photo by s.yume
Japan is well-known for good food, including snacks. Having nice little snacks is always a fun part of travel you never should miss out. Baked sweets, Japanese traditional sweets, ice cream, there are heaps of delicious sweets sold at shops in Japan. Some of them are sold outside Japan as well. Japanese snack has become one of the tourist attractions. On top of that, some confectioneries accept visitors to learn about their products. Watching famous snacks coming out of huge machinery is fun! This column will introduce snack factories that offer factory tour for visitors.
Shiroi Koibito Park (Sapporo City, Hokkaido)
Shiroi Koibito is known as specialty confectionery of Hokkaido, but it is available across Japan, including airports. Crispy cookie and sweet chocolate filling are perfectly matching. The Shiroi Koibito Park is a park under theme of sweets and chocolates full of attractions including activity areas, restaurants, and an experience zone. It is only 35 minutes from Shin-Sapporo Station by train and one of the must-visit sites in Sapporo City. In the shop, there are heaps of items for souvenirs: cream puffs and cannelé in addition to Shiroi Koibito with the park’s original packages.
Shiroi Koibito Park
Address: 11-36 Miyanosawa 2-jo 2-chome, Nishi-ku, Sapporo
Hours: 10:00-19:00 (Last admission 16:30)
Fees: Adult ¥800, Child ¥400
Access: 7-minute walk from Subway Miyanosawa Station, carpark is available (¥300/hour)
Morinaga Morium & Tsurumi Factory (Yokohama City, Kanagawa)
Even though you recognize the name of Morinaga, probably you have had Hi-Chew candies. You may have seen bags of Hi-Chew candies at a super market. Morium is a museum of Morinaga & Co., Ltd. that you can learn about the history and products of Morinaga. After watching video and past product samples in Morium, visitors will be escorted to neighboring Tsurumi Factory to see the manufacturing process of Koeda or Hi-Chew. A tour takes about 70 minutes. You can book your tour from the first day of the previous month of your visit.
Morinaga Morium & Tsurumi Factory
Address: 2-1-1 Shimosueyoshi, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa
Hours: 9:30-15:30 (Mon-Fri/public holiday closed)
Fees: No fees
Access: Take Route 13 or 29 of Yokohama City Bus from JR Tsurumi Station, get off at “Morinanga kojo mae”
Otabe Factory (Kyoto City, Kyoto)
Otabe is one of the brands of Kyoto’s specialties Nama-yatsuhashi, traditional sweets with soft pastry with sweetened bean paste, available at most major international airports in Japan. The unique fragrance of nikki, Japan’s traditional spice similar to cunamon, perfectly highlights meltingly sweet bean paste. The Otabe factory is attached to the Otabe headquarters in Minami-ku. You can see the production process of Otabe for free of charge during normal trading hours. They also offer Otabe making classes (fees apply) that you can make your own Otabe by kneading pastry and wrapping bean paste. You can book Otabe class online.
Otabe Factory
Address: 35-2 Takahata-cho Nishikujo, Minami-ku, Kyoto-shi
Hours: 10：00-18：00
Fees: Free factory tour. Otabe experience: ¥1,200/¥800
Access: 5-minute walk from Kintetsu Kyoto Line Jujo Station
Shateraise Factory Day Bus Trip (Hokuto City, Yamanashi)
Shateraise is a large confectionery chain which has many shops all over Japan. Not just baked sweets such as cake and biscuits, they have variety of sweets including ice cream, pudding, dorayaki, and other Japanese sweets. This Factory Day Bus Trip takes you to Chateraise’s Shirasu Factory to watch the manufacturing process of Baumkuchen (German layered cake). The fee is not cheap at all, but you’ll never be disappointed. It includes a bus trip and lunch, and you can purchase Chateraise’s products in the shop at the end of the tour. The factory is located in the mountainous region, so bring warm outfit.
Shateraise Factory Day Bus Trip
Fees: Adult ¥8,000, Child ¥6,000
Access: Meet at JR Nirasaki Station
Baby Star Oyatsu Town (Tsu City, Mie)
Crispy texture and savory chicken flavor is the golden combination only Baby Star has. Baby Star is ramen snack, but not like cup noodles. This snack is very popular outside Japan. You may have seen one at a super market in your area. If you are a Baby Star lover, you should visit Oyatsu Twon. You can see the whole process of Baby Star making from mixing flour to frying and play in the playground zone with huge play equipment. You can make a booking on the website.
Oyatsu Town
Address: 1945-11 Mori-cho, Tsu-shi, Mie
Hours (change daily): 9:00-15:00 (or 16:00, 17:00)
Fees: Adult ¥1,600-2,500, Child ¥1,400-2,300
Access: Take Mie Kotsu bus from Kintetsu Nagoya Line Kui Station, get off at Oyatsu Town Mae
Turkish Delight, please, your Majesty
Factory visiting is fun, especially when it is a sweets factory. You would never be bored by watching candies coming out of the machine one after another. The factories introduced in this column produce very famous snacks loved by everyone. They are available at retails shops and airports all over Japan, and even in other countries. No matter you have tried them before or not, visit and have fun at these factories next time you are in Japan.
