山菜採(さんさいと)り

さんさいとり
noun
gathering wild vegetables; foraging
leisurefood
1. gathering wild vegetables; foraging for mountain plants
The activity of going into mountains or forests to collect edible wild plants such as ferns, bamboo shoots, and wild garlic. A popular seasonal activity in rural Japan, especially in spring.
春(はる)になると山菜採(さんさいと)りに行(い)く。
When spring comes, I go foraging for wild vegetables.
祖父(そふ)は毎年(まいとし)山菜採(さんさいと)りを楽(たの)しみにしている。
My grandfather looks forward to wild vegetable foraging every year.
山菜採(さんさいと)りに出(で)かけたが、熊(くま)の目撃情報(もくげきじょうほう)があったので途中(とちゅう)で引(ひ)き返(かえ)した。
I went out to forage for wild vegetables, but there were reports of bear sightings, so I turned back halfway.

Usage

山菜採(さんさいと)り is a popular spring activity in rural Japan, especially in the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions. Common 山菜(さんさい) (wild vegetables) include 蕨(わらび) (bracken fern), 蕗(ふき) (butterbur), たらの芽(め) (aralia sprouts), and 行者(ぎょうじゃ)にんにく (wild garlic).

Safety note

山菜採(さんさいと)り can be dangerous due to bears, steep terrain, and poisonous look-alike plants. Every year there are news reports of accidents during foraging season.

Common collocations

Related words

Related Words

Related: 潮干狩(しおひが)り (clam digging)
general
Added 2026.3.4 20:17 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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