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If you are near Iga Ueno Castle, you should definitely visit the Iga Traditional Lore Museum, Iga Kumihimo Kumihimo Village. Here you can experience making Iga's traditional craft, Iga Kumihimo.

When the movie ``Your Name'' was released in 2016, the impressive scene in which the heroine makes a braid became a hot topic, and many people who had seen the anime visited the place one after another. ``The building platform used in the movie is called a 'marudai,' and we also use the same round platform in the experience, so I was told that I wanted to assemble a similar flat string, but that was extremely difficult.'' . So says Masahiro Hiraoka, executive director of the Mie Prefecture Kumihimo Cooperative.

Individual experiences (up to 7 people) are accepted at any time, so head to the classroom on the first floor (reservations required for groups). In a room that looks like an old folk house relocated, there are many ``marudai'' set with beautifully dyed silk threads, gold threads, and silver threads. Choose your favorite color scheme from among them and take on the challenge.

The instructors sit across the table from each other and give detailed instructions. After receiving an explanation of the assembly stand and how to assemble it, start practicing! If I'm about to make a mistake, I'll have them kindly point it out to me as I continue to put it together. ``At first, it took about 10 minutes to check each step and understand the procedure,'' says Hiraoka. Eventually, my body started moving naturally and I found a rhythm.

The class is aimed at first-year elementary school students, but even pre-schoolers can try it out. According to Hiraoka, ``When parents and children come together, the father is usually the one who tries to show what he is good at, and ends up being the most busy.On the other hand, the children are quick to learn, and their speed increases.Everyone makes it happen. They are lined up on a mount, held at a fair, and posted on social media."

Marudai is characterized by a string that extends downward from the center of the center hole. In this experience, you can make a key chain, strap, or bracelet. If you can assemble it about 20cm, the person in charge will finish it for you. "If you're quick, you can set it up in 40 minutes, but it usually takes about an hour." It seems that the individuality of the kumite is reflected in the finished product: ``Men put more effort into their kumite, making them tighter and harder. Women, on the other hand, don't use much force, so they tend to create soft kumite with large combs.'' .

I made it into a key chain. Even if it's your first time, it's so beautiful! Everyone, young and old, can enjoy it, and it's great that you can take home the finished product on the same day. ``A young woman was happy and said, ``I concentrate and work hard, which relieves stress.'' Also, even when families or couples come, they don't talk when they're so absorbed in their work, so it's a good idea to help during the coronavirus pandemic. They are also adapting to the ``new style of travel.''

On the second floor, there is a Kumihimo dojo for groups of 30 people, and a gallery where valuable Iga Kumihimo works and materials are exhibited and made public. When you come into contact with traditional techniques and modern techniques, you will begin to understand the depth of Iga kumihimo.

 

[Mie Travel Hospitality Facility Hospitality Service]

Log in by scanning the QR code for the ``Answer and get lucky! View with your smartphone campaign'' placed next to the classroom. Stamp and scratch! This time I got 2 points at Nakayoshi! If you answer the questionnaire and show it to the staff, you will receive a 100 yen discount on the Kumihimo experience fee.

 

Service details: Kumihimo experience 100 yen discount from the usual 1,100 yen (tax included).

Service provision conditions: Valid for up to 2 people per presentation of information screen, cannot be used in conjunction with other service coupons, etc.

After experiencing traditional culture, let's head to a place where you can get some exercise.

Approximately 20 minutes by car from Iga Traditional Tradition Museum. Ayama Furusato no Mori Park. As the name suggests, it is a spacious park surrounded by forests.

There is also a ``Seseragi River'' where water flows and carp swim, and a lawn park. We hope you will enjoy interacting with nature by taking a stroll along the waterfront, or sliding down the grassy slopes of the grassy park, where children can safely play and play surrounded by nature.

Next, we will introduce you to experiences such as interacting with cute animals and farming experiences.

Many people may be familiar with `` IganoSatoMokumokuTezukuriFarm'' as they have stores in Nagoya and the Kansai area.

This is an agricultural park that carries out "production, processing, and sales" under the theme of nature, agriculture, and handicrafts. You can enjoy various agricultural and nature experiences throughout the year. There are also restaurants, cafes, hot springs, and cottage-style accommodations, so you can spend a relaxing time not only on a day trip, but also as an overnight stay.

 

[Mie Travel Hospitality Facility Hospitality Service]

Log in by scanning the QR code for the ``Answer and be lucky! View with your smartphone campaign'' installed at the farm entrance. Stamp and scratch! This time I got 3 points with Yoshi! If you answer the questionnaire and show it to the staff, you will receive a 50 yen discount on your admission fee.

Service details: 50 yen discount on farm admission fees.

Service provision conditions: Valid for up to 4 people by presenting the information screen on a tablet, etc. Cannot be used in conjunction with other services.

Inside the park, there is a mini pig house where mini pigs roam around, and a goat/sheep house.
When you look at them relaxing, you will forget about the stress of everyday life.

However, please follow the staff's instructions when interacting with them. In particular, be careful not to surprise children or touch them suddenly! Although they may seem docile, they are still animals.

The ``Soreike Mini Pig Performance Stage'' is held every day, where cute mini pigs perform their special tricks. You can't help but smile at the humorous scenes of things like slides and soccer. There are two stages on weekdays and three stages on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, so don't miss out.

"Mokumoku Handmade Farm" offers a variety of experiences throughout the year. Bread making classes and seasonal sweets making are also popular.

This time, I visited the handmade wiener class. Spring break seems to be starting soon, and even though it's a weekday, the classroom is full of parents and couples! I was concentrating on the instructor's explanation.

In this class, we will make sausages using the same pork as commercially available Mokumoku ham and sausages.

First, mix the meat with ice and knead it. I am working on a stone table that has poor heat conductivity. ``It's a little cold, but if you work hard and knead it properly, you'll be able to make delicious sausages,'' the instructor said encouragingly.

Even small children work hard. Everyone works quietly.

The work of stuffing the kneaded pork into the intestines is a joint effort between the person packing the meat and the person pulling out the intestines. Parents and children, as well as couples, should work together and be careful. Next, twist it into a sausage shape. Boil the shaped wiener and it's done! The taste of freshly made sausages made with Mokumoku's proud meat is said to be exceptional.

As a general rule, reservations are required for classes, but if there is space on the day, you can try it out at any time.

At the Leisurely Learning Farm within the park, the curriculum is popular, as it allows you to interact with animals, such as milking Jersey cows, milking calves, and feeding goats and sheep. During the pony riding experience, the staff will lead you around the grounds as you lead the reins. The swaying pony's back will bring a smile to your face.

 

Not only can you have a variety of experiences, but you can also enjoy eating and shopping, so you can have plenty of fun all day long!

Today, I experienced many different things and played to my heart's content. All that's left to do is buy some souvenirs and go home. `` Michi-no-eki Ayama'' is very useful for such times. It takes about 5 minutes by car from "IganoSatoMokumokuTezukuriFarm".

`` Michi-no-eki Ayama'' has a direct sales corner for local products, where you can purchase fresh vegetables brought in from nearby farms and Mie Prefecture's branded rice ``Iga rice.'' In addition, we have a variety of Iga-made products, such as Katayaki, the hardest sweet in Japan, and pickles made from stuffed white melons, a specialty of this region.

At the stall next to the entrance, ``Oban-yaki Hishimi-chan'', which is sold freshly baked and piping hot, is also an original product from Ayama Michi-no-eki unique to Iga. The large-sized pottery is cutely branded with the local mascot character, Hishimi-chan, and is made with Iga water chestnut powder and eggs kneaded into the dough, making it soft even after it cools. Inside, you can enjoy seasonal flavors such as the standard Ogura bean paste and cream, as well as cherry red bean paste, matcha red bean paste, chestnuts, and potatoes. It has a reputation for being very delicious!

One thing you can't miss at Michi-no-eki Ayama is the wide selection of breads.

Tortarosso bread, which calls itself "Iga Bread," is a branded bread that is sold to hotels in the Tokyo metropolitan area and Kansai. Although it originated in Saitama Prefecture, they fell in love with Iga's famous water and started making bread here. When we sell our products to famous hotels, we have the impression that they are expensive, but the prices you see in stores are very reasonable. This is a popular bakery.

Another thing that catches my eye is the “Rice Bread” sign. Gluten-free bread, which uses rice flour instead of wheat flour, can not only be eaten by people with wheat allergies, but some people buy it in hopes of helping them lose weight.

In addition to the direct sales corner inside the store, the glass bottle shop outside the store is also interesting. This is an antenna shop run by a glass manufacturer with a local factory, and you can get glass products that can only be found here, from ordinary bottles to reprocessed one-of-a-kind items.

In addition to standard Iga souvenirs, you can also find unexpected bargains and find new attractions!

If you visit the "Mie Travel Information Center" or "Mie Travel Hospitality Facility" while enjoying the "Answer Lucky! Mie Benefits Campaign on Your Smartphone," you can receive a variety of services and discover Mie's charms you didn't know about. Please take this opportunity to visit each region of the prefecture!