[PRESS RELEASE] "August 1st is Azuki Bean Day"! Your summer vacation independent study project is decided! A 90-minute parent-child lesson on little-known facts about azuki beans.
An Corporation Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Osaka; Representative Director: Sayuka Kobayashi), which aims to convey the appeal of anko (sweet bean paste), will hold a special summer vacation event called "Anko de Jiyukenkyu" (Anko for Summer Research Project) on Friday, August 1, 2025, "Azuki Day*." We will invite an azuki bean farmer from Hyogo Prefecture for a fun 90-minute session to learn about the profoundness of the nutritious superfood "azuki beans" through quizzes and taste tests. This experience, designed to stimulate children's intellectual curiosity, will be held at Blooming Camp on the 3rd floor of "JAM BASE" in the North Building of Grand Green Osaka.
*Imuraya Group Co., Ltd. designated the first day of each month as "Azuki Day" based on the custom of eating azuki-gohan (rice with azuki beans) on the 1st and 15th days of the old lunar calendar to pray for good health.
"Anko de Jiyukenkyu" Event Overview
This event is packed with surprising "bean-y" facts about azuki beans, such as "What color are their flowers?", "How are they different from soybeans?", and "Which prefecture produces the most azuki beans?" The knowledge gained from the workshop can be used directly for your summer research project, and you'll receive a worksheet and souvenirs. We encourage parents to join in during the taste-testing session!
Date and Time: Friday, August 1, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Target Age: Elementary school students from 1st to 6th grade (guardians must accompany younger children)
Venue: Grand Green Osaka North Building "JAM BASE" 3F Blooming Camp Share Kitchen (Sakura Internet Inc. Headquarters, JAM BASE 3F, Grand Green Osaka North Building, 6-38 Ofuka-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka)
Participation Fee: 1,000 yen (tax included) per child
How to Apply: Please apply via the event URL (https://peatix.com/event/4486192).
Voice from the Azuki Bean Farmer
"Cream and chocolate are certainly delicious, but anko, which has been a sweet in Japan since ancient times, is actually good for your body. So, I would be happy if people thought, 'Anko might be a good choice too' when choosing snacks."
About the Venue
Blooming Camp is a facility for open innovation operated by Sakura Internet Inc. Located in the Umeda 2nd District "Grand Green Osaka," it aims to create "places" and "opportunities" for diverse people to gather and foster innovation through their interactions. Based on the corporate philosophy of "turning 'what you want to do' into 'what you can do'," the facility strives to be a place where people connect both physically and online, and new challenges are born.
About An Corporation
With the motto "Making the world happy with anko!", An Corporation is working to curb the decline in anko consumption among younger generations and the decreasing self-sufficiency rate of domestic azuki beans. We also aim to promote "anko culture" to the world, not just within Japan. Meanwhile, Japanese agriculture faces the challenge of an aging workforce, with about 70% of core farmers reportedly being over 65 years old. This event was realized with the passionate desire of farmers who dedicate themselves daily to agriculture, wanting to "convey the appeal of azuki beans."