Kinbue Shoyu Park

A soy sauce park, for a deeper Japanese experience

Just today, in the somewhat inert town of Kawajima (Saitama), a new soy sauce park opened. I was lucky enough to get a preview of the park earlier in the week. The soy sauce factory with a retail shop have actually been a popular attraction for years - 230 of them. But the new park will surely increase the amount of visitors. There are four key concepts to the park: 1) eat, 2) learn, 3) play and 4) shop. 1) The new park has a stylish new udon restaurant. The udon is freshly made on site daily. 2) The factory tour has been improved and is open to the public for a free factory tour three times daily. Currently there is only Japanese language guidance available. And as the factory uses age old complex soy sauce producing methods, the tour is best suited to those with a good grip on the Japanese language. Parts of the tour are very visual, but to get the most from the tour Japanese abilities are beneficial. 3) The park has two play areas for young children including swings, hammocks, a play tent, balancing beams and soy sauce barrels transformed into play equipment. 4) Finally, the park has a small retail space where you can purchase any of the products produced on site. Which include a great range of organic, hand made soy sauces of course. The park is located relatively close to the Kawajima Interchange of the Ken-o expressway. There is parking for about 30 cars. By public transport there is a infrequent bus that runs from both Kawagoe and hon-Kawagoe stations bound for Higashimatsuyama. Alight at Igusa Elementary school and walk with the school on your left, turn left keeping the school on the left and the soy sauce park is at the T-junction. **This is just a brief review, more detailed information available on my personal blog linked in my profile**