Hunting for Wild Mushrooms in Japan

Went foraging for wild mushrooms recently in the wilds beyond the Toyosawa dam on the outskirts of Hanamaki, Iwate. I've been foraging with Haruo-san for more than 12 years now. I'm still skittish about mushrooms as so many are poisonous and it's so easy to make a mistake, but I love being out hiking and foraging - though the spring wild greens are more my speed.
We say "bori" a lot in this video, which is local slang. They are more commonly called naratake, or honey mushrooms in English.
I've got other foraging videos -- including how to prepare wild vegetables in the kitchen -- here:
• Foraging for Wild Vege...
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[@KyushuTrail]

I love how excited he was about the nameko! Looks fun!

[@GoNorthJapan]

It's always great fun to go foraging with Haruo-san!

[@timothymitchell8310]

What is nameko in English or is it Japan specific?

[@naosoupopularrr]

6:17 he is so happy about nameko chan hahahahahahaha

[@sabrinawanderer7560]

Your old friend's enthusiasm is contagious, even I am also is getting super excited😅

[@prancingppony]

Haru-san is awesome!

[@fabr1cated]

he's a qt

[@GoNorthJapan]

He sure is!

[@GoNorthJapan]

Yes, yes he is!

[@TheKhalzone]

I love how excited he got when you showed him the mushrooms you found. They definitely are good with sake.

[@m3radan]

Super interesting! it's great to have someone really passionate teach about what they love, and apparently he loves nameko lol

[@HappyBerryCrochet]

What a harvest! I loved how excited your guide was over the Nameko. Great with Sake lol love that! I'm curious to try them now. I think foraging is so rewarding, but like you I'd be so nervous about mushrooms. They're so beautiful though and potentially very tasty!

[@GoNorthJapan]

Haruo-san really is great! I think it's a lot of fun to go mushroom hunting even if you're not bringing any home. As you said, they are so beautiful!

[@kuroibuta]

I live in Japan. Nameko are quite cheap. My wife cooks with miso soup. Very good!

[@smisaki.9870]

enjoyed this video!

[@GoNorthJapan]

Very glad to hear that!

[@tammi6771]

Love how excited he got over the nameko. It looks so fun and peaceful to forage. So beautiful as well

[@GoNorthJapan]

He is just adorable. And really knowledgeable!

[@nowgaku]

It's like a heaven for me in many ways .

[@naosoupopularrr]

I want a mountain teacher too! hahaha

[@KyushuTrail]

Não é minha culpa que não sou popular Same! Haha

[@blahblahblack]

I had forgotten how awesome Harusan is! He just gets so excited about being out foraging!

[@catbarnard2833]

Awww I would have loved to see what you cooked up with them!

[@elflass5544]

Lovely footage and so much information! Nice memories for me since my grandfather used to pick wild mushrooms. Haru-san was so cute in his excitement about the mushrooms you found, and hearing his bear bell from afar as you roved around the area made for an interesting mood. Cool to see so kinds of mushrooms -- great video!

[@GoNorthJapan]

Thanks!

[@anfbiagent6895]

God This Guy Is So Underrated His Videos Are Really High Quality He Also Probably Worked Hard To Make These Wonderful Videos

[@monktondown]

I am loving your videos. I am so glad Sharla recommended your channel ✨

[@Grahamcracker6366]

I dislike mushrooms, but I enjoyed this educational video.

[@rosscalhoun3389]

The best part of this video is just how excited the guide is about the Nameko.

[@GoNorthJapan]

Agreed

[@dodoalasal1927]

Watching this was so relaxing!

[@EricNeuls]

Hah looked like such fun! Can't say id ever be confident in picking wild mushrooms but this was awesome!

[@ArchAngel149]

Would love to see a short video on how the mushrooms were cooked and enjoyed!

[@XSemperIdem5]

That intro was so wholesome with him getting so excited about his find.

[@sash4864]

great video again :)

[@sethusk]

This looks like a fun trip. I would be too unsure to ever do this on my own. Nice to have Haruo-san around.

[@GoNorthJapan]

I would never feel confident to pick mushrooms without him or some other local expert!

[@alexstrolls801]

Nameko, sugoi! Those mushrooms must be really delicious!

[@GoNorthJapan]

They are!

[@tankeryy1566]

hopefully this channels gets 1m subs or more soon. this is what you call *content*

[@NiaMariaePlays]

This video is the perfect length to watch between class breaks. Nice and zen for my graphic design class now.

[@zarendia]

This video is my favorite of all videos on KZbin ! 🍄 I’ve watched it so many times lol do more foraging please.

[@GoNorthJapan]

I will definitely do more foraging videos when the season comes around again!

[@sarthakkrishna1737]

Dulcet setting with the mello music makes for such a serene atmosphere, makes you feel like one with nature! Here from Abroad in Japan! Subbed!

[@atomicphilosopher6143]

Ok I actually cried because of that man's reaction to you finding nameko. I'm so happy.

[@GoNorthJapan]

Haruo-san is great!

[@atomicphilosopher6143]

@@GoNorthJapan - Oh, cool! You notice comments! If you wouldn't mind another reply, does he take people out hunting for a living or something? Because I haven't been quite that far north, but if he does, I'd definitely consider going up there next time I get a vacation (I live in Tokyo so it's a bit of a trip)?

[@SkellyMC]

Ramaria flava is one my favorite mushroom

[@stephenbernardo7288]

Mushrooms are favourite! I can't wait to explore more of Tohoku!

[@minusforty4323]

Man foraging and hiking, what a beautiful combination!

[@SidCasagrande]

That's awesome, hope they were a treat!

[@markames3688]

15 seconds is all it took for me to hit the Subscribe button. ETA: This made me think of Mushishi both the animated series and the live action.

[@MissRoseyCheeky]

You are one of my favourite content creators. Always such interesting videos and so much knowledge is shared. Appreciate all the thought that goes into your videos. This was a great one.

[@GoNorthJapan]

Thanks!! Glad you liked this one! Haruo-san is great.

[@smartmouthredhead8392]

Life advice: Find you someone who is as excited and runs to you the way Haruo-san ran to those nameko :D

[@GoNorthJapan]

Yes! If only! ;)

[@kammymarie13]

How fun! I’ve been studying herbalism for almost a decade and once I feel I’ve mastered that then I’m going to start studying mycology 😌 Honestly I’ve been putting it off because I’ve heard how easy it is to mis-identify mushrooms! I need to find my own Yama Sensei 😂

[@GoNorthJapan]

I highly recommend finding one! ;)

[@kostadinb]

Quinlan if we don't hear from You at least we know it was a mushroom haha

[@Hinaatje]

Man i wanna eat the murasaki colored ones. Great video bro!

[@dickwintered]

You're such an underrated channel. I love your content and videos! Keep up the amazing work.

[@riverraven4014]

He got so excited about the mushrooms you found they must taste super good

[@itofernando1379]

That bright orange masutake is called Chicken of the Wood. And the "coral mushroom" is also edible actually. It is consumed in China

[@scheimaa172]

Thanks for this fun and interesting video. I was really surprised when you said that the purpul ones are safe to eat.

[@Nynke_K]

5:10 ooh! Chicken of the woods! We have those in my local forest too, in Europe! Apparently some people are allergic to them and for that reason, we're not allowed to pick them here, unfortunately. They were really pretty a month ago, though!

[@GoNorthJapan]

That's a really funny name. Love it! They are definitely pretty!

[@valwillham8602]

would love to see a video about how you cook/prepare all the plants you forage 👀

[@moze_R]

すごい！💜

[@KeithTKO]

Good thing you had a guide, people die from eating wrong kinds every year. And not just mushrooms Japanese eat lots of wild vegetation and some poisonous ones look just like edible ones.

[@GoNorthJapan]

Yes, very true!

[@kailashks901]

Now I know which ones not to eat and get hospitalised. Thanks Quinlan.

[@WhoaNellyJake]

LMAO he was so pumped for the nameko ahahahha

[@blankautumn]

Showed this video to my bf who loved wild mushroom “hunting” too. Yea, he says he usually will avoid “bori” too, like you said, can be mixed up with other poisonous mushrooms. Great video as usual!

[@kiwiyamabushi]

We eat Mizu during Yamabushi training in August, if we can find it :) not sure if I’m allowed to say that :)

[@GoNorthJapan]

I won't tell them you said it if you don't! ;)

[@kiwiyamabushi]

@@GoNorthJapan yeah! Haha. You can find it easily on the side of one of the paths we use. Plus I think it’s in season at that time. Makes you feel like a kid when you eat it, it’s like little drops of candy

[@snotrohmitabc123]

Loved it!!!

[@MiguelGonzalez-hi5nq]

I am so glad I found this channel. Beautiful video, educative content, and fun to watch! Keep up the good work sir!

[@chupoposama]

Another great video. Living in the tropics with hot and humid weather all year round, we get plenty of mushrooms but I think most are not edible!

[@rachelsaelid6081]

Nice. I need to go looking for chanterelles.

[@NerdyComma]

Omg many mushrooms looked so similar 😅😂

[@pumpjackmcgee4267]

Kinda wild that the poisonous and non-poisonous ones can grow in such close proximity. you would think they would somewhat influence each other in development.

[@lialius114]

wow, the nature looks amazing. I live in Lithuania and mushroom picking is a big thing here, but somehow i have only went once when i was little, i should try go mushroom picking next year maybe.

[@majesticunicorn1242]

This is really interesting! I'd love to see how you cooked them all too!

[@etherdog]

Quinlan, in the states the etiquette for mushroom hunters is to use meshe bags for collection so the spores from the mushrooms can repopulate in the wild environs in which you are harvesting. This and your wasabi video are two of my favorites!

[@GoNorthJapan]

That sounds like a really good idea. I'll try to pick one up for next time and see if I can convert Haruo-san.

[@rachelbrown7198]

Hi! Is Haru San a local guide? If so do you have the details for him to book? He was so cute seeing all those nameko lol.

[@HoshiHikari]

I’m also interested!

[@GoNorthJapan]

I'm actually in the process of setting up guided tours with him for foraging. The schedule is a bit tricky because he works full time at a local Hot Springs Ryokan, but he's interested and willing. If you are seriously interested, send me an email through the channel or a direct message through Instagram and we can see if we can work out a date that works with his work schedule.

[@laurasalisbury9637]

What a cool experience! Reminds me of hunting morel mushrooms in Nebraska with my dad. It's videos like these that show the Japanese culture best, I think. The love of nature, people and good food :3

[@ReadySetJapan]

This is awesome! Thanks for sharing. Maybe one day we will run into each other in the mountains haha

[@Just1Nora]

I LOVE mushrooms; they are beautiful, they are so vital to the ecosystem, the edible ones are good for you, and they taste so good! When you found the nameko they looked so good even though I've never eaten them before, lol...I loved how excited your sensei got too. Next time you go bring some paper (white and black) and plastic containers for covers and make some spore prints from a few of the different mushrooms! You just remove the stems from dry mushrooms and gently place the caps down on a sheet of paper, and you can put a number of them on the same paper pretty close together, then cover with the container so no airflow disturbs the process, and leave it for a few hours. When you come back the mushrooms should have deposited spores on the paper in patterns that match the little ruffles on the underside of the caps in various colors. Black paper works better for lighter color mushrooms. Then just let the paper dry and you have a beautiful and scientific collection of mushroom spores! What a fun trip, but mushroom identification is difficult and one wrong mushroom and you could be dead, as you very well know...

[@GoNorthJapan]

That sounds like serious fun! I will try to do just that next year. I'll have to google around a bit and maybe watch some videos on how to do it properly. I really like your idea! Then I could also pick some poisonous ones for prints as well!

[@slipperyfish5634]

havent been mushroom foraging since moving to Tokyo 4 years ago

[@prancingppony]

Wow, one day tell us what it was like being poisoned 😳 must have sucked!

[@GoNorthJapan]

It was really surreal, and not in a good way. Wild night and then it went sideways to the hospital... someone from the health department even interviewed us the next morning and it was in a local paper, lol

[@prancingppony]

@@GoNorthJapan wow! Crazy what plants and fungi can do to us

[@XSemperIdem5]

@@GoNorthJapan that right there is why I would never trust myself to pick mushrooms. 😬 But glad you're okay.

[@Epscillion]

Mushroom ASMR 8:31

[@maciejpiotrdugosz5847]

Fantastic video and great harvest! In my country foraging forests for mushrooms is almost ,,national sport" :D I have to give you an advice tho. Next time use woven baskets not plastic bag for 2 reasons. 1) spores will be able to fall to ground and new mushrooms may sprout 2) health important -> it allows mushrooms to breath and you avoid liquefaction inside which breeds bacteria

[@GoNorthJapan]

Very good points! I'll see about a wicker basket or mesh bag next time!

[@magdamanduhai1869]

We use to hunt wild mushrooms every rainy season. All with rings are poisonous. They do not have the green mushrooms which can be eaten raw.

[@aoifecochrane5465]

This is so cool! I just found your channel because I'm moving to that part of the world. It's exciting to see that I can keep up with my naturalist hobbies while away from the US! Something you might find interesting is that in some of your frames there is Japanese barberry ( Berberis thunbergii) which is super invasive in the US but obviously is native to Japan! So cool!

[@mart3j]

If I can recommend, for transporting bigger amount of mushrooms is bit better to use so called wicker box - www.bydleninavesnici.cz/fotky85199/fotos/_vyr_215_IMG-20191012-WA0005.jpg or something similar. It takes more place than plastic bags but mushrooms can stay longer fresh without risk of steaming (due to not changing air in plastic bags). It's kind of popular thing in Central and Eastern Europe.

[@GoNorthJapan]

Great idea, thanks! I'll look into getting one!

[@Therian13]

Those rings keep making me worried. Where I grew up, the poisonous mushrooms there have that ring around them. I live in Japan now, so I will have to learn to fight against my impulse.

[@GoNorthJapan]

Yeah- I don't know of any really basic rules of thumb for mushrooms here in Japan. You just need to be really good at recognizing all the characteristics of a few edible ones and assume anything you can't confidently identify is poisonous.

[@tailstraveladventures79]

Very beautiful footage! So interesting 🤔 I’ve never seen mushrooms like that before 👍🏻 The ones you took to cook\eat ... how long does it take for them to grow?

[@GoNorthJapan]

I'm actually not sure how long it takes them to grow. I would guess a couple weeks, but that's just a guess. I don't go foraging this deep very often so I can't compare their size over time.

[@tsuyumi]

The woods look so wild and healthy. ♡ But the best thing was to see your guide being sooo happy and motivated! I don't eat mushrooms (just don't like the taste and texture) but I like the look of them. I just wonder if it's okay to carry them in plastic bags? I thought usually you take something like a wicker basket when you go mushroom picking.

[@GoNorthJapan]

I think for a short period of time a plastic bag is ok, but yeah - not ideal.

[@audreysantos9921]

I’m a mushroom forager, and sure that you have translated I correctly most of the mushrooms. The orange polypore mushroom is not a matsutake. The purple mushroom is not a wood blewit but a purple deceiver. Be careful… you might end up in the hospital again.

[@GoNorthJapan]

I said Masutake not Matsutake! They are very different! And a purple deceiver sounds scary! TBH I don't eat them anymore, I just go foraging with Haruo-san, as I enjoy the activity itself.

[@darkwolfe4999]

Mushrooms are so photogenic, one of my favorite parts of forest floors and walking through forests. I've never been a fan of the mushrooms we got on pizza and in soups in america, but I've always wanted to try local mushrooms and having them cooked to be...not slimey lol

[@timothymitchell8310]

Thank you! i am new to mushroom foraging and have found a lot but i don't know what they are so i look amd marvel over all the different types. I'm subscribing and if you have a FB page i will be looking for it.

[@GoNorthJapan]

Don't have a FB page just yet, working on making a website actually!

[@diegoojedallerandi4933]

Awesome video! I read on Wikipedia about the ツキヨタケ that a sort of "青白 hallucination" may occur as one of the syntoms and wondered if you experienced anything like that. Cheers from Mexico :)

[@GoNorthJapan]

Yes... I did experience something that fits this description. I also vomited. A lot.

[@diegoojedallerandi4933]

@@GoNorthJapan Ohhh, I'm sorry you had to recall it haha, thank you!

[@fqras]

🙂

[@OliveTree1318]

This was wonderful, thank you! I'm planning a trip to Japan in '22 and love mushrooms so much! Can you recommend any mushroom/foraging excursion in Japan? (I'm hoping my Japanese will be acceptable by then)

[@GoNorthJapan]

I don't know of any places that offer them officially but if you are coming in '22 to Iwate I could maybe connect you with someone that I know! Just hit me up nearer to then!

[@OliveTree1318]

Thank you very much! I will make a note in my calendar! 😁

[@pjv9361]

With mushrooms the general rule is - white ring bad!!!

[@thatfoxielife3055]

Me: Purple mushrooms? You definitely don- um, never mind, you eat the purple ones. Yeah, I have much to learn with foraging. 😅

[@XSemperIdem5]

That was my reaction too. I was like ah yes, bright color to indicate-- oh, I guess not. I'm better with animals than plants or mushrooms 😅

[@ginaC53]

I was wondering, is it OK to pick all the mushrooms from a site like that? I'm sure Haru san knows what he's doing, though.

[@jollylittlefox7449]

Wow! This is so cool! This trip seemed worth it alone for the chicken of the woods you guys found (I'm sorry I already forgot the Japanese name). I love those so much, I bet they would make really yummy vegetarian karaage! I live in Southern California, so we don't get much in the way of edible wild mushrooms. Some years if we are lucky enough to have a lot of rain, some oyster mushrooms pop up nearby. Chanterelles too, but they are tough to find unless you know just where to look.

[@jasmineamorgan]

5:00 are not matsutake. They are chicken of the woods.

[@GoNorthJapan]

Thanks for watching! Never said they were matsutake. In Japanese, those are called masutake. I know the pronunciation is similar, but it's a different word. In English - yeah, I've heard you call them chicken of the woods. Good stuff!

[@laurao2667]

I’d love to go foraging for mushrooms but the ones that grow nearby look dodgy as hell. And the ones that are too pretty just look like they’re waiting to poison me.

[@GoNorthJapan]

Yeah, you gotta be careful.

[@Ascalafo]

You can't end the video there! desdcribe what they taste like. pleasee

[@GoNorthJapan]

Hahaha, I'll try for that next time, sorry!

[@SkellyMC]

Aikawatake?

[@MultiMeschi]

Why does he have a bell? Are there any dangerous animals around?

[@GoNorthJapan]

Bears! Of course the bells don't necessarily make a difference, but the locals all believe in them.

[@ArchimedeanEye]

Did your guide know anything about magic mushrooms? Now that would be a good trip!

[@GoNorthJapan]

Hahaha, I wish!

[@geraldine1875]

Was the word you were looking for gooey? A notch better than slimey? 😄

[@HoshiHikari]

Can we meet up sometime to forage? I’ve wanted to look for mushrooms and sansai inspired by your videos but I don’t know anyone who does it!

[@GoNorthJapan]

Definitely! Email me or send a direct message through Instagram and we can try to work something out.

[@erwinwinarno]

And here hunting Mushroom in Bali: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKupZWiVnb15oK8

[@itssiddhant]

5:08 are not matsutake mushrooms

[@GoNorthJapan]

That's why I called them masutake instead of matsutake... ;)

[@benjabear4102]

I bought a field guide for mushroom foraging in Japan but my Japanese isn't great. Do you know what the more dangerous varieties are so I can begin to study them?

[@GoNorthJapan]

There are so many! I think it's safer to assume that everything you see is poisonous and slowly expand the number of mushrooms that you are confident identifying that you know are safe to eat. And even the ones that are safe to eat generally need to be properly boiled or cooked before you can digest them safely.

[@f_youtubecensorshipf_nazis]

Do you have any videos of the pink oysters in their native environment? information if no videos? I just want to know how and where they grow in the wild. All the information I see is about cultivation and cultivated mushrooms not wild ones.

[@GoNorthJapan]

I'm not sure about pink oysters. Do you know what they are called in Japanese? Next autumn I'll do another video on this topic though!

[@baront1057]

In my hometown, people eat colorful mushrooms that look like something that will kill you.

[@toshinaka1309]

ツキヨタケとナメコが混生しているのは怖い。。 きのこ狩りはプロじゃないと無理だ。

[@carlav.2582]

Really interesting! Coincidentally, I just read "Entangled life" by biologist Merlin Sheldrake and its mind-blowing! It explores the hidden world of fungi in a fascinating way, maybe you'll find i interesting too.

[@GoNorthJapan]

Wow that sounds like a great read! I'll have to find a copy!