The annual Tsubame-Sanjo Factory Festival will be held from October 6th to 9th, where well-known companies in the Tsubame-Sanjo region of Niigata Prefecture open their factories to the public, allowing visitors to tour and experience the manufacturing process.

The Tsubame-Sanjo region of Niigata Prefecture is home to a wide variety of world-class products, primarily metal products such as cutlery and metal tableware. This year marks the fourth year of the event, which will open its doors to a total of 92 factories (as of July 5th) from 78 companies and 14 companies, providing an opportunity for participants to casually interact with the people working at the kouba (factories, farms) and experience the manufacturing process firsthand. Participating KOUBA include Hiura Farm, a cucumber and rice farm in Yoshida Honmachi that has been in business for 27 generations and 800 years; Hizukuri no Uchiyama, which continues the Sanjo tradition of nail making for approximately 400 years; Tanaka Scale Industry, Japan's last factory that produces traditional bathroom scales; and Sanjo Special Foundry, which manufactures cast-iron machine parts. Hands-on workshops are also available during the festival. Experiences include making Kai Bojesen dessert spoons at Oizumi Bussan, painting cars at Yamada Garage, and carving octagonal chopsticks at Marunao. Official bus tours for the "Tsubame-Sanjo Factory Festival" are also available. Themed bus tours include "Experience the Traditional Skills of Blacksmiths," "Kitchen Tools for Everyday Meals," and "Experience Farming with Farm Tools." Each tour features a unique perspective from the unique guides who will explore the various charms of the Tsubame-Sanjo area, including the factories they visit. In addition, factories will be open at night again this year. Following on from last year's reception parties held at each factory, which provided a forum for artisans to interact with each other away from their factory work, this year's event is planned to be even more packed.

Also during the same period, the Sanjo Monozukuri School (12-38 Sakuragicho, Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture) will host the "Dainippon City Expo 4th Niigata Expo," an event being held in five regions across the country by Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, a long-established Nara company, to commemorate its 300th anniversary.

[Event Information]
"Tsubame-Sanjo Factory Festival"
Venue: All of Sanjo and Tsubame cities, Niigata Prefecture, and surrounding areas
Dates: October 6th to 9th
Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm (excluding 12:00pm - 1:00pm)