🏭Top 10 factories to visit on a family trip to Tokyo
00 min
Sep 5, 2024
Sep 5, 2024
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When visiting Japan, the first things that may come to mind are Disneyland, the breathtaking view of Mt. Fuji, experiencing the tea ceremony culture in a kimono, or tasting authentic sushi cuisine. However, outside of these classic programs, there is a unique way to experience a factory. Not only does this provide a fun and relaxing way for children to learn about how products are made, but it also provides an opportunity for adults to explore Japan's manufacturing industry in depth. In Tokyo, you'll find some amazing factory tours that are fun and educational for the whole family. Next, I'm going to take you on a tour of these unique factories, from aerospace manufacturing to food processing, so let's explore~!

🤗 Top1: ANA Blue Hangar Tour

ANA Hangar Tour! Watch airplanes take off and land, get up close and personal with the airplanes and learn how the mechanics operate them, an in-depth insightful tour that lasts 90-120 minutes. Divided into three parts, before going to the hangar, the staff introduces the information about the venue for about 30 minutes, then go to the hangar tour for about 60 minutes, from the third floor observation deck, you can feel the huge scale of the hangar, while on the first floor, you can closely observe the real aircraft and the working scene of the maintenance staff! Afterwards, you are free to visit the showroom for about 30 minutes. In the showroom, you can learn more about the maintenance staff and the path to becoming a first-class aviation maintenance engineer. Before or after the tour, you are free to visit the showroom, and there are many other interesting activities. In the souvenir store, you can purchase original ANA souvenirs and some limited edition items that are not available elsewhere!
Fee: Free of charge. Target: Elementary school students and above. Tips: Reservations are required through the official website. Official link: https://www.anahd.co.jp/group/tour/ana-blue-hangar/ The reservation system opens at 9:30 a.m. one month prior to the tour date, so it is recommended to make reservations as early as possible to ensure that you can visit on the desired date.
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In addition to this, there are other packages for ANA Factory See School, such as ANA Blue Base Tour, official link: https://www.veltra.com/jp/japan/tokyo/a/179288?date=20240921&adult_16-over=1& elementaryschool_n-n=2 If you don't have a reservation for the above program, you may want to check out ANA's other school programs, which cost 2,100 yen per person and also require advance reservations.
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🤗 Top2: JAL SKY MUSEUM

SKY MUSEUM is a place where you can get up close and personal with the work of aviation and learn about the history of JAL. Here you can feel the vastness and closeness of the sky through various experiential activities. There are two parts: the museum experience part of the tour lasts 60 minutes, and you can freely visit the various exhibits to learn about the work of the staff who support flight as well as displays of JAL's historical information. For example, you can see the uniforms of the past generations, press materials of important points in the development of JAL, and so on. There are also various experiences such as comfortable seats, pilot and flight attendant uniform cos, and more. There is also a store in the museum where you can buy all kinds of accessories. The hangar part of the tour lasts 50 minutes and is led by staff in small groups. Fee: Free of charge. Target: Elementary school students and above. Tips: Reservations for the JAL factory tour must be made in advance through the official website. Official link: https://www.jal.com/ja/kengaku/info/ The reservation system opens at 9:30 a.m. one month prior to the tour date, so it is recommended to make reservations as early as possible to ensure that you will be able to visit on the desired date.
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🤗 Top3: Coca-Cola Tama Plant

The Coca-Cola Tama Plant is a very popular site for factory tours, which are free of charge and the plant thoughtfully gives out drinks and notebooks. Inside the exhibition hall, the history of Coke and how it was promoted in Japan is explained in detail. You can see the extensive lineup of Coca-Cola products in Japan, including a variety of teas, coffees and beverages, as well as some new varieties that are rarely seen in Japan. In addition, the showroom displays photos of Coca-Cola delivery vehicles at work throughout Japan, the evolution of packaging, and the history of vending machines, with a fun SNS hot spot set up just for taking photos. No photos are allowed inside the factory, and the production line is fully automated, capable of filling 600 bottles of Coke per minute. Through the tour channel at the top, we can see these huge cylindrical mechanical devices running methodically like clockwork gears, from empty bottles to filling, to labeling, packing and shipping, the whole process is neat and tidy, the extremely comfortable visual experience is simply a boon for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The factory also describes in detail the many efforts they have made to protect the environment and to feel the company's commitment to social responsibility.
Fee: Free of charge. Target: Elementary school students and above. Tips: Reservations for the Coca-Cola factory tour must be made in advance through the official website, and there are a number of branch factories, the link below is for the Tama factory. Link: https://www.ccbji.co.jp/plant/reserve/calendar?f=tama Reservation system: Reservations are required 30 days in advance.
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🤗 Top4: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters is divided into three parts: the Fureai Hiroba Metropolitan Police Department Classroom, the Police Data Room, and the Communications Command Center. You can visit the command center on site and observe the 110 police response and wireless command process up close. Reservation system: Reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance. Reservations can be made by phone at 03-3581-4321. Target: 3rd grade and above in principle
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🤗 Top5: Ezaki Glico's Saitama Factory

Ezaki Glico is a major Japanese food company specializing in confectionary and sweets, founded in 1922 and headquartered in Osaka. The company's corporate philosophy is “Deliciousness and Health”.
Photographs are not permitted inside the Glico factory. In the “Museum Area”, you can see as many as 1,500 exhibits of “Glico Toys”. There is also a “Company Zone”, which introduces the global business of the Glico Group, and a “Library Zone”, where you can learn about the history of Glico products in an interesting way. You can also see a vending machine manufactured in 1931 (Showa 6) with sound and projection functions, and the staff will give a live demonstration to show the unique charm of this classic device.
During the tour, you can learn about the process of making Barilla. The entire production line is 100 meters long, from the mixing of raw materials to the final molding and packaging. At the end of the tour, you will have a deeper understanding of the production process of Barilla. The display area on the first floor has a free photo area, and even the toilet signs are in the classic Glico shape, which is very clever and interesting.
At the end of the tour, you can make a reservation for children to decorate a large Baileys for 500 yen (reservations are required, staff will hand out numbers, and in the event of a large crowd, you will need to draw lots to participate). Each visitor will also receive a specially customized box of Baileys as a gift. There will be a wealth of interactive experiences during the meet-and-greet. From image displays to game sessions, there will be both food, learning and play, making it perfect for children.
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The main part of the Chiba factory tour is the production process of PAPICO and Seventeen ice cream. There is also a freezer experience and a sterilized blowing experience at the factory, and the staff takes special care of small children. At the end of the tour, everyone receives a PAPICO ice cream. The factory also offers a handmade ice cream experience at a cost of 1,500 yen per group. Milk, cream and sugar are used in the production process, and the final product is so rich that a family of four can have a full meal, with egg cones for refills. The content of the experience varies slightly from factory to factory.
Cost: Free.
Tips: Reserve in advance through the official website. There are many branch factories, the link below is for the Saitama factory. Link: https://www.glico.com/jp/enjoy/experience/glicopia/east/ Reservation system: For example, reservation for October starts at 9:00 am on September 5th.
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🤗 Top6: Suntory Natural Water Brewery Factory

The staff will lead the tour and explain the process of Suntory's natural water and beer production by alternating animations and objects, while you can download the software in other languages (English, Chinese and Korean versions) from the official website in advance. In the final tasting session, there were three medium-sized glasses of different beers to taste in the first round, with Glico snacks to enjoy along with them, and you could also refill your glass with your favorite beer. There is a souvenir store inside the brewery, so be sure to pick up a unique souvenir to remember your visit to the factory.
Fee: Two packages are available, and the family-friendly package costs 1,000 yen per person, payable at the door.
Tips: Make reservations in advance through the official website. Link: https://www.suntory.co.jp/factory/musashino/ Reservation system: Reservations are recommended 1 month in advance.
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🤗 Top7: Tsurumi Morinaga Factory

The Morinaga Einゼルミュージアム MORIUM (モリウム) is a museum that exhibits the history, techniques, and thoughts of Morinaga's confectionery makers. The name “Morium” combines the Morinaga word “mori” and the Latin word “arium” (meaning “place of something”). The name combines the word “mori” in Morinaga and the Latin word “arium” (meaning “place of something”), symbolizing Morinaga's desire to allow visitors to experience the value of its creations. This is a factory that mainly produces products such as twigs and Hi-Chew Premium. Visitors can take a walking tour of the factory from the Morinaga Angel Museum (Morium). The tour takes about 70 minutes to learn about Morinaga's entire product line. During the tour, you can take a photo with the mascot, Kirorochan, and shop at the museum store. The factory will also prepare tastings of recommended products according to the season (e.g. twigs, Hi-Chew Premium, chocolate-covered ice cream, etc.).
Fee: Free of charge.
Tips: Reserve in advance through the official website. Link: https://www.morinaga.co.jp/factory/tsurumi/ Reservation system: Reservations for the following month start at 9:00 on the 1st of the month, e.g., September 1 at 9:00 for an appointment for October.
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🤗 Top8: Meiji Sakado Factory

Here, visitors can get a close-up look at the production line for products such as Meiji Milk Chocolate and Apollo. In addition to watching the production process, visitors can also learn more about cocoa beans, the main raw material for chocolate, the history of chocolate, and nutrition and health benefits through interactive sessions.
Meiji's dedication to safe and reassuring manufacturing is demonstrated through films and other means that show the company's efforts in research and development of raw materials such as raw milk and cacao beans, lactic acid bacteria, and quality control of chocolate. On the tour route, visitors can experience the aroma of cacao beans in a corridor modeled after a Brazilian cacao farm, and even see precious cacao bean samples and cacao liquor cubes (i.e., ground roasted cacao beans).
During the tour, visitors will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of chocolate as if they were inside a slab of chocolate and see the chocolate-making process up close. The Apollo Chocolate tour route also features a scenario based on the theme of “Adventures on the Moon and in the Universe”. Experience a fun-filled cosmic adventure and visit the Apollo Chocolate production line.
Target audience: 4 years old and above.
Fee: Free of charge.
Tips: Reserve in advance through the official website. Link: https://www.meiji.co.jp/learned/factory/sakado/ Reservation system: Reservations are made 30 days in advance.
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🤗 Top9: Yokohama Sakiyo-Hen Yakitori Factory

The specialty food when you visit Yokohama has to be Sakiyo-ken's yakitori. At the Yokohama Factory, you can see how yakitori and bento are made. During the approximately 90-minute tour, you can learn about the history of Japan's popular “station bento” and the secrets of the popular yakitori bento. In addition, you can see the process of making yakitori through the glass. Please enjoy everything you can only experience here. There is also a Petit Museum store inside the factory, where you can taste ready-made yakitori (small and large yakitori and small cookies) and buy souvenirs.
Who can attend: No one under the age of 15 is allowed to attend the program alone. Please be sure to make a reservation with an adult.
Fee: Free of charge.
Tips: Reservations can be made in advance through the official website. Link: https://kiyoken-yokohamafactory.resv.jp/ Reservation system: The reservation system opens at 00:00 three months prior to the date of visit, so it is recommended to make a reservation as early as possible to ensure that you will be able to visit on the desired date.
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🤗 Top10:Chubby's Salad Dressing Gohyasu Factory Seeing and Learning

Chubby's Salad Dressing is the largest salad dressing company in Japan, founded in 1919. Salad dressing was born in Japan in 1925, and Chubby's was the first maker. The factory is highly automated with very few shop floor workers. Here you can watch a movie about mayonnaise, tour the factory where mayonnaise and salad dressings are made, see the process of separating egg whites, and have a taste test. It is estimated that all the salad dressings in Japanese restaurants and convenience store foods are from Chubby's. Now, Chubby's salad dressings have also become very popular in China's first-tier cities. Chubby's Salad Dressing occupies about 60% of China's domestic market share, with home-packed salad dressings topping the list at about 90% in Beijing, 60% in Shanghai and 80% in Guangzhou.
Cost: Free.
Tips: Reserve in advance through the official website. Link:https://reservation.kewpie.co.jp/reservations/calendar?label_id=59&visit=1 Reservation system: It is best to make a reservation more than half a month in advance.
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In addition to these, there are many others, which we will introduce to you one by one when we have time. For example, Crecla's Fresh Water World Factory, Tokyo Sewerage - Disaster Prevention Underground Shrine, Dandelion Chocolate Factory and Café, Sake Culture Tour in Sawanai, Waste Disposal Factory Seeing and Learning in Tokyo's 23 wards (Cleaning Factory), Disaster Prevention Museum of the Tokyo Fire Department's Metropolitan Citizen's Disaster Prevention Education Center (as well as Ikebukuro Museum and Tachikawa Museum). Both adults and children can learn a lot from experiencing a 6+ earthquake on site, learning about first aid, and more.

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