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Musubibito ~Traditional brilliance and technique that dwells in Tosa Binchotan, conveyed by charcoal craftsman Toshiyuki Kondo
Tosa Binchotan's tradition and skills learned from Mr. Toshiyuki Kondo, a charcoal craftsman in "Musubibito"
"Tosa Binchotan" is one of the leading industries in Kochi Prefecture and is one of Japan's three largest Binchotan charcoal. It is a high-quality charcoal that is used at famous restaurants because it is hard to bake and tighten, and to cook the ingredients deliciously. The production of Bincho charcoal in Kochi Prefecture is one of the top in Japan, and it plays a major role in promoting industries utilizing local resources and preserving the environment.
This time, Mr. Toshiyuki Kondo, the only charcoal craftsman in Aki City who produces Tosa Binchotan, will be invited to Musubibito to learn "Tosa Binchotan" from the manufacturing process to the structure, characteristics and usage of kilns. At the end of the program, you can return to the hotel and experience learning and fun, such as eating a special pizza baked using Tosa Bincho charcoal.
[Program Outline]
◆Reservation period Wednesday, April 23, 2025 -
◆Date of implementation
1st Friday, May 23, 2025 9:30-14:00 Reception is closed. （5/16 18:00）
The 2nd June Friday, June 13, 2025 9:30-14:00 Reception has been closed. （6/9 9:00）
Scheduled to be held in September 2025 (the schedule is scheduled to be announced in the second half of July)
Scheduled for the 4th October 2025
※It is scheduled to be held once a month. (It will not be held in July or August 2025.)
※The next event will be announced on the official website.
◆9:30 to 11:00, lunch 12:30 to 14:00
◆Number of people 4 to 8 people
◆Target age Elementary school students or older
◆Cost ¥11,000/1 person (tax included)
◆Content included in the experience
・Tour of potteries
・Pottery experience
・Lunch
◆Remarks
・All-inclusive accommodation reservations and fees are required separately. The contents are subject to change depending on the situation.
・Please move to the potter by yourself.
・It may be canceled depending on the weather.
・If you are a minor, please be accompanied by a guardian.
・Since there is a work experience, we recommend that you wear clothes that do not bother about dirt and shoes that are easy to walk.
・The application deadline is one week before the program is held.
・Cancellation fee: 3 days before to 100% on the day (cancellation fee will not be charged for cancellation due to weather)
"Musubibito" Profile
Mr. Toshiyuki Kondo, a charcoal craftsman
He has a bag ground called a former support school teacher. While having a desire to create a place for employment for persons with disabilities, he learned about the various work processes of Tosa Binchotan, a local industry, and said, "If you work together even if you have a disability, you can create employment." Find the possibility.
He became a disciple of a charcoal-grilling craftsman in Muroto City, and took over the pottery in Aki City since 2015 and opened it. It is the only company in Aki City to produce Tosa Bincho charcoal.
I feel rewarding at the moment I feel delicious with the meal cooked with Tosa Bincho charcoal I made, and I continue to burn the fire 365 days to avoid cooling the heat of the kiln. I hope that the person who is connected by a single charcoal will become a big "wa".
[Points of the Program]
1.Learn about the characteristics and history of Binchotan while tasting coffee roasted with Tosa Binchotan
The bag ground where he was taught about the history of Binchotan, which has the image of professional charcoal handled by chefs of a luxury restaurant, the history from the origin of the industry in Kochi Prefecture, and the characteristics of baking delicious ingredients Mr. Kondo who has the ground will explain it in an easy-to-understand manner.
Using beans roasted with Tosa Bincho charcoal, you can learn more about Tosa Bincho charcoal with a fragrant coffee brewed with your heart.
2.Tour the inside of the kiln, handmade by traditional techniques, which is not usually visible
The only pottery located in Aki City, the neighboring town of the hotel, is located in a quiet place surrounded by forests. All the kilns in the workshop, from the ground to the ceiling, were handmade by Mr. Kondo faithfully according to Kochi's traditional techniques. You can observe not only the inside of the burning kiln, but also the double ceiling made of red clay, and the empty entrance for replenishment of raw wood on it while listening to explanations.
You can also visit another kiln that is currently in production, and you will enter a kiln that you can not usually see, and learn how logs can be made.
3.Learn about the production process of Bincho charcoal and experience charcoal making
After the tour of the potter, you can actually experience the work performed on the day or take a lecture on how to ignite Tosa Binchotan.
What kind of process Tosa Binchotan is completed through, such as putting out kilns that emit red glowing Binchotan from the kiln wearing heat-resistant masks and gloves, cutting and boxing after charcoal is completed. You can experience it. This is a valuable opportunity to learn about the production process of 14 Binchotan charcoal conducted only by members of the potter.
In addition, there are tips to prevent the explosion that occurs when burning Bincho charcoal and to ignite smoothly. While giving lectures on the tips, you can experience the ignition of Tosa Binchotan from scratch. For those who are interested in Bincho charcoal and want to use it for camping or barbecue, we will provide a perfect place for learning. (The actual work content will determine the experience of the day.)
4. Experience the taste of Tosa produced by local industries and craftsmen with Tosa Bincho charcoal × local ingredients
After learning about Tosa Binchotan, I returned to the hotel and had lunch at the poolside. You can enjoy charcoal grilling and pizza of vegetables from Kochi Prefecture in an open space.
As Kondo says, "Vegetables that can bring out the most delicious ingredients with ingredients baked with Tosa Bincho charcoal," charcoal grilling does not generate water vapor and does not give extra water to the ingredients, so it becomes a rich flavor. Please enjoy the original taste of the ingredients directly.
In addition, we have a special hotel pizza using local vegetables and ham as an arrangement menu. The pizza baked using Tosa Bincho charcoal in a pizza kiln handmade by the staff is topped with plenty of seasonal vegetables. You can enjoy an exquisite collaboration between crisp pizza dough baked with charcoal fire and fresh vegetables from Kochi Prefecture. In addition, we will also offer dessert pizza with a refreshing sweetness using shiratama sugar and banana, which are the 100-year food of Geisei Village. Please fully enjoy the taste of Tosa baked with Tosa Bincho charcoal.
Example of staying 3 days and 2 nights
Day 1
11:00 Kitagawa Village "Monet Garden" Marmottan
13:30 Lunch with a view of Tosa Bay at Sea House
16:00 Check-in and relax in the lounge
18:30 Dinner
20:30 Yosakoi Onsen
22:00 Slowly in the hot spring lounge
Day 2
07:30 Breakfast
09:30 Musubibito ~ Tosa Bincho charcoal workshop tour & work experience
11:00 Aki City Sightseeing
12:30 Tosa Binchotan Lunchtime at the hotel
15:00 Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden
18:00 Dinner
21:00 Drink comparison of Tosa sake in the lounge (Click here for details)
Day 3
07:00 Breakfast
09:00 Immerse in a hot spring
10:30 Check-out
11:00 Ryugado Adventure
15:00 Exploration of places related to Takashi Yanase (for details, from the link below)
Kami City Takashi Yanase Memorial Hall
Okami Mirafu-jinja Shrine, etc.
※An example of the above stay is an image. Please check in advance the business hours of each facility.
"What is Musubibito?"
Considering urban areas and tourist centers in various parts of Japan as "Omoya" and beautiful areas that are not well known as "Hanare", "Mercure Kochi Tosa" is a hotel located in an area that can be said to be "Hanare". "#Hanare Journey" is a style of travel that enjoys a superb view of nature, traditions and culture rooted in the region, and contact with local people. As one of the ways to enjoy this "#Hanare Journey", we are developing our original experience program "Musubibito". In this program, people who are familiar with the region and continue to preserve tradition and culture are called “Musubibito” and will play a role in connecting customers and their communities. To date, we have developed programs at various hotels, such as the source hunter (Grand Mercure Beppu Bay Resort & Spa) in Oita Prefecture, the salt craftsman (Grand Mercure Awaji Island Resort & Spa) in Hyogo Prefecture, and the traditional sake brewing (Grand Mercure Nara KashiharaMusubibito) in Nara Prefecture.
※About the #hare Journey: https://accor-resorts-japan.jp/hanaretabi/
