Glamping is a way to enjoy the outdoors in style. Combining the words "glamorous" and "camping," the term has been popular in the West since around 2000, but it was only about 10 years ago that it started to be heard in Japan. The pioneer of this trend was Hoshinoya Fuji, which opened in 2015 as the fourth Hoshinoya facility. Hoshinoya Fuji became a hot topic as Japan's first glamping resort when it opened. On its vast grounds overlooking Lake Kawaguchi, the guest rooms (cabins), dining area, cloud terrace, and other facilities are cleverly arranged surrounded by a red pine forest. This is a two-part report on our stay at Hoshinoya Fuji. In the second part, we will tell you more about the "Adult Food Education 'Hunting Experience Tour,'" where you can learn about the importance of life and the cycle of "food" by actually experiencing hunting.

Click here for the review of "Hoshinoya Fuji" Part 1 "A blissful moment gazing at the flames of a bonfire at Japan's first glamping resort surrounded by nature."

The deer population has increased to the point where they are destroying the ecosystem and are now considered pests.

The wild game that is on the menu all year round at Hoshinoya Fuji is made from deer and wild boar caught locally in Yamanashi. In recent years, the deer and wild boar populations have actually become too large and are beginning to cause damage to agricultural crops. This is starting to have a serious impact on the forest ecosystem, as they not only eat agricultural crops, but also tree bark and other plants.

Yamanashi Prefecture has set hunting seasons and catch numbers, allowing hunters to capture deer and wild boar. However, only about 10% of the captured deer and wild boar meat is sold as gibier. The rest is discarded, which is an issue for the region.

Hoshinoya Fuji offers a hunting experience tour so that as many guests as possible can learn firsthand that gibier was once a living animal and that they are eating that precious life, and so that it can help solve some of the local issues.

They accompany hunters into the mountains, see deer caught in traps, and witness the deer being butchered. It's a true "food education for adults" experience that teaches them the preciousness and value of life.

On the day before the hunting experience, the glamping master will teach you how to walk in the forest.

On this 2-night, 3-day program, on the first day after checking in, you will first walk around the Hoshinoya Fuji facility with a guided tour by a glamping master who is familiar with the forest. Although you are inside the facility, you are already in a deep forest. Nature itself spreads out before you, where deer and monkeys live.

"These are deer footprints, and this is a game trail," the glamping master tells me, but it's hard to tell the difference. Apparently, traps to capture deer are set on these game trails within the hunting area.

A fun lecture by a veteran hunter with over 40 years of hunting experience

The hunting experience will take place on the second day. The hunter who will guide you will be Eisuke Furuya. He guides hunting tours from autumn to winter and works as a diving instructor at Lake Motosu in summer. He has about 2 years of hunting experience. He trained under his master, veteran hunter Masahiro Takiguchi, and in recent years he has been entrusted with going it alone.

First, Mr. Takiguchi and Mr. Furuya gave a lecture on hunting. They taught us about the current state of deer extermination in Yamanashi, the precautions to take when entering the mountains, the habits of deer, the mechanism of traps and how to set them. Mr. Takiguchi, who has more than 40 years of hunting experience, tells us stories full of humor that are very entertaining and help ease the tension. After listening to them for about 30 minutes, we set off to the place where we set the traps.

The process of the animal's life disappearing and becoming a lump of flesh, which is then turned into edible meat, is a solemn one.

A male deer was caught in the trap. The most important thing was to butcher the deer as quickly as possible. Butchering the deer immediately and draining the blood as quickly as possible ensures that the game meat does not have a strong odor.

"The meat that is distributed as gibier is butchered at a slaughterhouse. The meat that hunters butcher themselves is strictly for private consumption."

As he cuts the meat into pieces, Furuya explains, "This is the shoulder loin. It has no odor and is tender and delicious. This is the thigh meat. It has a strong flavor and is chewy."

The process of the animal's life disappearing, turning into a lump of flesh, and then being transformed into meat is a solemn one. It really makes you realize that what we humans are consuming is a life nurtured by nature. In addition, parts that are not suitable for eating are repurposed as ingredients for dog food, and the leather is also reused, so very little is discarded.

Rather than simply disposing of the animals after hunting and capturing them, we should treat them with care and cherish them. This is nothing less than taking a life without waste. I felt this strongly.

Dinner on the day of the hunting experience is wild game. Savor every bite and appreciate the preciousness of life.

On the day when we realize the importance of life, a "game dinner" is prepared.

The main dish is the best venison loin, which is aged for several days after slaughter. The loin is slowly cooked at a low temperature, making it incredibly tender and delicious, yet light and unobtrusive. The sweet and sour blueberry sauce goes perfectly with the dish.

Other special dishes include raw venison sausage in cheese fondue and cream pasta with wild boar pancetta, making for a special menu that makes generous use of game.

At first, I was a little confused about what to eat on the night of my hunting experience, but after today's experience, I realized that it is important to chew on each bite of meat that once held life, and to cherish and be grateful for its flavor. This is truly "food education for adults."

Deerskin is used in "Koshu Inden", a traditional craft of Yamanashi. I admire the wisdom of our ancestors who used everything to the fullest.

One of the specialties of Yamanashi Prefecture is "Koshu Inden." Inden, which was used for military equipment in the past and is now used for handbags, purses, belts, wallets, book covers, and more, is actually made from deerskin that has been tanned, dyed, and patterned with lacquer. It was once made all over Japan, but in modern times it has become a traditional technique handed down only to Yamanashi.

The final program of the hunting experience tour is a "Koshu Inden" lacquer experience scheduled for the following afternoon. Through this experience, you will learn that the captured deer are used not only for their meat but also for their leather.

Our instructor in lacquering is Yamamoto Yusuke. He holds the title of Koshu Inden Traditional Craftsman, and is actively involved in a wide range of activities to create new Koshu Inden while continuing to carry on traditional techniques from long ago.

The deerskin dyed in vibrant colors is soft and smooth to the touch. Choose your favorite color and apply lacquer using a silk screen technique. The trick is to apply pressure evenly to the wooden brush so that the lacquer is applied evenly to the deerskin.

Once the lacquer is applied and the screen is removed, the intricate patterns that emerge are incredibly beautiful; you are impressed by their lustre and at the same time, you are impressed by the wisdom of our ancestors who developed deerskin into such a beautiful traditional craft.

On the "Hunting Experience Tour," you will realize the importance of life and how it is that you are alive.

You will visit the hunting site, see the deer caught in a trap, and witness the process of the deer being turned into meat. In the evening, you will enjoy the venison while giving thanks to nature, and the next day you will experience the process of deerskin being transformed into beautiful traditional crafts.

The "hunting experience tour" allows you to realize the importance of life through hunting, and that humans are merely a part of nature that is sustained by these other lives. I left the facility wanting many people to try this out.

Click here for the review of "Hoshinoya Fuji" Part 1 "A blissful moment gazing at the flames of a bonfire at Japan's first glamping resort surrounded by nature."

◆ Hoshinoya Fuji "Hunting Experience Tour"

・Dates: The event is scheduled to take place from October to December in 2026. Please contact the facility for details on dates, etc.

Price: 1 yen per person (tax and service charges included) *Accommodation fee not included

What's included: Accompanying the hunt, observing and experiencing butchering, rental boots, lunch, forest walk to experience nature (drinks included), wild game dinner, Koshu Inden lacquering experience, Koshu Inden accessories

・Reservation method: Make a reservation on the official website at least 2 weeks in advance

Capacity: 1 group per day (1-1 people per group) *Junior high school students and above

・Clothing/Items to bring: Comfortable clothes and shoes

Eligible: Guests staying at Hoshinoya Fuji

・Notes: Hunting methods may change depending on circumstances. In the event of bad weather, the contents may be changed or canceled. Menu may change depending on availability of ingredients.

photos by Natsuko Okada (Studio Mug)

text by Sakurako Miyao