Only in Saitama: the free chukuman factory tour

Chukaman Museum ~ free nikuman / chukaman factory tour in Iruma.

The “Only in Saitama” series continues with Saitama’s latest free factory tour. The Chukaman Museum is a Chinese Steamed buns factory tour in Iruma. It is the first, and currently only, museum of its type in the whole of Japan. The museum opened in Iruma on January 25th 2019 and before long it was in popular demand.

The museum requires that you book in advance online. They normally take bookings for between two and nine people. They can cater to a total of 12 in one session. You can book in advance (subject to availability) for the current month. They used to also open booking from two months in advance, but due to the pandemic it is currently just the current month that you can book for. However, due to the Coronavirus the museum was closed to the public for much of 2020 and 2021. Moreover, in 2022, the factory was closed for renovations for more than half a year. During that time they offered a free online tour.

>>You might also like: the annual Chukaman Expo in Koshigaya<<

Factory Tours

There are usually two tours a day, five days a week between Friday and Tuesday. The museum / factory is closed on Wednesday and Thursday except during spring break when they have two weeks of daily tours. The tours are at 10 am and 2 pm. They last about an hour and a half. The tour involves a short video introduction followed by a tour of the factory. After that they introduce the deliciousness of chukaman through a game. Finally you end the tour with a chukaman tasting.

Nakamuraya

The museum is brought to you by (Shinjuku) Nakamuraya, a bakery famed for introducing curry to Japan. There is a great story to how the bakery came to serve curry and subsequently became a restaurant. The abbreviated version: the family gave refuge to an Indian revolutionist, Bose, who had fled India during World War I. Bose thought he could attract new customers to the bakery with the aroma of spices from his home country. 100 years later and that aroma is still attracting people! It now attracts people from all over Japan and indeed all over the world, who want to sample the taste of Japan’s first ever curry.

Chukaman Museum Information

Open: Friday through Tuesday, closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays except during Spring Break.

Tour times: 10.30 am or 2.30 pm

Tour duration: the tour lasts about 90 minutes

Reservation: Essential. A reservation must be made online through their online booking form for the factory tour.

Official website

Access

Address: 234 Sayamadai, Iruma-shi, Saitama-ken 358-0033.
Plus code: R935+46 Iruma, Saitama Prefecture

The Chukaman factory is near the tea museum “ALIT” and close to Costco and Mitsui Outlet in Iruma. Iruma city is a popular day trip location for expats living in Tokyo, due to its proximity and ease of access (by car) from the capital. Iruma city can be accessed by the Ken-o expressway. The Chukaman Museum, free nikuman factory tour, is about a 10 minute drive from the Iruma interchange of the Ken-o expressway. However, for this particular attraction, its a little trickier by public transport. The nearest station is about a 40 minute walk away: Kaneko station on the Hachiko line.

More in the “Only in Saitama” series:

• Visiting Totoro at the house of Kurosuke | TOKOROZAWA
• Santome Konjaku – outdoor theme park
• Skip City Visual Museum | KAWAGUCHI
• Little Prince Parking Area, Kanetsu Expressway
• Metsä Village – a Finnish leisure park in Hanno
• TeamLab Acorn Forest, Higashi Tokorozawa Park
  
• Peruse EVEN MORE “Only in Saitama” Attractions