Salt isn't just an ingredient in Japan, it's used for purification rituals in sumo and at temples and shrines. It all started with an ancient sea salt extraction process. On the northern shores of the Noto Peninsula, registered as a globally important agricultural heritage system, grab your buckets and get to work collecting sea water! Also feast your eyes on seasonings, preserved foods, flavored salts, and more savory delights unique to Japan.

Our saba journey begins at Tokyo's Toyosu Market. We then visit Kyoto Prefecture for some festival food that remains a key part of local tradition before heading to Obama, Fukui Prefecture, at the other end of the Saba Kaido, a historic trade route. Regional synergy continues to this day, with sake lees from Kyoto playing a key role in aquaculture at Wakasa Port. Also discover the expanding world of canned saba, and cook outside with our reporter, Michael, using organic veggies from his farm.

Butter in Japan is typically unfermented. This allows the characteristics of the raw milk it's produced from to shine through—but milk's flavor varies by climate. In Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan's largest production area for butter, watch cows produce milk in a stress-free environment for processing at a large butter factory. Then, feast your eyes on a number of savory recipes, including inspiring ways to incorporate butter into traditional Japanese cuisine.

More than just a longer shelf life, Japan's fermented foods offer enhanced flavor and nutrition. Unlock secrets to the culture's longevity, starting with koji mold cultivation that dates back 600 years. Get an inside look at how the foods are taking the world by storm as we join a miso workshop in Paris and view the largest sake brewery in the U.S. Introducing Japanese fermentation—the foundation of the island nation's renowned cuisine.

Fukushima Prefecture has two mountain ranges and three differing climates, allowing a variety of fruits to grow. Areas facing the ocean have cool summers and warm winters—perfect for pears. In a basin sandwiched between eastern and western mountain ranges, daily temperature fluctuations produce large, sugar-packed peaches. Furthermore, inland areas with heavy snowfall offer some of the finest persimmons. Discover the charms of Japan's fruit kingdom—Fukushima.

Wagashi, or traditional Japanese sweets made with unique ingredients like bean paste and agar jelly, are little works of art that excite all five senses. Their beauty and flavors reflect the changing of the seasons. Join us in Japan's former capital, Kyoto, to discover how wagashi became ingrained in daily life. At a shop that prepares desserts for tea parties, learn to make Japanese sweets using bean paste and traditional tools. Also explore the food's place in modern society, including coffee pairing and the use of novel ingredients that transform wagashi into a full-course meal.

Schools of nishin, or Pacific herring, enter Japan's cooler northern waters in spring. Once a lucrative part of local economies, the fish remains a staple ingredient in various Japanese dishes.