What comes to mind when you think of souvenirs from Kurashiki?
Kurashiki’s famous Murasuzume, Okayama’s famous kibidango, mamakari, fruits such as grapes and peaches, igusa products, jeans…
There are many well-known items, but if you choose a classic souvenir, the recipient may have received it many times before.
So why not choose a souvenir rooted in the local area, a product known only to local people?
There is a souvenir shop selling such items in the Bikan Historical Area.
The shop is called “Kurashiki Meisankan.”
The products the owner carefully selects include many souvenirs unique to the area, with a focus on products from Tora Shoyu, a long-established soy sauce maker in Kurashiki.
In summer, the shop also sells popular “Momotaro grapes” and white peaches.
Here we introduce Kurashiki Meisankan, a souvenir shop in the Bikan Historical Area that sells carefully selected products.
The information presented was current when this article was published in July 2019. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Kurashiki Meisankan is a souvenir shop selling products carefully selected by its owner
Kurashiki Meisankan is a souvenir shop in the Bikan Historical Area.
It is directly across from Yamau Coffee Stand.
It is run by a married couple, whose motto is “We only sell proper products.”
Kurashiki Meisankan mainly sells three types of products.
- Tora Shoyu products
- Momotaro grapes (summer only)
- White peaches (late spring to autumn only)
All are specialties Kurashiki is proud of.
Customers visiting Kurashiki Meisankan seemed to be taking their time choosing products.
▼When white peaches and Momotaro grapes are in peak season, the shop layout changes too.
The shop also sells popular items such as Kibi Dengaku, a souvenir confection from Kinmando in Okayama City, products from “Shoga Noen” in Soja City, and grilled mamakari.
Most of the products sold at Kurashiki Meisankan are from Tora Shoyu
Since Momotaro grapes are available only in summer, most of the products Kurashiki Meisankan usually sells are from Tora Shoyu.
Tora Shoyu was founded in the late Edo period in the Sakazu district, in what is now northern Kurashiki City.
It is so deeply rooted in the area that people say, “When it comes to soy sauce around Kurashiki, it’s Tora Shoyu.”
Tora Shoyu products were lined up throughout the shop. There were familiar products from around Kurashiki as well as new, much-talked-about products.
The owner of Kurashiki Meisankan is said by Tora Shoyu employees to be “someone who knows everything there is to know about Tora Shoyu.”
If you have any questions about Tora Shoyu or want to know which products are recommended, feel free to ask the owner.
You can find about 80% of Tora Shoyu’s products at Kurashiki Meisankan
Kurashiki Meisankan carries an astonishing 80% of Tora Shoyu’s products!
It’s fair to say, “If you want Tora Shoyu products, go to Kurashiki Meisankan.”
Let’s take a look at some of the signature products.
▼The classic soy sauces “Bessen Koikuchi” and “Hi-Gold Koikuchi.”
▼The “Usukuchi” is another familiar product.
▼And the “Yellow Chive Soy Sauce,” a newer product that is the number-one bestseller.
▼It is also available in a value-size 1.8-liter bottle.
This soy sauce is made with yellow chives, a specialty of Okayama.
- Rice with raw egg
- Tofu
- Chicken tempura
It goes well with all kinds of food.
▼The “Mushroom Soy Sauce,” made with brown mushrooms, another Okayama specialty like yellow chives, is also popular.
▼The “Okayama Coriander Dressing,” which is sweet yet also lets you enjoy the flavor of coriander, is another popular product.
In recent years, coriander has also become a specialty of Okayama.
▼The full range of Tora Shoyu’s popular seasoning series was available.
From left: “Tora Goma,” “Tora Ume,” “Tora Shio,” “Tora Pon,” and “Shiitake Soy Sauce.”
▼Western Okayama Prefecture has long been a yuzu-growing region. This is “Yuzu Soy Sauce,” made with the local specialty Bicchu yuzu.
It pairs exceptionally well with hot pot dishes and grilled fish.
You can also sample the yuzu soy sauce.
▼ This is “Tora Taro,” a sauce for “hormone udon,” a popular B-grade gourmet dish from northern Okayama Prefecture.
▼ The store also carries a range of products from Tomoe Sauce, a brand now operated by Tora Soy Sauce.
▼ They also had “Hishio-yaki,” a snack made with soy sauce produced by Tora Soy Sauce.
In addition to these, Kurashiki Meisankan carries many more products from Tora Soy Sauce.
Direct from the grower! The summer-only “Momotaro Grapes” are also popular
▼ Kurashiki Meisankan also sells “Momotaro Grapes” during the summer.
Momotaro Grapes are a branded variety called “Seto Giants.”
They were developed in Okayama Prefecture over a period of more than 20 years.
▼ Momotaro Grapes are characterized by their large, beautiful jade-green berries. They are seedless and have thin skins, so you can eat them whole.
▼ Kurashiki Meisankan sells only grapes delivered directly from farmer Ishii Daisuke in Funao, Kurashiki City.
Their sugar content is an impressive 18 degrees or higher.
Ishii’s Momotaro Grapes are renowned for their delicious taste. According to the shop owner, “Some people even travel from far away to Kurashiki Meisankan specifically to buy Momotaro Grapes.”
The sales period for Momotaro Grapes varies from year to year, but is generally from July through around October.
They are a popular item that is sure to sell out.
After Momotaro Grapes are no longer available, another variety, “Shine Muscat,” goes on sale for about a month starting around November.
Shine Muscat is also a popular premium variety.
Okayama’s famous white peaches are sold fresh, sourced only from carefully selected growing regions
▼ Alongside grapes, white peaches are a specialty fruit of Okayama Prefecture.
Kurashiki Meisankan carefully selects and sells only white peaches from its chosen growing regions.
▼ White peaches sold at Kurashiki Meisankan come from the following areas:
- Tamashima district in Kurashiki City (mainly the Tonda area)
- Ichinomiya district in Okayama City
In both cases, the peaches are sold fresh, delivered directly from the growing regions.
White peaches are sold from around the spring Golden Week holidays through early December.
A wide variety of cultivars are available, and the varieties on sale change depending on the season.
▼ In early July, when we visited, the “Hakuho” variety was at its peak.
The famous Okayama variety “Shimizu Hakuto” generally goes on sale from around late July to early August.
Products from “Shoga Noen” are also recommended
Kurashiki Meisankan carries many products from Tora Soy Sauce, but also stocks products from other makers.
Among them, products made by “Shoga Noen” in Soja City are especially popular.
They are made by processing ginger grown by the company in Soja City, and come in a wide variety.
▼ The owner particularly recommends the “Garlic Soy Sauce,” “Garlic Ponzu,” and “Ginger Pork Sauce.”
“Ginger Jam” and “Ginger Powder” are also recommended.
Olive products from Ushimado, the birthplace of olive cultivation in Japan, are also recommended
Among the seasonings besides those from Tora Soy Sauce, products from Ushimado Olive are also worth checking out, along with those from Shoga Noen.
Ushimado Olive is a company that makes products using olives, a specialty of the Ushimado district in Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture.
Ushimado has a history of olive cultivation spanning more than 70 years and is home to one of Japan’s largest olive groves.
▼ Kurashiki Meisankan sells olive oil from Ushimado Olive.
From left to right, the products are:
- Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Blend
- Akayane Garlic Olive Oil
- Akayane Pure Olive Oil Rich
The standout among these is Akayane Garlic Olive Oil.
In 2019, it won a bronze award in the flavored oil category at the Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition.
It was the only product from Japan to receive an award.
From the Writer
The owners of Kurashiki Meisankan are committed to “selling truly good products.”
Every product in the store is handled with the owners’ heartfelt enthusiasm.
If you have any questions or anything you’re curious about, don’t hesitate to ask the owner.
They’ll explain everything in detail and with passion.
If you’re visiting Kurashiki, we recommend looking for souvenirs at Kurashiki Meisankan.
They may be different from the usual souvenirs, but choosing something rooted in the local community is sure to delight the recipient.
Kurashiki Meisankan details
| Name | Kurashiki Meisankan |
|---|---|
| Address | 4-13 Honmachi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-422-2997 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. |
| Closed | None |
| Payment methods |
|
| Website | At Kurashiki Meisankan, you can find almost all of Tora Soy Sauce’s products. | Soy Sauce Brewing, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture — Tora Soy Sauce, recipient of an honored imperial offering |
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