"Metal is hard, right?"
There's an experience that will bend that common assumption right before a child's eyes.
Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture has been a "casting" town since the Edo period.
At this sacred place of metalworking, the spot that is now wildly popular with families is the casting experience at the "Nousaku Headquarters Factory."
The material used in the experience is a special metal called "tin (pewter)."
You can safely experience the exact same process a real craftsperson follows: scooping tin melted to a liquid at approximately 230°C with a ladle and pouring it into a "sand mold" you made yourself.
And the biggest magic of tin comes after it cools and hardens!
The finished metal small plate or chopstick rest is soft enough that "you can bend it with your own hands."
The astonishment of "Wait!? Metal can bend!?" becomes the ultimate food education and tool education to ignite children's curiosity about science.
In this article, we'll thoroughly guide you through everything from the fascinating properties of tin, to a Toyama / Takaoka sightseeing model course to enjoy alongside a beautiful factory tour!
Tips for Enjoying the Casting Experience as a Family (30 seconds)
- A science experiment with all five senses: The coldness of sand, the heat of molten metal, watching it solidify. All of it becomes the ultimate independent research project.
- Watching liquid metal: Seeing metal in a liquid state at approximately 230°C is an extraordinary, thrilling experience even for adults.
- Amazed by bending metal: Bending the finished product with your own strength shatters the fixed idea that "metal = hard."
- The factory tour is super stylish: Nousaku's factory tour is so refined it's been called "the most beautiful in the world" — a fun way to learn about the behind-the-scenes of manufacturing.
1. [Deep Dive] Why Does It Bend? The 3 Magical Properties of Tin
Before the experience, let's tell children about the wonderful characteristics of "tin" — knowing these will make the experience far more exciting!
① "Soft" Enough to Bend with Your Hands
100% pure tin, free of impurities, is a metal that is unusually soft — so soft that a human hand can easily bend it.
When you bend it, it makes a strange sound called "Tin Cry" (a crackling, squeaking noise), which is one of its unique characteristics. It's a "living metal" that you can reshape yourself.
② "Purifying Effect" That Makes Drinks Taste Better
It has long been said that "water stored in tin vessels doesn't spoil" and "sake loses its off-flavors and becomes smooth and mellow."
This is because tin has a high ionic effect and antibacterial properties. The water or juice you drink every day truly tastes better just from being poured into a tin cup.
③ "Thermal Conductivity" That Chills to the Max
Because of its heat-conducting properties, cooling a tin vessel in the refrigerator for just a few minutes makes the entire vessel ice-cold.
When you pour cold tea or juice into it, the moment your lips touch it you're startled by the cold — it's a truly magical kitchen tool that makes drinks deliciously cold.
2. Pack the Sand, Pour the Metal! 3 Steps of the Casting Experience
In the experience, you'll use a traditional casting method called "green sand casting" — making a mold from "namako-suna" (green sand) and pouring metal into it.
| Step | What Happens & Key Points |
|---|---|
| ① Press the Sand Firmly to Make the "Mold" |
[Sand Play, Level Up!] Press sand firmly and powerfully into a wooden frame, imprinting the shape of the item you want to make (such as a small plate) to create a "sand mold." This step is enjoyable for the cool sensation of the sand. |
| ② Pour in the Liquid Metal |
[The Ultimate Science Experiment!] Scoop the tin melted to a liquid at approximately 230°C with a ladle and pour it into the sand mold. Watching the silver liquid flow in is an extraordinary, thrilling sight! (※ Staff will provide safe, close assistance throughout) |
| ③ Remove and Polish (Complete!) |
[A Shining Treasure Is Born] Once the metal has cooled and hardened, remove it from the sand. Polish it until it gleams with a file and other tools, and your one-of-a-kind tin item is complete! You can bend it right there with your hands to give it your preferred shape. |
3. [Toyama / Takaoka] Recommended Family Experience Spot: "Nousaku"
※ The pins on the map indicate the spots introduced in this article. Please check the official websites for the latest information on prices and opening days.
Nousaku Headquarters Factory | The World's Most Beautiful Casting Factory
The headquarters factory of "Nousaku," one of Japan's leading brass and tin casting manufacturers.
This is no ordinary factory — it's a beautiful and fun facility more like a cutting-edge "industrial tourism theme park!"
At "NOUSAKU LAB" inside the facility, a casting experience where you make tin small plates, sake cups, and more using the same tools as the craftspeople is held every day.
Additionally, the free "factory tour" lets you get up close and witness craftspeople actually working with metal at 1,300°C — and the heat of that scene powerfully stimulates children's "longing for manufacturing."
👨👩👧👦 Family & Fun Checklist
- The café is fantastic: At the facility's café "IMONO KITCHEN," you can enjoy outstanding lunches and sweets using Toyama local ingredients, served in Nousaku's tin vessels.
- Thrilled at the shop: The magical "KAGO" series — bendable metal items — and more are lined up. Even moms and dads can't stop shopping!
Basic Information (Approximate)
- Experience: Casting experience (sake cups, small plates, chopstick rests, etc.)
- Duration: Experience: 30 min or 90 min / Factory tour: approx. 30 min
- Price Range: Experience: ¥3,850–¥4,950 (varies by item), Elementary school students: from ¥550 / Factory tour: Free
- Reservations: Advance booking via the official website is required (extremely popular — early booking recommended)
✨ The Magic of Softness! Nousaku's "Bendable Tin Items"
For those who say "Toyama is too far to go..." — the "bendable metal items" that made Nousaku world-famous are also available for delivery online! The "KAGO" series that stretches and becomes a basket when pulled, and chopstick rests you can bend to any angle, are magical items guaranteed to astonish anyone you show them to at dinner parties. They're also hugely popular as gifts.
4. [Model Itinerary] Factory Tour and Doraemon! A Takaoka Day Trip Schedule
Takaoka City is not only home to "casting" — it's also the hometown of "Fujiko F. Fujio," the creator of Doraemon. Here is the golden route for a day that delights children with manufacturing and beloved characters!
- 10:00 | Arrive at "Nousaku Headquarters Factory." Join the spectacular "factory tour!"
- 11:30 | Enjoy a stylish lunch served in tin vessels at the facility's "IMONO KITCHEN"
- 13:00 | Join your reserved "tin casting experience!"
(Pack sand and pour liquid metal to make a bendable small plate) - 15:00 | Drive over and be awed by the scale of "Takaoka Daibutsu" — one of Japan's three great Buddha statues
- 16:00 | Visit the "Takaoka City Museum (Fujiko F. Fujio Hometown Gallery)" or play in the park with Doraemon's iconic vacant lot, then head home
5. Where to Play After the Experience! 3 Powerful Sightseeing & Dining Spots Nearby
① Takaoka Daibutsu | A Crystallization of Takaoka's Casting Technology
A giant Buddha statue, approximately 16 meters tall, that suddenly appears in the middle of Takaoka's city streets.
This great Buddha was also made from bronze casting — the same "Takaoka casting technique" used at the Nousaku factory!
Telling children "The same method used to make the little metal plate in today's experience was used to make this giant Buddha!" will further expand their sense of scale and wonder.
② Takaoka City Fujiko F. Fujio Hometown Gallery | Touch the Origins of Manga
Takaoka City is the birthplace of Fujiko F. Fujio, the creator of "Doraemon."
This gallery inside Takaoka City Museum displays handmade toys by the creator and original drawings from numerous masterworks — a space that both adults and children can become absorbed in.
There is also "Takaoka Otogi-no-Mori Park (Doraemon's Vacant Lot)" in the city, lined with bronze statues of Doraemon characters — hugely popular as a commemorative photo spot.
③ "Shiro-ebi" (White Shrimp) & Seafood Dining | 3 Recommended Family-Friendly Lunch Spots
When visiting Toyama Prefecture, the fresh seafood from the rich Toyama Bay is an absolute must.
In particular, the crispy tempura of "shiro-ebi" (white shrimp) — called "the jewel of Toyama Bay" — and the sweet, melt-in-your-mouth sashimi are exceptional! Here are three seafood restaurants near Takaoka that are child-friendly and serve outstanding food.
🍣 Gyosanjin (Near Shin-Takaoka Station) | Superb Kakiage Bowl in a Private Room
A conveniently located seafood restaurant right in front of Shin-Takaoka Station. At lunch, you can enjoy crispy "shiro-ebi kakiage bowls," a "shiro-ebi set" with translucent sashimi, and generous seafood rice bowls at reasonable prices. The abundance of private rooms is the biggest draw — families with small children can relax without worrying about other diners.
🐟 Shinminato Kittokito Ichiba (Imizu City) | A Lively Market & Kaiwo Maru Park
A huge seafood market in the neighboring town about 20 minutes by car from Takaoka. At the restaurant you can enjoy seafood rice bowls and set meals featuring fresh raw shiro-ebi. Nearby, the "Kaiwo Maru Park (with large athletic playground equipment)" where the tall ship "Kaiwo Maru" is docked is right next door — making it the ultimate sightseeing and lunch spot where you can eat great seafood and then let the kids play to their hearts' content.
🍜 Michi-no-Eki Manyono-Sato Takaoka | Stress-Free at the Food Court!
A large roadside station along National Route 8. The spacious food court serves popular "shiro-ebi tendon" (tempura rice bowl) and easy-to-eat "shiro-ebi tenmusu" (rice balls with shrimp tempura)! With plenty of non-seafood options like Toyama Black ramen, it's worry-free even if "the kids don't like sashimi." After eating, buying "shiro-ebi senbei (shrimp crackers)" as a souvenir is the classic routine.
7. From Metal Wonders to Scenic Views! Recommended Family Accommodations in Toyama
After discovering the wonders of metal at Takaoka's beautiful factory and experiencing the thrill of bending your own plate, recover with Toyama's magnificent nature and delicious food!
We've selected the must-stay hotels from "Himi's scenic onsen ryokan" with stunning Toyama Bay views and fresh seafood, to the "large family-friendly resort in Tonami" that's a perennial favorite.
🌊 Himi Onsen Area (Stunning Views of Toyama Bay and Fresh Seafood! Natural Hot Spring Inn)
Himi Onsen-go Kutsurogi no Yado Umiakari
About 30–40 minutes by car from the Takaoka experience facility. A hot spring inn wildly popular with families, built right on the edge of Toyama Bay — known as "a natural fish tank."
The spectacular infinity open-air bath (natural hot spring) that seems to merge with the sea is incredibly liberating! And for dinner, you can feast on a lavish spread of local Toyama cuisine including fresh Himi seafood and Himi beef. Children will love the ocean scenery for sure.
🎡 Tonami Area (Family-Welcome Large Resort! All-Inclusive Plans Are Also a Hot Topic)
Mercure Toyama Tonami Resort & Spa (formerly Royal Hotel Toyama Tonami)
About 40 minutes by car from Takaoka. A classic family travel resort hotel in the Tonami area surrounded by vast nature.
Rebranded and reopened in 2024, the "all-inclusive" plan — where evening and morning buffets and lounge drinks (including alcohol) are included in the room rate — is hugely popular with moms and dads! With spacious hot spring communal baths as well, you can enjoy a relaxed family hotel stay without worrying about your wallet.
6. [After You Get Home] Light Up Your Daily Table! Welcome the Magic "Tin Vessel"
Once the casting experience has opened your eyes to the fun of metal, why not welcome a "real tin vessel" to your home table?
Tips for Using Your Tin Vessel Beautifully for a Long Time
Tin is a delicate metal — very soft and reactive to heat. Keep these points in mind and care for it lovingly over the years.
- Absolutely NO dishwasher or microwave! (Heat may cause it to deform or discolor. Always hand-wash with a soft sponge.)
- Do not put in the freezer (Chilling in the refrigerator for a few minutes is fine, but putting it in the freezer causes a phenomenon called "tin pest" where the metal structure breaks down and becomes brittle.)
- Beware of acidic things like lemon (Leaving strongly acidic contents inside for a long time can cause discoloration. Wash promptly after use.)
🍻 Moms and Dads Will Love It! Tin Items That Make Evening Drinks Dramatically Better
After the kids' educational experience, here are items adults can enjoy too. Drinking beer or Japanese sake from a tin tumbler or sake cup removes off-flavors and makes it astonishingly smooth and delicious! A perfectly chilled tin vessel holding that best-ever drink is the ultimate "adult kitchen tool" to ease the fatigue of every day.
7. Conclusion: Shape-Shifting Metal Bends Children's Curiosity Wide Open
"Look! It's metal but my hands bent it!"
At Takaoka's beautiful factory, packing sand, pouring in hot metal, creating your very own plate — and then having it cool, harden, and bend in your own hands. That moment of "astonishment" is genuine wonder that can never be obtained from a TV or smartphone screen.
The common assumption that "metal = hard and cold" gets overturned, and children start asking "Why does it bend?" and "Why do drinks taste better?" That spirit of inquiry is the most powerful education there is for nurturing curiosity about Japan's outstanding manufacturing technology and science.
This weekend, why not head out to Toyama / Takaoka — where after playing in Doraemon's vacant lot, you can touch the "magic metal" at the world's most beautiful factory?