Salt Manufacturer Inheriting 400 Years of Salt Making History Opens Pop-up Stores in Marunouchi and Nihonbashi Hamacho
Tensho Co., Ltd., a salt manufacturer with a 400-year history, is opening temporary pop-up stores and cafes in Marunouchi and Nihonbashi Hamacho starting April 7th to commemorate its 400th anniversary of salt making. Each store will offer menus using "Akō no Amashio," salt-flavored sweets, sales of mineral-rich products, and various events tailored to their characteristics.
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- 📰 Published: April 2, 2026 at 20:00
Tensho Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Megumi Suzuki) will open three temporary pop-up stores and cafes in Marunouchi and Hamacho starting April 7th (Tuesday) to commemorate the 400th anniversary of salt making.
Each store will offer a wide range of attractive features tailored to its characteristics, including menus using "Akō no Amashio," sweets enjoyed with salt, sales of products utilizing salt and minerals, and event hosting.
400 Years of Salt Making
Akō Kasei Co., Ltd., which manufactures "Akō no Amashio" sold by Tensho Co., Ltd., has its roots in the Akō Higashihama salt fields, where development began in the Edo period. A tombstone of Yahei Okada, a vassal of Mitsumasa Ikeda who moved to Ozaki in Akō in 1626, is inscribed with: "He made a living by boiling the sea. This became the foundation of salt production in Akō, as well as Ozaki." The 400th anniversary will be in 2026. During the Edo period, Akō salt making was known nationwide, and the Dutch scholar Shiba Kokan wrote in his "Kokan Saiyu Nikki" (Kokan's Western Journey Diary): "Akō salt is the best in Japan."
In 2019, Akō City was certified as a Japan Heritage site by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as "Banshu Akō, the town that produced 'Japan's Best Salt'." The Akō Higashihama salt fields, the ancestral production site, are also one of the constituent cultural properties.
Pop-up Store Overview ①
Dates: April 7th (Tuesday) - April 24th (Friday) Weekdays 11:00-20:00, Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays
Location: Marunouchi happ. STORE
2-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Mitsubishi Building 1F
Main Contents:
① Collaboration deli menu
Offering lunch deli menus using 'Chicken with Lemon Marinade Sauce' and 'Umami Dashi Salt Kombu'
② Popular bento (Yanmo) will use "Akō no Amashio" during the period
③ Sales of carefully selected products
Akō Hiragama Salt, Tenkai no Shio, Tenkai no Mizu Hardness 1000
Epsom Water, Epsom Salt Bath Additive
AMAMI TERRACE Shio Koji, Shindofuji no Umeboshi, etc.
③ 400 Years of Salt Making Panel Exhibition
④ Event Hosting
Spice Herb Salt Making Experience (4/8)
Local Sake "Chushingura" Tasting & Snack Pairing (4/15)
Pop-up Store Overview ②
Dates: April 7th (Tuesday) - April 8th (Wednesday) 8:00-22:00
Location: Marunouchi happ. Stand & Gallery
2-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Marunouchi Nichome Building 1F, Nakadori side
Main Contents:
① Decorated as a collaboration shop, positioned as an advertising location for the Happ. STORE on the same premises
Utilized as an advertising store (2 days)
② Uses 'Akō no Amashio'
All menus use Akō no Amashio
③ 400 Years of Salt Making Panel Exhibition
Pop-up Store Overview ③
Dates: April 7th (Tuesday) - May 6th (Wednesday) Weekdays 11:30-21:00, Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays 10:00-18:00
Location: Hamahouse
3-10-6 Nihonbashi Hamacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Main Contents:
① Collaboration menu
Offering lunch menus using 'Chicken with Lemon Marinade Sauce' and 'Platinum Satsuki Masu'
Tensho drinks, sweets eaten with salt
Gachapon lottery with collaboration menu purchase
② In-store panels (History of "Akō no Amashio")
Display of scenic photos of Akō in the store
Display and sale of actual Akō Dantsu (carpets) in the store
③ Event Hosting
Salt Making Experience Event (4/12)
About Tensho Co., Ltd.
Established in 1973, it was founded in response to the "natural salt movement," a consumer movement that arose to restore the taste of old salt after domestic salt fields were abolished in 1971. Its flagship product, "Akō no Amashio," has been a long-selling product for over 50 years since its launch and is still loved by many consumers and culinary professionals.
With its roots in the 400-year history of the Akō Higashihama salt fields, the company sells salt that is particular about "nigari" (bittern).
FAQ
How long will the pop-up stores be open?
Marunouchi happ. STORE will be open until April 24, and Hamahouse until May 6. Marunouchi happ. Stand & Gallery is until April 8.
What kind of events will be held?
Events include spice herb salt making experience, local sake 'Chushingura' tasting, and salt making experience.
Tell me about the history of 'Akō no Amashio'.
Akō salt production began in 1626 and will celebrate its 400th anniversary in 2026. It was also recognized as a Japan Heritage site by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in 2019.