At a culinary retreat on the Japanese island of Kyushu, seasonal flavors are in full bloom.
I leaned in for a taste.
The grains were tender, pleasantly sticky, and subtly brightened with rice vinegar.
Picnicking under cherry trees on the island of Kyushu, Japan.Credit:Prairie Stuart-Wolff/Courtesy of Mirukashi Salon
But if you squeeze too hard, the rice becomes this glutinous ball.
I sneaked a bite: earthy, herbal, delicate, sweet.
It tasted like spring.
From Left: Prairie Stuart- Wolff, founder of Mirukashi Salon; Pottery in Hanako Nakazato’s studio.Prairie Stuart-Wolff/Courtesy of Mirukashi Salon
Early springtime, Stuart-Wolff told us, is a turbulent season in Kyushu.
We get a lot of rain.
We get a lot of wind.
Chawanmushi, a steamed egg custard made at the salon.Prairie Stuart-Wolff/Courtesy of Mirukashi Salon
Spring is fighting to really bloom.
Stuart-Wolff has a calm, assured air.
Ask her a question (I asked many) and she has a ready and thorough answer.
From left: The Suga Shrine in Ogi; Sakuramochi, dessert of sticky rice, bean paste, and cherry leaf.Prairie Stuart-Wolff/Courtesy of Mirukashi Salon
That hadnt always been the case, she told me.
On our five-day retreat, Laila and I were joined by five other travelers.
Theyre celebrated culturally because they are so fleeting, she said.
Blossoms that will be used to make a syrup at the retreat Murakashi Salon.Prairie Stuart-Wolff/Courtesy of Mirukashi Salon
We pack a picnic and go sit under the cherry blossoms, and just intentionally revel in that feeling.
But it turned out the blossoms were not quite ready.
Thekatsuobushiis then added and steeped for a minute before being strained out.
Just as the choice of ingredients shifts with every season, so too does the choice of vessel.
I love how theyre in concert with each other.
I took note, and began dreaming of a reason to return.
It features an open kitchen with a big round table, and there are plans for a vegetable garden.
She paused to consider.
Im really surprised by the number of people on their first trip to Japan, she said.
I thought it would be people who were returning and looking for new experiences.
But what Ive realized is that we can offer a context and a lens into the culture.
I could attest to that, it being my first trip to Japan, too.
Four nights atMirukashi Salonfrom $3,550 per person, all-inclusive.
A version of this story first appeared in the May 2025 issue ofTravel + Leisureunder the headline Spring Awakening.
