Yamaguchi Hofu Tenmangu Shrine & Metal Casting Experience

Pray at a famous beautiful shrine and experience Japanese craftsmanship

You will visit Hofu Tenmangu Shrine, where Sugawara no Michizane (a figure very familiar to the Japanese people) is enshrined as a god of learning. There, you will pray and listen to the explanations of the guide. After this, you will challenge yourself to a metal casting experience that is unique to Hofu, which is known as a town of casted metal. Expert staff will explain about steelmaking technology, metal casting technology, and tin recyclability. Once you’ve heard the explanations, you will have a deeper understanding and go forward with the metal casting experience. There, you will make a tin tumbler to keep as a souvenir for your trip. After the experience, you will then take a break by having some sweets and tea served from an iron kettle.

Enjoy the culture and scenery at Hofu Tenmangu Shrine, which is one of Japan's three major Tenjin shrines

In Japan, there are 12,000 Tenmangu shrines. We will visit Hofu Tenmangu Shrine, which is one of the three major Tenjin shines in the country. At this shrine, which boasts a history of more than 1,100 years, you’ll hear the guide’s explanation about the shrine and Shintoism, while gazing at the beautiful main building.

Experience craftsmanship by casting a tumbler!

After visiting the shrine, you will experience metal casting in an old, retro Japanese-style house. Hofu is a town of casted metal where metal casting is said to have already been prevalent 1,200 years ago. In addition, tin has been gaining renewed interest for its sustainable recyclability, which is a quality that allows us to make the best use of limited resources. Tin has also been used as a material that has antibacterial properties and is resistant to oxidation and corrosion. Craftsmen from a metal casting company, which has a history that dates back from the Edo period, will teach you the relevant techniques, and with these, you will create an original tumbler that is the only one of its kind in the world. To do this, you will pour tin that’s been heated to 300 degrees into a mold, and will then carve it into shape.

Tea time with casted metal, which makes tea taste better

After the metal casting experience, have some tea to alleviate your fatigue! The tea boiled from an iron kettle will seem to have a mellow taste. Along with tea, let's enjoy tea time with some warm and chewy local sweets called Tenjin-mochi rice cakes.