Wakasa Obama Juku Food Culture Museum — Regional Cuisine Heritage

**Chopstick lacquering workshop:** The 45-minute workshop teaches maki-e gold-powder decoration on pre-lacquered chopsticks — the same technique used on museum-grade Echizen lacquerware. Participants sketch designs, apply lacquer adhesive using fine brushes, then sprinkle gold powder. The chopsticks cure overnight and are ready for pickup the next day or shipped domestically (international shipping unavailable due to lacquer regulations). The finished product is food-safe and dishwasher-compatible. Cost: ¥1,200. **Heshiko demonstration:** Daily at 11:00 and 14:00, staff demonstrate heshiko preparation — mackerel gutted, salted, then buried in rice-bran paste (nuka) for 1–2 years. The fermentation creates lactic acid and funky umami similar to cheese or garum. Free samples provided. The museum shop sells vacuum-sealed heshiko (¥1,200 for 2 fillets) — intense flavor, best grilled or mixed into rice. **Restaurant timing:** The on-site restaurant Hamakaido serves lunch 11:00–14:00 featuring Obama specialties. The recommended set (¥1,800) includes pressed mackerel sushi (oshizushi), miso soup with wakasa-guji tilefish, heshiko rice bowl, and pickles. Fresh mackerel sushi is extraordinary — vinegared rice topped with thick-cut mackerel, the fish barely cured and still translucent. Worth the visit alone. **Combine with morning market:** The museum is 5 minutes' walk from Obama Fish Market — visit the market at 7:00am for the auction, then return at 9:00 for the museum opening. This pairs hands-on food culture learning with live market experience.