Miketsukuni Wakasa Obama Food Museum
The Wakasa Obama Food Culture Museum opened in September 2003 to advance the city’s food-related community-development goals. The first-floor exhibits showcase food models of Japanese cuisine, with an emphasis on local specialties and food history. There is also a game that focuses on the Mackerel Road (the route over which mackerel was once transported from Obama to the ancient capital of Kyoto), a model of traditional machiya townhouse architecture, and the Kitchen Studio, where visitors can make and eat Japanese dishes. On the second floor, the Traditional Craft Wakasa Workshop gives visitors a chance to get hands-on experience making traditional crafts such as Japanese paper, Wakasa lacquer chopsticks, and agate stone work, as well as food models. Local craftspeople can be observed working on-site, and their crafts can be purchased at the adjacent gift shop. In the neighboring building is the restaurant Hama no shiki, specializing in Wakasa Obama cuisine. On the third floor of the main museum building, there is a public bath with sweeping views of Wakasa Bay.
The museum takes a holistic approach to food culture. It promotes regional products and supports nearby fishing and agricultural industries, thereby encouraging conservation of the region’s rivers, streams, ocean, and other natural resources. The museum also provides food education and cooking classes for all ages. Schoolchildren often visit to learn skills such as carving fish and Japanese cooking. Classes emphasize food literacy, the use of locally sourced ingredients, and the preparation of healthy, balanced meals. By preserving the local food heritage and educating younger generations, the city hopes to ensure the future of its prized regional cuisine.
