Creating a 'Sacred Site of Fermentation' in a Depopulating Town That People from Around the World Will Visit. As a First Step, We Are Launching a '4-Day Soy Sauce Brewing Camp.'

We support 'April Dream,' an initiative that encourages people to share their dreams on April 1st. This press release represents the dream of 'yuone.'

yuone, which operates the one-group-per-day lodging 'FERMELL' and the bagel shop 'Liand bagel' in Kitahiroshima Town, Hiroshima Prefecture, will hold a '4-Day Soy Sauce Brewing Camp' starting May 17, 2026, as a new initiative themed around fermentation.

Our goal is to create a 'sacred site of fermentation' in this town, where depopulation is progressing, that will attract visitors from all over the world.

While Kitahiroshima Town is blessed with rich nature and water, it faces challenges such as depopulation, an aging society, and an increase in vacant houses. Amidst these circumstances, we have re-examined the unique value that only this land possesses.

That value is 'fermentation.'

Fermentation is a process that changes slowly over time, cultivating value through invisible forces. This way of being resonates with the climate and the very lifestyle of this town.

Until now, we have given shape to a 'fermenting lifestyle' through making bagels using our own homemade yeast—which we have been nurturing for over 10 years—and by operating a lodging facility renovated from an old folk house. Although our efforts are small—a bagel shop open only once a week and a lodging facility limited to one group per day—we now have many visitors from both within and outside the prefecture.

In the upcoming '4-Day Soy Sauce Brewing Camp,' we will have you experience a life lived with fermentation, centered on the actual process of brewing soy sauce.

Through meals themed around fermentation, dedicated time, and interaction among participants, we aim to create a space where 'the time spent together becomes the value itself,' rather than just a simple experience.

Furthermore, this initiative is not a one-time event, but a starting point for future developments. We will generate a new flow of people by expanding stay programs centered on fermentation, collaborating with local entities such as sake breweries and pickle shops, and renovating vacant houses.

This camp is the first step in our project to 'create a sacred site of fermentation.'

Though it is a small endeavor, we hope to cultivate new value and possibilities in this town.

4-Day Soy Sauce Brewing Camp @FERMELL A fermentation camp hosted by Nachche, a soy sauce artisan who is a native of Brown's Field and a resident of Kitahiroshima Town.

Experience Overview Mixing soybeans grown through natural farming on this land with koji, and leaving it to the slow passage of time. This is a soy sauce-making experience that allows you to take home 'fermenting time' to incorporate into your own life.

People You Will Spend Time With The main figure of this camp is soy sauce artisan, Nachche. You will be with her throughout the 4 days and 3 nights, both day and night.

Typically, the soy sauce brewing process is not open to the public. Only in this camp can you experience the techniques and intuition that an artisan has spent years mastering, right by their side.

Facility Introduction 'FERMELL' is a private, one-group-per-day lodging nestled in the mountains of Kitahiroshima Town, Hiroshima Prefecture. It is a facility where fermentation and daily life intersect amidst the natural air and silence. Surrounded by mountains, you can work with your hands, interact with others, and spend time at your own pace.

▼ For more details, visit our website: https://fermell.yuone.net/

For those interested in this initiative, we have prepared opportunities for you to experience it firsthand.

Camp Overview Name: 4-Day Soy Sauce Brewing Camp: Fermentation and Lifestyle Dates: May 17 – May 20, 2026 (4 days, 3 nights) Venue: FERMELL (Kitahiroshima Town, Hiroshima Prefecture) Capacity: Small group (limited to a few people)

Contents: - Soy sauce brewing experience - Meals themed around fermentation - Time and dialogue regarding fermentation and lifestyle - Interaction among participants

*Please check the special page for details.

How to Participate Those who wish to participate in this camp can apply via the special page below.

▼ Details and Application: https://hakko-yohaku.readdy.co/

Representative Comment 'I feel that this town has the power to slowly cultivate value. Like fermentation, people and relationships also grow over time. I want to create the catalyst for that from this place.'

yuone Representative, Yuichi Ikeda