Hello! This is Aikero, a writer for SaruKuma.
Recently, my family and I visited the Otsuka Food Education Meat Festival (^^)/
Organized by Otsuka staff who are themselves moms and dads, this event featured hands-on experiences centered on food education, plus delicious gourmet eats.
Beyond the parent-child activities, there were educational panel displays about the importance of food, and countless thoughtful touches that families with young kids could really appreciate.
Let me walk you through what made this such a wonderful event!

Otsuka Food Education Meat Festival

Date: Saturday, May 24 – Sunday, May 25, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Venue: Otsuka Co., Ltd. Loeffel Distribution Complex / Niku no Dokkin parking area
2-6 Ryutsu-Danchi, Minami-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture

Feel Like a Cut of Meat? Exploring the Giant Refrigerator!

With food education as the theme, this event let visitors see, touch, cook, and taste — really experiencing the importance of food firsthand.

First up was a tour of the butcher shop’s massive refrigerator — somewhere you’d never normally get to see inside!
Since this is a food handling area, we put on hairnets and disinfected our shoes before going in.

Wait, we’re already inside the refrigerator?!
This place isn’t just food — there’s all kinds of machinery, forklifts, and entire rooms. Nothing like a home fridge!
They showed us machines that store meat at non-freezing temperatures and others that submerge meat in alcohol liquid at minus 30 degrees Celsius. You can really see how thoroughly the meat is managed before it reaches our tables.
We were surprised to learn that horse meat even has its own dedicated clean room.
The freezer was at the very back.
“Could you stay in there for even a minute?” the staff member asked, and the kids’ eyes went wide.
Inside the freezer, water vapor had frozen into a misty white haze — even the air we breathed felt cold enough to freeze our throats!
A towel that had been placed in the freezer just five minutes earlier was already frozen stiff as a board, as you can see.
With every breath, our bodies grew colder — we got a tiny taste of what frozen meat must feel like!
It was a rare chance to experience a minus 20 degree world and peek behind the scenes of a butcher shop in ways we never could before.

Family Flavor! Making One-of-a-Kind Pizzas Together

Here’s the parent-child pizza making class.
Kids stretch the dough and add their favorite toppings to create one-of-a-kind original pizzas.
Every shape and topping combination is totally different — that’s what makes it so fun!
“You can pile on as much cheese as you want!” — that kind of freedom is something only hands-on events can offer.
“You’re making it square?!” — moms were surprised by the unexpected shapes their kids came up with!
Parents and kids working together, laughing together — even just watching, you could feel the joy in the air.
The finished pizzas got baked in the wood-fired oven at the Loeffel Distribution Complex location, giving them that beautiful aromatic char.
Melty cheese and a perfectly golden crust — original pizzas complete!
“That smells amazing!” “I want to eat it now!” — families enjoyed their fresh creations in the rest area.

Level Up Your Cooking — A Dad-Chef Is Born!

Wearing the apron is… Dad!
In the Dokkin Ryudan kitchen, there was a rare cooking class designed especially for dads.
The class featured hamburger steaks made with Otsuka’s famous Aka-ushi (Kumamoto red beef), and the chef even taught everyone how to properly wash rice from scratch.
For most of these dads, it was their very first cooking class!
One dad even said, “I’m at cooking level 1.”
The chef carefully explained how to hold the knife, how to move it, and how to cut, and the dads were watching with serious focus.
Even a dad who admitted, “I’m not great with knives,” gave finely chopping a try with the chef’s guidance!Could a level-1 cook really have made these? The hamburger steaks came out with such an appetizing golden sear!
After this class, we just might see more dads taking the lead in the kitchen at home with newfound confidence.

The Cutest Competition! Crawl & Toddle Grand Prix

On May 25, Wire Mama Kumamoto teamed up with Otsuka to host the Crawl & Toddle Grand Prix.The little competitors did their best with a big crowd cheering them on.At the finish line, moms, dads, and older siblings waited with open arms.
Some babies cried, others smiled big without a care, and every little face was full of expression.
Not just the parents — every spectator watching couldn’t help but smile. It was a heartwarming scene!

So Much Excitement! The Play Area

The covered kids’ space was designed to be comfortable in any weather.
Having a corner where kids can play freely is always such a relief for parents!
Big sheets of paper were available, and amazingly, kids could even draw all over the cardboard floor!
Kids dove into the ball pit, got absorbed in stacking blocks, and moms drew alongside their little ones.
We even saw children who’d just met each other playing happily together.
There were plenty of toys on hand: building blocks, drawing supplies, play kitchen sets, and more.
One especially fun feature was this face-cutout photo board.
You just can’t help snapping photos!
There were also panels showing the sales team, store division, and hall staff — a fun way to learn about all the different jobs at Otsuka.
Twice a day, Otsuka’s official mascot, Akausshi-kun, made an appearance!
The moment he appeared, kids came running — he was an instant hit!
We got photos with our kids too.
Akausshi-kun fans (paper hand-fans) were also given out at the venue.
Friendly staff members kept asking, “Have you got your fan yet?” so each of our kids ended up with one.
My kids already have plenty of bouncy balls at home, but they always want to try the bouncy ball scoop game.
The kind rule meant even kids who didn’t catch any still got one as a bonus, and my son was thrilled.
Ring toss at almost zero distance (haha!).
Every Otsuka staff member was so kind to the kids — you could feel their genuine wish for the children to have a great time.
The giant Kumamon bouncy castle had kids squealing with delight — you could hear their happy voices from outside!
Jiichan Kobo (Grandpa’s Workshop) had warm, handcrafted wooden toys that were a real hit.
At the children’s cafeteria tent, the thousand-string fishing game and candy scoop were both free!The thrill of not knowing what you’d reel in totally captured the kids’ hearts.
My daughter scored another bouncy ball, and my son got candy!
There was even a charity bazaar.

Hearts and Bellies Both Full! The Food Area

And now, the part I’d been secretly looking forward to: the gourmet area.
The event-exclusive meat skewers were a must-try!
Varieties included Aka-ushi (Kumamoto red beef), horse, pork, and handmade Pirka sausages from Hokkaido.
I bought one for myself, but my son — who can never resist anything that smells good — took a big bite!
The Aka-ushi was tender, juicy, and absolutely delicious.
At the Patisserie Letry tent, I picked up some chocolate chip cookies.
I had no idea the Otsuka Group included a confectionery shop until this event!
The cookies were wonderfully crisp and crumbly — really delicious.
The weather was pleasant on both days, but kids always seem to crave shaved ice no matter the temperature!
My daughter was no exception — she happily devoured a bowl.
Food trucks from Otsuka group affiliates were also there: Ogura’s karaage (Japanese fried chicken), roast beef bowls, and candied apples.
All kid favorites — we definitely left with full bellies!
The rest and dining area was covered and even had tatami flooring.
Pretty unusual for an outdoor event, right?
The thoughtful setup made it easy for parents to relax and eat with their kids.
Each table had paper towels and wet wipes ready to go.
Little parent-friendly touches like this — courtesy of the mom and dad staff who organized the event — were everywhere.

Receiving the Gift of Life

Did you check out the food education panels in the rest and dining area?
They were written entirely in hiragana so kids could read them on their own.
Parents and kids could learn together about the journey from a living cow to the meat on our plates.
As a parent myself, it reminded me how important it is to say “itadakimasu” and “gochisousama” with genuine gratitude, and to truly cherish every meal.

Memories to Take Home

As a special perk for visitors, anyone who added Otsuka’s official LINE account got a free family photo calendar.
Delivery comes later, but it’s a wonderful keepsake for the whole family!

Thoughtful Touches from a Parent’s Perspective

Because the event was planned by Otsuka staff who are themselves moms and dads, parent-friendly touches were everywhere.

The nursing room had a security camera installed so moms and babies could feel completely safe.
Behind the headquarters tent, there was a dedicated diaper-changing area too.

To help parents pack lighter bags, hot water for formula, paper plates, spoons, and forks were all provided.
In the kids’ area and the rest and dining area, paper towels and wet wipes were placed on every table.
With such thoughtful preparation, every visitor could relax and fully enjoy the event.

Final Thoughts

Two days packed with family learning experiences, delicious food, and smiles all around.
“Will they have this event again?”
My daughter and son didn’t want to leave — they had that much fun.
And of course, as parents, watching our children’s joy and savoring such great food filled our hearts to the brim.
The care and kindness of the mom and dad staff made this an event our family will always remember.
Whenever the next one is held, we’ll definitely be back to join the hands-on activities again!

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