Vinegar

Aichi's vinegar fanned the flames of the sushi craze!

Vinegar adds an invigorating splash of life to sushi, sour sunomono cucumber salad, dressings, and more. It is said to be the world's oldest condiment, and when used with rice, wheat, apples, and other such raw ingredients, alcohol occurs and aids in acetic acid fermentation.
Aichi Prefecture has a long vinegar brewing history, and Japan's top vinegar manufacturer even has its headquarters here. Brewing techniques are today at their most advanced and allow all to get their hands on the sour substance, but it is said that vinegar was a fairly expensive commodity during the Edo period (1603–1868). The aforementioned vinegar manufacturer's founder noticed this and began creating the condiment from loads of sake lees—a by-product of sake brewing. Rather than loading ships with the once more prevalent sake, vinegar now became a major product for shipment to Edo, or present-day Tokyo. The manufacturer hit the nail on the head as this influx of vinegar to then Tokyo is said to have fanned the flames of a nigiri sushi craze among its citizens as sushi rice uses the condiment. The vinegar created from sake lees is known as "red vinegar" due to its brown color with—you guessed it—a tinge of red. It also offers a mild, sweet taste with a splash of umami. Even today, traditional Edo-style sushi restaurants use this red vinegar.

Nowadays, vinegar made from rice is a commonplace item in kitchens across Japan. Rice vinegar has a gentle and unintrusive sourness about it and is a staple in Japanese cuisine.
Vinegar is receiving much attention for its health benefits too. Drinking one tablespoon a day reduces visceral fat in overweight individuals, staves off high blood pressure, mitigates steep rises in blood sugar after eating, helps in calcium absorption, aids in helping to fight off fatigue, and many other factors.

MIZKAN MUSEUM—a vinegar museum along the Handa Canal offering craftsmen's brewing experiences virtually

Mizkan is Japan's leading vinegar producer and the pride of Aichi. Handa City, where the brewery was founded, is also home to MIZKAN MUSEUM, a hands-on vinegar museum. In 2024, the museum underwent renovations to incorporate digital contents for an even more entertaining experience. MIZKAN MUSEUM is split up into five exhibit zones with admission requiring advance reservation. The Full Museum Course with a guide takes you through all of the zones and is a great choice for first-time visitors.

Learn about vinegar brewing through exhibits and hands-on experiences, before hopping on a boat straight for Edo!

In the Room of Earth zone, you can see the vinegar brewing process of the Edo period. The exhibition room incorporates into its interior design the building's original support columns and real tools from back when it was a used as the actual brewery, offering a complete sense of immersion. The experiential attraction where you use your own avatar to try your hand at brewing vinegar is another popular stop along the way. While we're on the subject, did you know that vinegar actually comes from alcohol—or sake in Japan? Learn about vinegar's raw ingredients and brewing processes, and it's easy to see why the founder, who was originally in the sake industry, would go on to brew vinegar.
Next along our tour was the Room of Time zone and its enlightening insight into Mizkan and the history of vinegar production. Climb aboard the 20-meter-long bezai-style sailing ship and experience what it would have been like to take to the seas for Edo in your job as a vinegar transporter. Become enthralled with the exciting videos shown as you wonder to yourself whether you'll be able to deliver your load safely.

The process of adding sake lees to the vat, adding sweetness and umami after a long fermentation period

Peak into the vat in front of you for a glimpse of the present-day factory!
A recreation of the bezai-style sailing ship which sailed the seas during the Edo period

Create your own Ajipon citrus soy sauce as you snap away at your camera with all the photo spots

The Park of Light zone offers displays showing nigiri sushi, which developed thanks to Mizkan vinegar, as well as photogenic spots that will have you capturing all sorts of fun shots. You can even use the special app and acquire Mizkan's original AR collection to take unique pictures around the museum.
And commemorate your trip by making your own Ajipon ponzu—a condiment of citrus juice, vinegar, soy sauce, and soup stock—at the Ajipon Studio. Take a picture of your face and put it on the label of your own special Ajipon bottle available nowhere else in the world.

Mizkan gave birth to Japan's sushi posterchild: Nigiri sushi!

Your own unique Ajipon with your face on the label
Use your body to try and make the shape of "su", the character for "vinegar"

Edo lees vinegar available for purchase and a walk out to Handa Canal

Mizkan's shop offers vinegar and other condiments as well as charming original merchandise. One thing we definitely recommend checking out it is Mitsuban Yamabuki, a gem from Mizkan's foundation. Mitsuban Yamabuki is a recreation of the lees vinegar which helped spark the nigiri sushi craze and continues to be produced even today in the factory below the building. And another step up is Senya, aged for three years and a rare product available only at the museum.
Once your tour and shopping come to an end, it's the perfect chance to stroll along Handa Canal—just a stone's throw away from the museum. The canal once acted as an aquatic road for boats loaded with local vinegar and sake on their way for shipment to Edo. Nowadays, you can see the Mizkan logo on black-walled storehouses lining the canal.

Mitsuban Yamabuki owes its rich yet mellow flavor to its single raw ingredient of aged sake lees

Black-walled architecture along the canal blends in beautifully with the museum's exterior
The area around Handa Canal is still very much alive and an important landscape spot of the city