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"Kagami-biraki" is an essential part of Japanese auspicious events such as wedding receptions and celebrations where participants wear traditional Japanese clothing. Komo barrels are used for this purpose. You can tour the factory to learn about the history and manufacturing methods of komo barrels, and experience Kagami-biraki and making your own original mini komo barrel. This is an experience you can only have here!
About 400 years ago, in the Edo period, komo barrels began as straw-made packaging to protect sake barrels from being damaged when they were transported by ship from famous sake-producing areas Itami and Nada to Edo. Eventually, highly designed komo barrels were made to distinguish sake from other brands. Traditional komo barrels are made from rice straw, but polypropylene is now mainstream. It is said to be more durable than straw komo and easier to store indoors.
Komo barrels were originally made for transportation, but nowadays they are often used in restaurants and stores as a Japanese display. Some of you may have seen komo barrels donated to shrines. Japan's "traditional sake brewing" has been registered as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, so why not experience Japan's sake culture through komo barrels rather than just drinking sake? You can observe how komo barrels are made and make your own original komo barrel near Tsukaguchi Station, a 12-minute ride on the Hankyu line from Osaka Umeda Station. Why not take a casual day trip from Umeda to experience it for yourself?
We started with a tour of the process of making straw mats to wrap the barrels. Each piece of rice straw is inserted into the machine and woven together. The craftsmen's work is very speedy and rhythmic.
Next, we will take a look at the printing process.
Next, you will have the opportunity to watch as a skilled craftsman wraps the finished straw around the barrel. Using his entire body, he skillfully wraps the straw around the large barrel.
Although many people have seen Kagami-biraki on television, few have actually done it. Please give it a try.
Then it's time to make your own mini komo barrel. Draw your favorite illustrations or letters on the komo with a permanent marker. It's a small 1.8 liter size, so you can take it home as is. You can design it however you like, so it's perfect as a keepsake for yourself or as a gift for your family. Once you've finished making your own komo, the craftsman will wrap it around a barrel and it's complete!
This experience can be enjoyed at Kishimoto Yoshiji Shoten, a 12-minute train ride from Osaka Umeda Station and a 7-minute walk from Tsukaguchi Station. It is only available on weekdays from February to October. The tour takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes. The cost is 7,700 yen (tax included) per person. Please make a reservation in advance for 4 or more people.
For details and reservations, please see here: https://www.hyogo-tourism.jp/terroir/experience/218/
What did you think? Please give the opportunity to try making komo barrels, something that can only be done here.
Amagasaki City is located in the southeastern corner of Hyogo Prefecture and is a core city with a population of about 450,000. Hanshin Electric Railway, JR, and Hankyu Railway run from east to west, and you can access Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, and Nara without changing trains, and you can travel to the three Kansai airports in less than an hour, making it a very convenient city. [A town with a castle] In 1617, by order of the Edo Shogunate, the fudai daimyo Toda Ujikane became the lord of Amagasaki and built a new Amagasaki Castle. For about 250 years, Amagasaki Castle boasted its majestic appearance as the defense of the west of Osaka until it was demolished after the castle abolition order in 1873. It was rebuilt in 2019 and has once again become the symbol of the town. [A town of human kindness] Amagasaki has many shopping streets and public baths that have been bustling since ancient times, and the atmosphere of the downtown area remains throughout the town. Talking to friendly, warm-hearted older men and women gives you a sense of nostalgia and warmth. [A town where industry and the environment coexist] Amagasaki took its first steps as an industrial city with the opening of a spinning mill in the Meiji era, and has since led the country's rapid economic growth. In recent years, the city has set high goals and taken on pioneering initiatives to realize a low-carbon society, including drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and was selected by the government as an "environmental model city" in 2012. *The Amagasaki Tourism Bureau was established in March 2018 with the cooperation of various stakeholders in Amagasaki to work toward creating a future-oriented tourism region unique to Amagasaki that attracts tourists, enriches the local economy, and fosters pride and attachment to the region by making the most of local resources.
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