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Nara Tsukigase Tourist Office

Aug. 13, 2024

[Image1]BaikoanLocated in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that h

[Image2]BaikoanLocated in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that h

[Image3]BaikoanLocated in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that h

[Image4]BaikoanLocated in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that h

[Image5]BaikoanLocated in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that h

[Image6]BaikoanLocated in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that h

[Image7]BaikoanLocated in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that h

[Image8]BaikoanLocated in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that h

[Image9]BaikoanLocated in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that h

[Image10]BaikoanLocated in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that h

[Image11]BaikoanLocated in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that h

[Image12]BaikoanLocated in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that h

[Image13]BaikoanLocated in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that h

[Image14]BaikoanLocated in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that h

[Image15]BaikoanLocated in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that h

[Image16]BaikoanLocated in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that h

[Image17]BaikoanLocated in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that h

[Image18]BaikoanLocated in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that h

Baikoan

Located in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that has preserved a production method passed down there for about seven hundred years without alteration.

Karoubai refers to processed ume fruit, introduced to Nara as a medicine some 1,300 years ago by envoys to Sui and Tang China.
Around seven hundred years ago, during the Nanbokucho period, it reached Tsukigase as a mordant for safflower dyeing.

From the late Edo period through the early Meiji era, karoubai reached its heyday as a mordant for cosmetic red dye, and some 400 karoubai workshops operated, but demand plunged after the invention of chemical dyes.
By the early Showa era only a few producers remained; after the war Baikoan became the sole manufacturer and continues to this day.

Baikoan cultivates plums, rice, and vegetables and processes food across 30,000 square meters of verdant land and rich nature.
Although the plums in Tsukigase were originally planted to make karoubai, the sight of plum trees in full bloom reflected on the valley and river of the Satsukigawa captivated people and made this area Japan’s first officially designated scenic spot.
During the plum festival from February through the end of March, our shop offers dining and hanami from scenic box seats filled with the scent of plum.

In Reiwa 6 (2024) we built the Nara Beni Workshop.
This Japanese-style building incorporates traditional Japanese craftsmanship throughout. Inside the workshop, where you can feel delicate, advanced techniques and Japanese aesthetics, visitors can experience safflower dyeing using karoubai.
We hope the experience becomes an opportunity to rediscover the wonders of Japanese culture.

Watching the ever-changing colors of nature and the early-morning sea of clouds spreading across the Tsukigase valley can create the illusion of being in a plum paradise.

Early spring light, tranquil fresh greens, the bounty of autumn, the scents of winter. We live and work with the seasons in the strict yet warm nature of Tsukigase.

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A typhoon has passed. In Tsukigase, Nara, there is Tsukigase Plum Valley, which was designated as Japan’s first nationally recognized Scenic Spot 100 years ago. During the Plum Festival, held from mid-February through the end of March, many photographers gather from early morning to capture the breathtaking views where the plum groves, the valley, and the sea of clouds meet. However the best time to see Tsukigase Plum Valley is not only in spring. Its fresh green in summer, autumn foliage, and snowy winter landscapes charm visitors through every season. This submission is not of the verdant summer valley but of the sunrise after a typhoon. At first the valley was shrouded in thick river mist, but the fog gradually lifted and the sun began to break through. The way sunlight pierces the shifting mist is truly dramatic. Photo: Yasunori Okamoto

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Romantopia Tsukigase Plum Valley ~Experience the seasons at Romantopia~ In spring there’s a plum festival, in summer you can pick ume plums and try tea leaf picking. You can also enjoy year-round activities such as mochi pounding and black tea making. ◇RV Park Enjoy Romantopia Tsukigase Plum Valley in a campervan. Experience the extraordinary in hills and fields that reveal different faces with the seasons. ◇Tent Camping Relax with tent camping at Romantopia Tsukigase Plum Valley. Experience the extraordinary in hills and fields that reveal different faces with the seasons. ◇Hands-on Learning Have fun trying things you’ve never done before at Romantopia Tsukigase Plum Valley. ◎Mochi Pounding Experience Enjoy freshly pounded mochi made with a kine mallet and usu mortar. After the experience you can eat some on site and take the rest home. 18,000 yen / per mortar session ※Includes experience fee, equipment fee, and ingredients (2 sho rice) Available for groups of 4 or more. ◎Konnyaku Making Experience Enjoy freshly made handmade konnyaku. After the experience you can eat some on site and take the rest home. 2,000 yen / per person ※Includes experience fee and materials (konnyaku yam 1 kg yields 10 blocks) ※Additional portions negotiable; available for groups of 4 or more. ◎Tea Picking & Factory Tour Tea picking season begins when the tea fields flush with the young green of new leaves. Includes one-pack tea to take home. 1,500 yen / per person ※Includes experience, tour, and souvenir. [Experience season] Mid-May – October (contents vary by timing) ◎Hand-rolled Tea / Black Tea Making Make hand-rolled tea or black tea using a hot plate. You can take the tea you make home. 2,500 yen / per person ※Includes experience, tour, and souvenir. [Experience season] Mid-May – October (contents vary by timing) ◎Miso Making Experience Try the full process of making miso. You can take the miso you make home. 8,000 yen / per person ※Includes experience fee, materials, and take-home container. [Experience season] January 10 – mid-February ◎Matcha Experience Under preparation ※Consultation required ◆Romantopia Tsukigase◆ 707-10 Tsukigase Nagahiki, Nara, Nara Prefecture Open days (Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday) Available only from 9:00 to 17:00 0743-92-0810

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