Niigata Senbei Oukoku (Rice Cracker Kingdom)

Great Rice Cracker Making Experience!

Fun diversion going through the more suburban parts of Niigata. Many people eat rice crackers without giving a second thought how they are made. And, of course, everything is automated these days, but it's fun to step an create one for yourself, and that's exactly what the Niigata Senbei Oukoku allows you to do. All the materials are set out for you, and the helpers demonstrate how to go through each step in the process until you get a lovely personalized rice cracker to enjoy before you indulge in eating the fruit of your rice cracker labor. It's an excellent part of a family outing, but parents will definitely need to help the little ones because of the amount of heat from the tables used to cook the rice crackers. The entire experience was fun, but the only reason not a 5-star review is the near complete absence of an English guidance in the case a visitor doesn't really understand Japanese. With a guide/friend, this will be an experience to remember.