Mentai Park Oarai

There are many unique and quirky spots and attractions in Japan, and the Mentai Park Oarai is most definitely one of them.

Mentaiko is an extremely popular side dish/topping in Japanese cuisine, and it consists of a marinated slightly spicy pollock or cod roe.
The building to the Mentai Park is topped by a gigantic Mentaiko character called Tarapiyo, which almost looks like a giant red sausage creature, and this definitely stands out when you drive by.

The main aspect to the Mentai Park is the huge factory there where Mentaiko manufacturer Kanefuku passionately makes up to 5 tons of mentaiko a day! You can walk around watching through large windows all the different processes needed to create the final product. There is even free tasting of fresh mentaiko!

There is also a Mentai Musueum where you can learn everything about mentaiko, as well a retail shop where you can buy a plethora of mentai related goods and fresh mentaiko from the factory. In addition, there is a food corner than even sells mentaiko ice cream and a variety of fresh rice balls with mentaiko inside.