Jalan Reveals Japan's Top 10 'Delicious' Factory Tours for Autumn, with Nakamuraya Chuka Man Museum at No. 1

Autumn is here—Japan's season for great food. A new ranking reveals the best factory tours for seeing, learning, and tasting. Pictured is the first-place winner, the Nakamuraya Chuka Man Museum.

On October 23, Japanese travel information site Jalan announced its top 10 "Delicious Factory Tours to Visit in Autumn" ranking.

The survey asked respondents to select from hands-on food facilities across Japan, choosing spots they deemed perfect for autumn, a season known for its culinary delights. Taking the top spot was the Nakamuraya Chuka Man Museum, which specializes in steamed buns and resumed its factory tours this past August. In second place is the Kiyoken Yokohama Factory, where visitors can learn about the history of *ekiben* (boxed lunches sold at train stations), see the *shumai* (steamed pork dumplings) production line, and taste freshly made samples. The rest of the rankings, from 3rd to 10th place, are as follows.

Jalan's "Delicious Factory Tours to Visit in Autumn" Ranking

1st Place: Nakamuraya Chuka Man Museum (234 Sayamadai, Iruma-shi, Saitama)
2nd Place: Kiyoken Yokohama Factory (675-1 Kawamuko-cho, Tsuzuki-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa)
3rd Place: Okashigoten Yomitan Main Store (657-1 Uza, Yomitan-son, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa)
4th Place: Cup Noodles Museum Osaka Ikeda (8-25 Masumi-cho, Ikeda-shi, Osaka)
5th Place: Kanezaki Sasakama-kan (6-65 Tsurushiro-machi, Wakabayashi-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi)
6th Place: Mentai Park Tokoname (1-25-4 Rinku-cho, Tokoname-shi, Aichi)
7th Place: Ichiran no Mori Itoshima (256-10 Shima-matsuguma, Itoshima-shi, Fukuoka)
8th Place (tie): ROYCE' Cacao & Chocolate Town (640-15 Roycetown, Tobetsu-cho, Ishikari-gun, Hokkaido)
8th Place (tie): Otabe Honkan (35-2 Nishikujo-Takahatacho, Minami-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto)
10th Place (tie): Shiroi Koibito Park (2-2-11-36 Miyanosawa, Nishi-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido)
10th Place (tie): Konnyaku Park (204-1 Obata, Kanra-machi, Kanra-gun, Gunma)

The survey was conducted from August 8 to 13, targeting residents in their 20s to 50s from all 47 prefectures of Japan. More details are available on the travel information website, "Jalan News."

2nd Place: Kiyoken Yokohama Factory. After the tour, visitors can sample freshly made shumai dumplings and other side dishes.

3rd Place: Okashigoten Yomitan Main Store. Get a close-up view of the production process for their famous "Beni-imo" (purple sweet potato) tarts.

4th Place: Cup Noodles Museum Osaka Ikeda. Visitors can create their own one-of-a-kind Cup Noodles.

5th Place: Kanezaki Sasakama-kan. After the tour, enjoy a special breakfast set featuring freshly grilled "sasakamaboko" (bamboo leaf-shaped fish cake) and "ara-jiru" (fish-based miso soup).

6th Place: Mentai Park Tokoname. Learn about the history and trivia of "mentaiko" (spicy cod roe), and enjoy a wide variety of mentaiko-based dishes.

7th Place: Ichiran no Mori Itoshima. See how their "natural tonkotsu ramen" is made. The facility also includes a museum and a restaurant with a retro Showa-era theme.

8th Place (tie): ROYCE' Cacao & Chocolate Town. A fun place to learn about the entire chocolate-making process, from cacao cultivation to the finished product.

8th Place (tie): Otabe Honkan. Watch the process of making Otabe, a type of "nama yatsuhashi" (soft, cinnamon-flavored rice cake) filled with "tsubuan" (coarse red bean paste), from shaping to packaging.

10th Place (tie): Shiroi Koibito Park. Popular attractions include a cafe with exclusive sweets and a workshop where you can create your own original cookie tin.

10th Place (tie): Konnyaku Park. Sample around 15 different "konjac" jelly dishes for free and try your hand at making it in a hands-on workshop.