Food for thought from Okushu Tours: sushi may be served on conveyor belts

Here’s some food for thought from Okushu Tours for those considering visiting Japan — the country’s cuisine is often intriguing.

Okushu Tours held a recent webinar that included having one of its Japan tour guides who goes by the name of Momo preparing some Japanese pancakes for viewers.

The affable Momo — who at one point greeted viewers with a Tonight Show-like “Here’s Momo” — worked in a spotlessly clean kitchen, underscoring the Japanese appreciation for cleanliness while creating pancakes that included the likes of honey and white wine.

And Okushu Tours’ Lisa Lau said such cooking experiences demonstrate how her “niche tour operator” likes to deliver authentic experiences for clients. For instance, Okushu Tours offers what Lau calls Mindfulness Travel, with clients who go that route able to stay in a Japanese temple, enjoying the likes of a tea ceremony, calligraphy and making incense while doing so.

Pilgrimage tours can have people hiking through Japanese nature.

Mindfulness Travel and pilgrimage tours are seen as reassuring to those uneasy about being in crowded areas, a frequent concern these days.

Among Japanese cities offered by Okushu Tours are Tokyo and Kyoto.

Lau said Japan’s food scene sees constant changes in a country famed for its technological advances. For instance, in some restaurants, diners may select their sushi as it passes by on a conveyor belt. “You just open the dish (the passing sushi is in),” Lau added.

“Bento Box on the Go” — which enables people to buy and a leave with a bento box filled with Japanese delicacies — is another interesting side to Japanese food options.

Meanwhile, Lau said there won’t be any more than 16 people on any of her company’s tours and added that Okushu Tours clients will be “participants” rather than “spectators.”