Azuki Museum, Food museum in Himeji, Japan.
Azuki Museum is a food museum in Himeji dedicated entirely to red beans and housed in a 12-sided building. A large model of an azuki plant stands in the main exhibition hall, showing the source of this ingredient in its growing form.
The museum opened in 2009 and was the first of its kind in Japan dedicated to a single ingredient. This opening marked an important moment in recognizing red beans within Japanese food history.
Red beans hold deep roots in Japanese celebrations and appear in different forms during religious holidays throughout the year. Walking through the exhibits, you see how this ingredient shapes cooking practices across the country in regional variations.
The museum is about 15 minutes on foot from the train station and easy to reach. Comfortable shoes are helpful since you move through several exhibition areas.
In an interactive cooking area, visitors can prepare traditional anko sweets themselves. This hands-on experience connects learning directly with taste.
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