Free Buffet at the Konnyaku Park

Last Sunday, we visited Konnyaku Park in Kanra-Machi, Gunma Prefecture. The park (by Yokoo Daily Foods) has the largest production of Konyaku gelatinous food in Japan. The wobbly and almost flavorless product is a traditional Japanese food made from konnyaku potato (aka. konjac or devil-tongue). And its benefits are said to be many…

Touring the Konnyaku Factory

We were shown the production process from above. It is a self-guided tour with videos explaining each step of the process and the function of the machinery involved in detail. There is also a lot of information displayed on the wall, such as the history, trivia, and other interesting facts about konnyaku and kanten. However, they are all in Japanese.

The Highlights of Konnyaku Park

Apart from the factory tour, the park has a corner where they offer different cooking lessons. There is also a store where you can buy souvenirs and limited-edition products that are not available elsewhere. There is also a footbath zone at the entrance area, heated up by steam from the factory, to help relax your feet. But like most people (see how packed the food court was), we were there for the free all-you-can-eat konnyaku buffet (LOL)!

Before this trip, the only time I ate konnyaku was in Oden dishes, but now I have learned that there are so many ways to serve it! My two picky eaters also enjoyed the konnyaku dishes prepared by the food court staff. So, I ended up buying some back home to cook. We will definitely stop by again if we ever visit Gunma. Next time, with the kids, we may try the Handmade Mannan Popcorn course at the hands-on cooking corner.