SANJO, Niigata Prefecture -- Manju sweet buns sprinkled with iron powder have gone on sale in Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture, in a bid to promote metal processing, a major local industry.
Dubbed Tsubame-Sanjo Iron Manju, the new specialty product for the prefecture's central Tsubame-Sanjo area was developed following the release of an iron-powder ice cream, which caused a nationwide buzz.
Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the opening of factories to the public for a popular local event called the "Festival of Factories" was canceled and held online instead. As a result, the number of tourists to the area plummeted.
To promote the area's metalwork industry, local companies and other entities released Iron Ice Cream in April. The ice cream drew media attention and became a hot topic.
To raise the profile of the Tsubame-Sanjo area further, the entities developed Japanese traditional sweet buns made with iron powder that can be consumed throughout the year. The dough is mixed with bamboo charcoal to express the color of iron, and edible iron powder is sprinkled on top of the buns.
Sales of the buns began at limited locations such as the Ichinokido shopping street in downtown Sanjo in late August. Full-fledged sales at other shops are slated to start in mid-September.
"We want to launch our third and fourth products to promote the Tsubame-Sanjo area to people across the nation," said Satoshi Haga, 43, the managing director of Plusys, an agricultural material sales company in the city. Haga leads the team developing the products.
A set of six manju buns sells for 1,080 yen.
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