Due to popular demand, the third event will be held! Announcement of cooperation in supervising a stamp rally for 12 types of red bean paste sweets in Tsuwano Town, Shimane Prefecture
*Japan Anko Association*
Press release: September 17, 2024
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Due to popular demand, the third event will be held! Announcement of cooperation in supervising a stamp rally for 12 types of red bean paste sweets in Tsuwano Town, Shimane Prefecture
*Event where you can enjoy local red bean paste sweets in a Japanese heritage town*
*
The Japan Anko Association (Toshima Ward, Tokyo: Chairman Nishii Anko) will be holding the 3rd stamp rally event “Tsuwano Anko” featuring 12 types of anko sweets from Tsuwano Town, Shimane Prefecture, starting October 1, 2024 (Tuesday). We will supervise and cooperate with “Journey 2024”. *
– Name: Tsuwano Anko Trip 2024
– Sponsor: Tsuwano Town Tourism Association / Supervisory
cooperation: Japan Anko Association
– Period: October 1, 2024 (Tuesday) to January 5, 2025 (Sunday) – Venue: Tsuwano Town (24 shops in total, 18 shops including Japanese confectionery shops, Western confectionery shops, sweet shops, restaurants, etc., and 6 accommodation facilities)
* [What is Tsuwano Anko Journey? 】*
“Tsuwano Anko Trip” is a stamp rally event that tours anko sweets from Japanese and Western confectionery shops in Tsuwano Town, Shimane Prefecture. This year marks the third time the event has been held, making it the largest event ever with 18 stores and 6 accommodation facilities participating. The event will be held from October 1, 2024 to January 5, 2025, sponsored by the Tsuwano Town Tourism Association and supervised by the Japan Anko Association. Due to the popularity of the first and second times, we have decided to hold the third time as “Tsuwano Anko Trip 2024.”
In 2015, Tsuwano Town in Shimane Prefecture was registered as one of Japan’s first heritage sites, and is now one of the towns with tradition and culture that represents Japan, both in name and reality. Red bean paste also has a history of being popular as a national sweet in our country since ancient times. On the “Tsuwano Anko Trip,” you can taste and compare “Genjimaki,” a local anko confectionery that has been loved since ancient times in the town, and try “Manju Chazuke,” a recipe created by Mori Ogai, a literary giant from the same town. This is a stamp rally event where you can enjoy Japanese soul food, red bean paste, in various forms while enjoying the historic streets of Tsuwano, which is known as the Little Kyoto of the San’in region.
* [Why the third time?] *
At the past two Tsuwano Anko Trips held in spring and fall of last year, not only participants came from within the town and prefecture, but also participants from far away, including other prefectures. After holding the event twice in the past, we are confident that expectations and interest in Tsuwano’s red bean paste sweets are increasing not only in the surrounding area but nationwide. In order to further spread the appeal of Tsuwano Anko on a nationwide scale, we have decided to assist in the supervision of the third edition.
* [What is the difference between Part 1 and Part 2? 】*
The major difference from the past two events is that the event pamphlet has been expanded from 4 pages to 6 pages, and tourist spots recommended by the Tsuwano Town Tourism Association are introduced in an easy-to-understand manner. There’s a reason for this. Tsuwano’s charm is not only about the red bean paste. The charming cityscape, rich in nature and tradition, and the historic shrines and temples will soothe the hearts of visitors. As you know, red bean paste also has a history of soothing people’s hearts with its gentle sweetness and soft texture. In other words, taking a leisurely stroll through the town’s sightseeing spots with local red bean paste in hand is the best way to experience Tsuwano.
We strongly believe that the taste that fully utilizes the five senses will soothe the many people who visit Tsuwano and, as a result, will bring smiles to many faces. Our mission is to realize world peace through Anko. Therefore, creating smiles through red bean paste is something that our association should naturally do. Also, one of our three visions is “regional development through red bean paste”. It goes without saying that all the participants in this stamp rally love red bean paste. That is why we believe that by using Anko as an opportunity to promote local tourist spots, the regional development of Tsuwano will steadily progress.
* [Why Tsuwano?] *
Tsuwano is a treasure trove of possibilities for red bean paste. First of all, when you think of Tsuwano, you think of “Genjimaki”. Genjimaki is a famous local red bean paste confectionery made with strained red bean paste wrapped in castella dough. Its history dates back to the Genroku period of the Edo period, and it has been loved by the local community for many years. Today, nine Japanese confectionery shops in the same town still make Genjimaki, each with their own individuality, while maintaining the simple basic structure of wrapping bean paste in castella dough. Some shops also serve Genjimaki ice cream in the summer, where the red bean paste inside is made with grained bean paste, white bean paste, or matcha bean paste.
In addition, “Age Genjimaki”, which is battered and deep-fried, has been invented, and although it is typical of Tsuwano, it is slowly but surely evolving through steady challenges. I have no doubt that his frontier spirit, full of self-confidence and humility, of protecting what needs to be protected and making changes to suit the times, is an attitude essential to the future development of the red bean paste world.
Furthermore, one of the great people born in Tsuwano is Mori Ogai, a rare literary great. Speaking of Ogai, he is known as a gourmet, but it is also said that he had a huge sweet tooth. Ogai himself has devised a wide variety of recipes, and it is impossible to talk about his sweet tooth without mentioning “Manju Chazuke.” “Manju Chazuke” is Ogai’s original red bean paste recipe that is eaten by breaking a manju into four pieces, placing them on top of rice, and making them into chazuke. No other recipe is as simple yet so creative as this one.
We are confident that Tsuwano, Ogai’s birthplace where such unique creativity related to red bean paste was nurtured, is where the hints and opportunities to expand the possibilities of red bean paste, which our association has been pursuing since its establishment, lie dormant. Expanding the possibilities of anko is our association’s raison d’être, so it is only natural that we hold the “Tsuwano Anko Trip.”
* [What is Tsuwano Ambassador] *
“Tsuwano Ambassador” is a title that recognizes a person who is knowledgeable about the red bean paste specializing in Tsuwano. It is a title awarded by the Japan Anko Association to anko fans who meet the certification conditions, and as proof of that, they will receive a “Tsuwano Ambassador Certification”. The condition for
certification is to purchase and eat all 12 types of red bean sweets from 10 of the 18 target stores, including all 10 Japanese and Western confectionery stores and 2 restaurants. At this stamp rally, participants travel around the town with their point cards in hand. For each sweets you eat, you can get a stamp at the relevant store and accumulate “Anko Points”. In other words, Anko fans who meet the certification conditions and accumulate 12 points will be certified as “Tsuwano Ambassadors.” Furthermore, during the event period, Anko fans who stay at one of the designated accommodation facilities in the town for at least one night will be awarded the title of “Tsuwano Premium Ambassador” and will receive a certificate. The active attitude of thoroughly tasting and completing 12 types of red bean sweets during the overnight stay is a manifestation of the extraordinary love, passion, and inquisitive spirit for Tsuwano red bean paste, and he enjoyed “Tsuwano red bean travel 2024” more than anyone else. It’s proof. Those who practice it can now be said to be role models for all Anko fans.
* [Event official page] *
For event details and how to participate in “Tsuwano Anko Trip 2024”, please check the Tsuwano Town Tourism Association official website below.
https://tsuwano-kanko.net/
* [What is the Japan Anko Association] *
Name: Japan Anko Association
Mission: Realize world peace through Anko.
Secretariat: Diamond Gate Ikebukuro 5F, 1-16-15 Minamiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo (inside Rally Inc.)
WEB: https://anko.love/
It was founded in October 2018 by current president Anko Nishii as an association for the purpose of promoting the spread of red bean paste. When the association was first established, there were 17 members, known as “ambassadors,” but the number will exceed 10,000 in 2024. The association’s philosophy is to “realize world peace through red bean paste,” and one of its core businesses is regional development through red bean paste.
Main supervisory cooperation and support include “Tsuwano Anko Tabi” in Tsuwano Town, Shimane Prefecture, “Izumo Anko Tabi” in Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture, “Bicchu Anko Tabi” in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, and “Hekinan and #HanamoAnkomo” in Hekinan City, Aichi Prefecture. “Stamp Rally”, Hokkaido Kenbuchi Town “Kenbuchi Anko Festival”, JR East “Takanawa Gateway Fest”
Moon Night Anko”, Osaka Metro “Anko Meguri”, Odakyu Department Store Shinjuku store “Ankoi”
“Ankoi”, Hankyu Umeda Main Store “Time Spreads Anko”, Kagoshima Yamagataya “Anko Exhibition ~Tea and Utensils~”, Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi “Anko Expo”, LaLaport Yokohama/Ebina “I”
LOVE
Anko”, Jazz Dream Nagashima’s “Anko Festival” and many more. Independently sponsored events include the “Anko Club,” a club activity for comparing red bean paste, and the “Anko Night Party,” an online networking event for red bean paste fans nationwide.
* [About Chairman Nishii Anko] *
The first chairman of the Japan Anko Association. I have loved red bean paste ever since I can remember, and I am a hardcore red bean paste lover who has eaten over 10,000 types of red bean paste. In addition to eating red bean paste, we also develop red bean paste recipes and research the history and health effects of red bean paste. Major media interviews and appearances include Nikkei Shimbun, Nikkei MJ “Food Frontier”, Asahi Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun, Tokyo Shimbun, TBS TV “N Star”, “Matsuko’s Unknown World”, Japan. TV “news”
every.”, “ZIP!”, TV Asahi “Super J Channel”, Fuji Television “Nonstop!”, Kansai Television “Hoso Runner”, “Nani on
Saturday!?”, NHK
E-Tele “Shakin!”, NHK Kansai “Hotto Kansai Saturday”, TV Tokyo “Takeshi’s Nippon no Mikata!”, NHK FM “Talking with Matsuodo”, J-WAVE “STEPONE”, TOKYO
FM “I heard something good” etc. As a lecturer, he has worked with Yamanashi Prefectural Industrial Technology Center, Sweet Foods Testing Center “Beans Processing Research Group”, Izumo
Confectionery Association, Yomiuri Culture, etc. From June 2023, he will be the ambassador of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ “Arigatou Movement.”