There’s something fishy about this place…
Theme parks are great and all, but they seem to keep beating the same dead horse of cartoon characters, video games, and thrill rides. It sure would be nice if the there was a park devoted entirely to masses of Alaskan pollock eggs encased in a thin membrane and seasoned with chili peppers for a change.
As luck would have it, my oddly specific prayers have been answered in the form of Kanefuku Mentai Park which celebrates the spicy pollock roe called mentaiko. These parks have actually been around for a while now, and have recently opened their sixth location, Mentai Park Gunma.
The first Mentai Park was opened in Oarai City, Ibaraki Prefecture in 2009 by Fukuoka-based mentaiko producer Kanefuku and currently draws in over one million visitors annually. It was followed by Mentai Park Tokoname, Mentai Park Kobe Mita, Mentai Park Izu, and Mentai Park Biwako.
Like its predecessors, Mentai Park Gunma offers fun for all ages in the form of mentaiko and nothing else! Admission is free and guests enter on the first floor where they’re greeted by the esteemed Dr. Tarakon who explains the history and other fun facts about spicy cod roe in the red polka-dot laden corridors of Tsubu-Tsubu Land.
This section is filled with interactive exhibits and there is also a window that looks right into an actual mentaiko packaging room so you can see first-hand how it gets weighed, sorted, and, put into boxes. And because of this it is possible to buy mentaiko with the freshest possible quality, because it’s bought right from the factory and no freezing is necessary.
There are also lots of other mentaiko-flavored foods for sale, such as mentaiko dumplings, mentaiko rice balls, mentaiko pasta, mentaiko chili oil, and even mentaiko ice cream, all at factory-direct prices.
These foods can be enjoyed in the dining area on the second floor which also has a kids’ play area. Children can spend time on the Tarapiyo Jumbo Slide, trampoline, and climbing wall while mom and dad relax with a nice spicy fish-flavored ice cream cone.
If you too are tired of talking mice and want to give talking egg-sacs a chance for a change, then don’t hesitate and head on over to Mentai Park Gunma or the nearest theme park/seafood processing plant today!
Park information
Mentai Park Gunma / めんたいパーク群馬
Gunma-ken, Kanra-gun, Kanra-cho, Kanai 676-2
群馬県甘楽郡甘楽町金井676-2
Hours: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Website
Source, images: PR Times
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