Spectacular view of the grand mountains of the Southern Alps
Handmade Miso Experience Center
Located in a scenic location surrounded by the Central and Southern Japanese Alps mountains,
the Handmade Miso Experience Center opened to celebrate the 100th year of the Hanamaruki company.
The intention is to give visitors a better understanding of the potential of miso and the secrets of its flavor.
The beautiful Center depict mountains lightly dusted with snow;
this is a place where visitors can get hands-on experience making miso
with a magnificent view of the natural landscape of the Japanese Alps in the background.
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You can experience making miso while
viewing
magnificent South Alps.The miso making experience is enhanced by the magnificent view of the Southern Japamese Alps through a large 9m width x 3m height window
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Your miso will be fermented and aged at the Experience Center.
Three months later, it will be delivered directly to you.The Miso prepared by participants will be aged for about three months at the Handmade Miso Experience Center and delivered to the owner.
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You can also see the inside of the factory!
Visitors will be escorted from the Handmade Miso Experience Center to the adjacent Ina Factory.
A short film will be shown to introduce the factory and how it is operated.
Handmade Miso Experience Center received numerous architecture and design awards in Japan and overseas.
＜ Awards list ＞
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International Architecture Awards 2019
ー CORPORATE BUILDINGS Department
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World Architecture Festival Awards 2018
ー Production energy and recycling -Completed Buildings Department Finalist
ー Small Project of the Year Department Finalist
- DFA Design for Asia Awards 2018 Merit Award
- JCD Design Award 2018, Public Living Space BEST 100
- Japan Architecture of the year 2018 Selected by the JIA, Architecture of the year 2018 (BEST 100)
- DSA Design Award Selected Prize 2018, Selected by Business/ Service space
- The Illuminating Engineering Institute of Japan, Good Lighting Award 2018
Flow at Handmade Miso Experience Center
At the Handmade Miso Experience Center,
visitors not only get hands-on experience making miso,
they also have an opportunity to learn about miso and tour the adjacent Ina Factory.
Here is the flow of the Handmade Miso making workshop
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After Check-in Procedure, Go to the Experience Center
Please come 15 minutes prior to the start time to complete check-in at the Reception Counter on the first floor of the adjacent Ina Factory. Before the start of the tour and workshop, please look around the adjoining shop for Experience Center merchandise and other products.
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Basics of Miso
After the check-in procedure, visitors are shown to the theater room on the first floor. At the Handmade Miso Experience Center, the staff use a large projector to explain the basics of miso and how miso is made. Visitors can learn about miso while sitting on spacious seats on the theater tiers.
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The Ina Factory Tour
After learning the basics of miso, visitors are escorted to the observation corridor for the tour of the adjacent Ina Factory, where they are shown a video about how miso is made and shipped from the factory. In the corridor, there is also a space where visitors can watch TV commercials from the nostalgic ones to the most recent one.
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Hands-On Experience Making Miso!
After the tour of the Ina Factory, visitors are escorted back to the Experience Center.
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Materials and Tools
Placed on each table are the materials and tools necessary for making miso. Under the instructions of our staff, participants are assigned to a table and briefed on the materials and tools.
(Aprons and netted caps are provided) -
Mix Koji and Salt
Participants first put koji and salt in a plastic bag and tie a rubber band firmly around the mouth of the bag. They shake the bag up and down to mix the koji and salt just enough to get rid of any lumps of salt.
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Mash Soybeans
Boiled soybeans are provided. Participants place half of them in a grinding machine and turn a wheel by hand to mash the soybeans.
They then do the same with the rest of the soybeans. -
Mix Koji and Soybeans Well
Participants add the mashed soybeans into the plastic bags with mixed koji and salt. They then tie a rubber band firmly around the mouth of the bag and mix the ingredients well by kneading from outside the bag.
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Place a Weight and Done!
Participants add the “tanemizu”* into the bag, tie a rubber band around the mouth of the bag, and knead the ingredients again. Then they remove the rubber band and air from the inside of the bag, place the plastic bag into a container, and tie the rubber band again around the mouth of the bag.
*Tanemizu: Solution of water and natural yeast for fermenting miso
（Directly translates to “seed water”) -
Aging in Dedicated Fermentation Chamber
About 2kg of Miso prepared by participants will be aged for about three months in dedicated fermentation chamber for tasty Miso!
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The Gift Shop
The shop has a wide range of Hanamaruki products and Handmade Miso Experience Center original merchandise. They are suitable souvenirs for the Handmade Miso Experience workshop!
Facility Overview
| Name | Hanamaruki Handmade Miso Experience Center | ||||||||
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| address | 2701 Nishiminowa,Ina-shi,Nagano 399-4501 Japan | ||||||||
| Open Days |
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 10:00AM – 3:30PM (closed on public holidays) Reservation |
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| Fee |
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| Hours | Start Time: 10:00AM / 1:30PM Note: ※Two separate sessions a day |
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| Length of Workshop | About 120 minutes (including factory tour) | ||||||||
| Capacity | Up to 20 people (per session) |
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| Date and Time for Starting Accepting Applications | 60 days before the date of the event, at 12:00 AM. | ||||||||
| Deadline for Closing Applications |
Seven business days prior to the day of the session ※ Applications will be closed as soon as a session is full. |
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| Parking Lot | Available (20 spaces). |
Access
By Car:
About 3 hours on the Chuo Expressway from Tokyo
About 2.5 hours on the Chuo Expressway from Nagoya
About 10 minutes from the Ina Interchange on the Chuo Expressway
By Express bus:(Get off at “Ina Inter Me” or “Ina Bus Terminal” express bus stop.)
About 3 hours and 25 minutes from Shinjuku (Busta Shinjuku) to “Ina Inter Mae” stop on Chuo Express Bus Ina Line.
About 3 hours and 15 minutes from Nagoya (Meitetsu Bus Center) to “Ina Bus Terminal”.
◎Approximately 10 minutes by car from the “Ina Inter Mae” bus stop.
◎ Approximately 15 minutes by car from the “Ina Bus Terminal” bus stop.
By Train:(Get off at Ina-shi Station or Ina Kita Station on JR Iida Line.)
About 3.5 hours from Tokyo (Take Chuo To Line and Iida Line from Tokyo.)
About 3.5 hours (Take Chuo Sai Line and Iida Line from Nagoya.)
About 15 minutes by car from Ina-shi or Ina Kita Station.
Ina City, where the Handmade Miso Experience Center is located, is a certified eco-friendly city.
Located in the southern region of Nagano Prefecture, Ina City is bordered by the South and Central Japanese Alps mountains.
The Tenryu River and Mibu River run through the center of this certified eco-friendly city, established by its rich nature, history, and culture.
The city is full of tourist attractions, including the cherry blossoms of Takato Castle Remains Park, which has a reputation second to none, and the Southern Alps National Park.
Reservations and Inquiries about the
Handmade Miso Experience Center
Please contact us by phone
for the following guests
・Guests in wheelchairs or trolleys,
or those who need assistance,
or from Educational Institutions
(closed on Saturdays, Sundays,
and national holidays)
※ Note: Please make sure you are dialing
the correct phone number.