Also for improving immunity! ?? Intestinal activity that begins with a meal.

2020.11.13

Founded in the first year of Anei (1772), “Restaurant & Cafe K-an” operated by Kokonoe Mirin Co., Ltd., which owns the oldest existing mirin brewery in Japan, is an “evolved form! Will be available.

■ "Restaurant & Cafe K-an", a renovated mansion of the founder over 200 years old

“Restaurant & Cafe K-an” offers Japanese food, Italian food, and sweets using real mirin and locally produced and locally consumed agricultural products under the concept of “dishes that express the potential of mirin as much as possible”. The interior of the restaurant is a hideaway for adults, and you can enjoy your meal while gazing at the colorful flowers and autumn leaves that bloom in the garden.

Restaurant & Cafe K-an
Restaurant & Cafe K-an Autumn

■ Why is it "intestinal activity" now?

With the epidemic of the new coronavirus and the growing health consciousness associated with the aging society, “immunity enhancement” is attracting attention these days. For that purpose, what can Kokonoe Mirin do from the aspect of food? After repeated studies, we have been focusing on “intestinal activity” in recent years.

■ Intestinal activity starting with meals

“Intestinal activity” improves the functions of the body necessary for living a healthy and prosperous life from the intestines, such as diet, beautiful skin, mental health, and measures against pre-illness by boosting immunity.

In order to keep the intestinal flora normal and to improve the intestinal environment, it is necessary to predominate the good bacteria over the bad bacteria. In addition to growing the good bacteria that already live in the intestines, it is said that consciously eating foods that contain a lot of good bacteria is also an effective method.

■ "Magowa Yasashii"

A well-balanced diet using ingredients familiar to Japanese people is said to be good for adjusting the intestinal environment.

● Ma: Beans (soybean products such as tofu, miso, and natto)
● Go: Sesame seeds (almonds, peanuts, etc.)
● Wakame (seaweed such as kelp and wakame seaweed)
● Ya: Vegetables (green-yellow vegetables, light-colored vegetables, root vegetables, etc.)
● Sa: Fish (salmon, horse mackerel, mackerel, etc.)
● Shiitake mushrooms (mushrooms such as shimeji mushrooms and maitake mushrooms)
● I: Potatoes (potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other potatoes)

■ What is K-an's "evolved form! Colored intestinal activity set"?

Based on the concept of “Magowa Yasashii”, we used plenty of ingredients that can be expected to boost immunity, and finished it as a set that can be beautiful from the inside of the body.
An “evolved form! Colorful intestinal activity set” devised by Chef Kuwahara, using seasonal ingredients for local production for local consumption.

【menu】
● Appetizer (9 dishes)
Flavors of panissa, sauteed mushrooms, Russian salad, caponata, tofu and seaweed corne, soaked greens, pickles, Bagna cauda, sweet potato red wine and mirin
● Main
Grilled white fish with almonds and carrot puree
● Soup
Miso soup with lots of ingredients
● Rice
Aichi rice “Aichi no Kaori” with black rice
● Pickles
Local vegetables pickled in mirin kasuzuke
● Tea and sweets
Nishio roasted green tea and small sweets

Evolved form! Colorful intestinal activity set

Price: 2,200 yen (tax included)
Offer period: November 1st (Sun) -November 29th (Sun), 2020
* 10 meals limited to 1 day
* Reservation required by phone by the day before

> Restaurant & Cafe K-an Official Site

About "Kokonoe Mirin Co., Ltd."

Founded in 1772, it is now over 240 years old. A mirin maker with the oldest surviving “Mirin warehouse” in Japan. Hekinan City, Aichi Prefecture, is the birthplace of Mirin Mirin, and Kokonoe Mirin’s Okura is a nationally registered tangible cultural property.

The representative product, Hon Mirin “Kujirigento”, won the Honorary Award at the National Liquor Fair from the Taisho era to the Showa era. He won the Honor Award three times and won the highest “Honorary Award”. Only “Kuju Sakura” won this award. It is the only valuable “honor award”.

New

New

Featured articles

Kumamoto

JP info

[Minamioguni Town, Aso District]Information on new facilities and refurbished establishments around Kurokawa Onsen

Discover newly opened facilities and refurbished establishments in and around Kurokawa Onsen (Minamioguni Town, Kumamoto Prefecture). Each spot lies within a 5-10 minute drive from Kurokawa Onsen town, making them easy to visit between hot spring hopping. From new ventures by long-established inns to cafés nestled in lush satoyama landscapes and restaurants dedicated to local ingredients, these spots brim with diverse appeal. Explore them as fresh ways to enjoy Kurokawa Onsen.

Tochigi

JP info

Avoid the traffic and enjoy the autumn colours of Oku-Nikko at dawn: “SPACIA X NIKKO CRUISER’s Early Morning Autumn Foliage Tour” now on sale

From October 2025, we shall commence operations of the high-grade chartered coach ‘SPACIA X NIKKO CRUISER’ as a new secondary transport service within the Nikko area. To commemorate the launch, Tobu Top Tours Co., Ltd. has planned the ‘SPACIA X NIKKO CRUISER Early Morning Autumn Foliage Viewing Journey’, which will go on sale from Friday, 12 September 2025.

Countrywide

Event

Eighty Years After the War: A Reflection on the Preciousness of Ordinary Life YUKIKAZE – In Theaters Nationwide from August 15, 2025

“To Return Alive, To Bring Others Home Alive”

Opening nationwide on August 15, 2025—marking eighty years since the end of World War II—YUKIKAZE is a feature film based on the true story of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) destroyer Yukikaze, a vessel that rescued countless lives amid the horrors of war. A press screening was held in advance at the Sony Pictures screening room.

The destroyer Yukikaze, which served throughout the Pacific War, was renowned for rescuing numerous sailors thrown into the sea during fierce naval battles, surviving to the end of the war virtually unscathed. It earned the legendary moniker “the lucky ship.” This film brings to life the ship’s heroic journey, alongside the lives of those who persevered through one of the most turbulent eras in modern history.

Leading the cast is Yutaka Takenouchi as Captain Kazutoshi Terasawa—a fictional amalgamation inspired by the real-life captains of Yukikaze. Hiroshi Tamaki portrays Petty Officer First Class Kohei Hayase. Supporting roles are delivered by an ensemble of acclaimed actors including Daiken Okudaira, Rena Tanaka, Kanji Ishimaru, and Toru Masuoka. Kiichi Nakai delivers a commanding performance as Vice Admiral Seiichi Itō, the Second Fleet Commander of the IJN who met his fate aboard the battleship Yamato.

In today’s world, once again shaken by division and violence, YUKIKAZE poses an urgent question to those of us living in the peace that others fought to protect: Are we once again treading the path of past mistakes? As collective memory of the war fades, this film becomes ever more vital—a call to reflect on the true value of peace.

Fukuoka

Event

Restaurant

Takamiya Garden Saryo, Minami-ku, Fukuoka City, 18 Jul (Fri) – 11 Aug (Mon, national holiday) Summer event to feel cooler ‘Summer Lights – NATSU NO HI’ Reservations now being accepted.

The Takamiya Teien Saryo will hold its popular seasonal event “Summer Lights” from 18 July (Fri) to 11 August (Mon) 2025.A special dinner course, prepared exclusively for Summer Lights, featuring an abundance of seasonal fish and summer vegetables to bring out the coolness of summer. The meal finishes with shaved ice with matcha green tea, a summery treat. Please enjoy the dishes that gently add coolness to your summer evening in a relaxed atmosphere.

Hiroshima

Art

Simose Art Museum: “Ambient, Environment, Circumstances – The Topography of Contemporary Art”Interview Part II: Ryosuke Yoshimura, Kisei Takahashi, Mario Cristiani, and Stefano Pesce

Opened in 2023 in Otake City, Hiroshima Prefecture, the Simose Art Museum sits on the shores of the Seto Inland Sea, facing the sacred island of Itsukushima. Designed by globally acclaimed architect Shigeru Ban, the museum rose to international prominence when it was awarded the Versailles Prize in December 2024 as the ‘World’s Most Beautiful Museum,’ drawing significant global attention.

To commemorate this achievement, the museum launched its first-ever contemporary art exhibition, Ambient, Environment, Circumstances – The Topography of Contemporary Art, which runs from April 26 to July 21, 2025. Within just ten days of opening, the exhibition surpassed 10,000 visitors—a record-breaking turnout for the museum.

Featuring works by emerging artists born between 1980 and 2000, primarily from across Asia, this special exhibition marks a bold new chapter for the museum as it ventures into contemporary territory.

Following our previous interview, HYAKKEI continues its coverage with insights from Ryosuke Yoshimura, Representative Director of Simose Art Museum; Kisei Takahashi, Board Director of the museum; Mario Cristiani, co-founder of Italy’s leading gallery Galleria Continua; and Stefano Pesce, Advisor of the Mark Tobey Committee CMT.

Hiroshima

Art

Simose Art Museum: “Ambient, Environment, Circumstances – The Topography of Contemporary Art”Interview Part I: Chief Curator Keita Saito

Opened in 2023 in Otake City, Hiroshima Prefecture, the Simose Art Museum sits on the shores of the Seto Inland Sea, facing the sacred island of Itsukushima. Designed by globally acclaimed architect Shigeru Ban, the museum rose to international prominence when it was awarded the Versailles Prize in December 2024 as the ‘World’s Most Beautiful Museum,’ drawing significant global attention.

To commemorate this achievement, the museum launched its first-ever contemporary art exhibition, Ambient, Environment, Circumstances – The Topography of Contemporary Art, which runs from April 26 to July 21, 2025. Within just ten days of opening, the exhibition surpassed 10,000 visitors—a record-breaking turnout for the museum.

Featuring works by emerging artists born between 1980 and 2000, primarily from across Asia, this special exhibition marks a bold new chapter for the museum as it ventures into contemporary territory.

HYAKKEI visited the exhibition shortly after its opening and sat down with Chief Curator and artist Keita Saito for an in-depth interview. “I wanted this project to challenge the current condition of the Japanese art world,” Saito noted.

Pick Up

Pick Up