[Summer Vacation Limited: Free Research Plan] Learn about "Soy Sauce Making" at a 100-Year-Old Soy Sauce Brewery.
The "Fukuoka Soy Sauce Shop," which has a soy sauce brewery that is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property located in Iga City, Mie Prefecture, is a long-established brewery that has been making soy sauce since the Meiji era.
During the summer vacation, as a limited free research plan, you can enjoy valuable fermentation experiences such as tours of the soy sauce brewery, which is usually not open to the public, and experiences like "kaiire" (stirring) and fresh soy sauce pressing.
(Target age: for elementary and middle school students)
*For adults or those who want to savor the experience, the following activities are recommended.
・ Visit to the soy sauce brewery & My Ponzu making experience
・ Stirring at the soy sauce brewery & Fresh soy sauce pressing experience
Fukuoka Soy Sauce Store, which has a soy sauce warehouse designated as Registered Tangible Cultural Property and is located in Iga City, Mie Prefecture, has been producing soy sauce for over a hundred years since the Meiji era.
This activity is a special summer program, limited to a small number of participants, where you can experience activities in a soy sauce brewery that is usually not open to the public. Under the guidance of a current brewer, you will engage in stirring, pressing fresh soy sauce, and tasting comparisons, bringing you closer to completing your independent research on the spot.
- Duration of the eventFrom July 1, 2026 (Wednesday) to August 31, 2026 (Monday)
Regarding holidays
Irregular holidays such as long holidays
Can be confirmed on the Fukuoka Soy Sauce Store official site.
*The following dates are not available for experiences.
July 20, 2026 (Monday) - required timeDuration: Approximately 90 minutes
Time slots: ①10:00～ ②14:00～
(Please fill in either option in the remarks section when making a reservation) - capacity10 people per session, including children.
- Things included in the experience fee- Lecture on soy sauce making
- Tour of the hundred-year-old store / Experience of stirring / Experience of pressing fresh soy sauce
- Take home fresh soy sauce
- Soy sauce tasting
- Gift of a free research worksheet
- Gift of a name-engraved certificate of completion
- Binder with lanyard + writing utensils set (for loan)
- Follow-up after the experience (Fukuoka Soy Sauce Shop)
If you have any questions after summarizing your free research, please feel free to call or visit us. The store staff will answer you directly. - Participation conditionsGuests staying at Nipponia Hotel Iga Ueno Castle Town
Customers who have booked the "2 Meals Included Plan" which includes this experience - Experience feeThe accommodation fee includes adults and elementary school children.
If you wish for a toddler to participate, please pay the additional fee below. Participation is free for those who are just accompanying.
・Oar insertion and soy sauce squeezing experience: 2,500 yen/person
※ Toddlers will not receive a research worksheet or certificate.
Flow of experience
Reception and Preparation
Please wear the disinfectant, hair cap, and shoe covers.
Visit a soy sauce brewery with over 100 years of history
You can see the large cedar barrels that have been used for over 100 years in the rooms where the soybeans are inoculated with koji mold, known as "seigiku," and in the aging rooms.
Each wooden barrel contains different contents, and you can observe those in various states of aging.
You will also get a close look at the "Kirin-style pressing machine," one of the few in the country, and learn about its mechanism.
Kayak experience (limited to hotel guests) to
You can experience the work of stirring the fermenting mash with a paddle, called "kai-ire," using a 1/3 size wooden tub.
This is a valuable fermentation experience that even children can safely participate in, allowing you to feel close to the process of making soy sauce along with the aroma of fermentation.
You will enjoy how the color of the mash changes when the paddle is added, and the bubbling sounds of the mash.
Fresh soy sauce squeezing experience
Carefully squeeze the matured moromi through a coffee filter to extract the additive-free, non-heated freshly made "nama shoyu".
The fragrant and rich flavor offers a truly special experience that exists only in this moment.
The completed nama shoyu can be packed into a special container as a souvenir of your journey, allowing you to take home your very own "my shoyu."
Soy sauce tasting & smell/color comparison experiment
You can compare multiple types of soy sauce with different aging periods and production methods by their aroma, color, and taste. Enjoy the differences in flavor for each type and try to find your favorite one. If you wish, you can purchase souvenirs on-site.
Certificate of Completion for the Kurabito Experience
A certificate will be presented as proof of learning about soy sauce making. You can also use it for the results of your independent research.
Additionally, we have prepared an experience record sheet where you can note down things you noticed or felt during the visit, allowing you to deepen your learning on themes such as "What is koji?" and "What is the aroma of moromi?".
Shopping corner (for those interested)
You can purchase your favorite soy sauce and related products on the spot.
Other plan exclusive benefits
- Free research kit (3-piece set) included
We will provide an original kit that is easy for children to compile as a free research project.
- Binder (for loan)
- Pen (for loan)
- Experience record sheet
・Kura Body Experience Completion Certificate (handwritten style design)
Presented as proof of learning soy sauce making. It can also be used as a product of independent research.
・Experience Record Sheet
A sheet that allows you to record observations and feelings during the visit.
Designed to be easy to write on themes such as "What is Koji?" and "What is the aroma of moromi?"
*Please apply through the activity form after completing your hotel reservation.
*Please note that simply responding to the activity form does not complete your hotel reservation.
Notes
・Please apply by 5 PM, 10 days before check-in.
・After confirming your reservation, we will check the availability for participation and inform you through Kazeno Heritage General Inquiries (VMG General Inquiries). Please note that it may take about a week to receive a response due to adjustments with the receiving party.
If acceptance is difficult, we will contact you to discuss options, including rescheduling.
・This program is aimed at children aged elementary school and above. For safety reasons, please ensure that a guardian accompanies them.
Additionally, we will charge a participation fee for the accompanying guardian as well. Thank you for your understanding in advance.
・Please refrain from consuming natto on the day due to its effect on the koji mold.
・Please avoid wearing high-heeled shoes.
・Please hold small children while observing.