        • Crafts, Culture & Cooking
      • Winter Season >
        • Winter Sightseeing
        • Winter Gourmet
        • Winter Festivals
        • Hot Springs
        • Daisetsuzan Nat'l Park: Winter Activities
        • Snowshoeing
        • Ice Fishing
        • Winter Wildlife & Zoos
        • Resort Skiing & Snowboarding
        • Drift Ice & Boat Excursions
        • Dogsledding
        • Snowmobiling
        • Hot Air Ballooning
        • Crafts, Culture & Cooking
  • Contact Forms
    • Custom-Made Tours Preferences Form
    • 2-Day Tours Preferences Form
    • Day Trips Preferences Form
    • Contact Us
    • お問い合わせ
    • Jobs

HNT Blog
​
Enjoy Nature, Be Happy!

​

​

Sansai in Hokkaido: The Ancient Practice of Wild Plant Picking

30/4/2019

 
Sansai - or wild plant picking - is an ancient tradition that is still practiced today by across Japan. By the time spring finally arrives here in Hokkaido (mid-April onward), we cannot wait for the sansai picking season to start! There are said to be over 280 types of sansai in Japan. Among the most well-known varieties are udo (aralia sprouts), kogomi (fiddle heads), fuki (butterbur), warabi (bracken shoots), nemagaritake (young bamboo shoots), and gyojya nin-niku(alpine leek), to name a few. Typical sansai meals include udo no Sumiso (boiled udo seasoned with vinegar & miso), tempura of all types and miso soup with fuki.

Sansai literally means "mountain vegetables" and is a general term for the edible wild plants that grow in Japan’s forests and wetlands. Spring is the only true season for sansai as the young sprouts are still soft enough to be eaten. After the first few weeks of growth, most sansai become too tough and rubbery, so getting out early in the season is critical for success. Even early on, some sansai are quite bitter, so many of the wild plants must be boiled to remove the bitterness.     

According to Japanese mythology, the practice of sansai has exists for at least 5,000 years, dating back to the Jomon Period when Japan was populated by indigenous groups. It’s logical to assume that sansai origins may indeed be much older as hunter-gatherer societies relied on wild food to survive. Judging from the famed Sannai-Maruyama archeological site in Aomori Prefecture - said to be the largest & oldest Jomon Period site in Japan - archeologists believe that the ancient Jomon people even knew how to remove the bitterness from some sansai, as well as to preserve sansai using salt-pickling techniques that allowed the wild plants to be eaten the following winter.
What is certain is that since the advent of sansai picking many thousands of years ago on the archipelago, subsequent generations have preserved the knowledge in continuity until today. Frequently throughout Japan’s tumultuous history, the practice of sansai meant the difference between life and death, particularly between the 12th - 19th Centuries when famine, war and natural disasters were common across Japan due to (relatively) large populations but poor technological capabilities that limited the efficiency of agriculture, fishing and animal husbandry.   


Picture
If you are heading out for sansai hunting, here are some guidelines to keep you safe and in harmony with nature:
​
1. Hire a Local Guide
Sansai grow deep inside forests and normally there are no trails that lead to the best patches. Even if you luckily find a good sansai patch, it can be difficult to identify which sansai to pick and which to avoid as many edible sansai have non-edible “cousins”. While your eyes are glued to the forest floor, it’s also easy to get disorientated, and inevitably, every year there are sansai hunters who require professional rescue teams to get them out.  Please contact us at Hokkaido Nature Tours - where we specialize in private custom-made tours - for a safe, reliable and informative sansai picking experience.

2. Practice Sustainability
As with all food picked from forests and wilderness areas, it’s critically important to do so sustainably. With sansai picking, try not to pick more than you intend to eat and always leave the root systems intact for next year’s harvest.
 
3. Before You Go
It’s recommended to dress properly for sansai picking as you’ll be venturing into wilderness areas. That means you should wear long sleeves, proper footwear, bring rain gear, emergency food supplies, emergency blankets, plenty of water and always notify someone that you’re heading out & when you plan on returning.
 
4. Poisonous Plants & Bear Attacks
However, be forewarned that sansai picking is not without its dangers! For one, there are poisonous plants that resemble edible sansai, such as the popular gyojya nin-niku(alpine leek). Secondly - and especially in Hokkaido - there is the danger of running into Higuma brown bears. Sansai hunters often venture far from hiking trails and deep into the wilderness to find secret patches that are unknown to others. At the same time, bears are waking from their winter of hibernation, and are similar to staggering drunks on a weekend in the Susukino nightlife district of Sapporo: disorientated, sluggish and easily triggered. Bears waking from hibernation are literally starving, and they must reach lower altitudes to feast on the very same sansai prized by locals. Tragically, Hokkaido averages approximately 1 sansai bear attack every 2 years. Most often, the disoriented bears have no intention to attack, but are easily agitated in their famished states and act out of self-defense and confusion. It is highly recommended to go sansai picking with another person, either one that is super chatty or a very slow runner! ; ) Bring bear bells and whistles to make lots of noise every so often, which is the best way to scare off any lurking Higuma bears. With the proper respect for the dangers of the mountains, sansai picking is no more dangerous than any other outdoor activity.  
 
So get out there while the sansai are young and at their best, or contact us at Hokkaido Nature Tours to include it as part of your custom-made spring tour itinerary for a wonderfully unique Japanese nature & culinary experience!

Picture
HNT Blog Sansai in Hokkaido: The Ancient Practice of Wild Plant Picking
File Size: 594 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

    Welcome!

    Our blog covers any and all topics of travel in Hokkaido - from the best gourmet oysters to off-the-beaten-track adventures -  and everything in between. 

    Being on the road - immersed in Hokkaido's pristine nature and vibrant culture - we love to share our experiences,  recommendations and connections with the people and nature from Japan's great northern island!

    Thank you for visiting, and as we often say. . .  Enjoy Nature, Be Happy! 



    ​ 

    Archives

    September 2021
    October 2019
    April 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015

Thank you for visiting us at Hokkaido Nature Tours!

Sample Custom-Made Tours Highlights
Sample 2-Day Tours Highlights
Sample Day Trips Highlights

Reviews, Awards & Accolades
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Contact Us

Custom-Made Tours Preferences Form
2-Day Tours Preferences Form
Day Trips Preferences Form
お問い合わせ

Jobs
General Contact Email:
HokkaidoNatureTours@gmail.com

OFFICE Tel. & FAx.

(+81)11-592-3959
Address: 005-0842 Japan, Hokkaido, Sapporo, Minami-ku, Ishiyama 2-6 7-83
​
Hokkaido Travel License No.: 3-718
​Member of ANTA: All Nippon Travel Agents Association
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
  • Home
  • Sample Tours
    • Sample Custom-Made Tours >
      • Sample Custom-Made Tours Highlights
      • Spring: 7 Day Spring Variety 10pax Sample Tour
      • Spring: 5 Day Southern Spring Blossoms Sample Tour
      • Spring: 8 Day Hiking & Wildlife Luxury Sample Tour
      • Summer: 7 Day Summer Variety Sample Tour
      • Summer: 7 Day Hiking & Sightseeing Sample Tour
      • Summer: 6 Day Hokkaido Heartland Sample Tour
      • Fall: 8 Day Fall Foliage Family Fun Sample Tour
      • Fall: 8 Day Central & Eastern Hokkaido Fall Luxury Sample Tour
      • Fall: 6 Day Fall Variety & Scenic Roads Sample Tour
      • Winter: 7 Day Winter Wonderland Sample Tour
      • Winter: 4 Day Winter Family Fun Sample Tour
      • Winter: 7 Day Winter Active Luxury Sample Tour
    • Sample 2-Day Tours >
      • Sample 2-Day Tours Highlights
      • 2-Day Tour Lake Toya, Lake Onuma & Noboribetsu
      • 2-Day Tour Niseko, Shakotan Peninsula & Otaru
      • 2-Day Tour Tokachi, Furano & Biei
      • 2-Day Tour Snowshoeing, Ice Fishing & Furano
      • 2-Day Tour Asahidake & Sounkyo Snowshoeing
      • 2-Day Tour Asahikawa, Dogsledding & Daisetsuzan
      • 2-Day Tour Asahidake Onsen & Sounkyo Gorge
      • 2-Day Tour Takinoue Pink Moss, Tulip & Biei
      • 2-Day Tour Mountain Hut Overnight Hiking
    • Sample Day Trips >
      • Sample Day Trips Highlights
      • Noboribetsu & Lake Toya Day Trip
      • Furano & Biei Flower Fields Day Trip
      • Shakotan Peninsula & Otaru Day Trip
      • Mt. Tarumae & Mt. Moiwa Day Trip
      • Jozankei & Niseko Fall Foliage Day Trip
      • Asahikawa & Mt. Asahidake Day Trip
      • Mt. Asariyama Snowshoeing & Onsen Day Trip
      • Ice Fishing & Dogsledding Day Trip
      • Furano Snowmobiling & Ice Fishing Day Trip
  • HNT Insight
    • Awards, Reviews & Accolades
    • FAQ
    • HNT Blog
    • Hokkaido Activities by Season >
      • Spring Season >
        • Spring Sightseeing
        • Spring Gourmet
        • Spring Festivals & Sakura
        • Hot Spring
        • Spring Wildlife & Zoos
        • Farm Visits & Horseback Riding
        • Boat Excursions
        • Hiking & Trekking
        • Hot Air Ballooning
        • Adventure Activities: Spring
        • Resort & Backcountry Spring Skiing & Snowboarding
        • Daisetsuzan Nat'l Park: Spring
        • Crafts, Culture & Cooking
      • Summer Season >
        • Summer Sightseeing
        • Summer Gourmet
        • Summer Festivals
        • Summer Hiking & Trekking
        • Hot Springs
        • Summer Wildlife & Zoos
        • Farm Visits & Horseback Riding
        • Boat Excursions
        • Hot Air Ballooning
        • Adventure Activities: Summer
        • Daisetsuzan Nat'l Park: Summer
        • Crafts, Culture & Cooking
      • Fall Season >
        • Fall Sightseeing
        • Fall Gourmet
        • Fall Festivals
        • Hot Springs
        • Boat Excursions
        • Fall Hiking & Trekking
        • Hot Air Ballooning
        • Farm Visits & Horseback Riding
        • Adventure Activities: Fall
        • Daisetsuzan Nat'l Park: Fall
        • Crafts, Culture & Cooking
      • Winter Season >
        • Winter Sightseeing
        • Winter Gourmet
        • Winter Festivals
        • Hot Springs
        • Daisetsuzan Nat'l Park: Winter Activities
        • Snowshoeing
        • Ice Fishing
        • Winter Wildlife & Zoos
        • Resort Skiing & Snowboarding
        • Drift Ice & Boat Excursions
        • Dogsledding
        • Snowmobiling
        • Hot Air Ballooning
        • Crafts, Culture & Cooking
  • Contact Forms
    • Custom-Made Tours Preferences Form
    • 2-Day Tours Preferences Form
    • Day Trips Preferences Form
    • Contact Us
    • お問い合わせ
    • Jobs