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The tiny, curved bottle with the red cap -- Yakult -- has become one of the world's most popular probiotic drinks. At the Yakult Ibaraki Plant, one of the company's many factories across Japan, you can see firsthand how the powerful probiotic is made and even sample some yourself. Note: Further down the road, you'll find another factory for the iconic brand Kewpie. However, you don't need to travel all the way to Ibaraki, as there's also a Kewpie Mayo Terrace in Tokyo. Also visit: Yakult Gohonmaru Cafe & Gallery and the Yakult Cosmetics Factory (Fujisawa) What to expect Each of the Yakult factories in Japan specialize in different products. At the Ibaraki Plant they make three main types: New Yakult (reduced calorie), Y1000, and Y1000 Low Carbohydrate. To put things into perspective, this specific factory produces a whopping 30,000 bottles an hour. On the day of our visit, they produced 733,000! For the first part of this tour, the guide will take you to a uniquely-shaped room (you'll understand once you see), where you can sample a bottle of the Y1000. While sipping on your health-boosting drink, you will watch a 10-minute animated video about the history and benefits of the creamy drink. After this, you will see firsthand the factory and production line. The guide will explain in detail each step of production, from how the factory uniforms are put on (yes, there's a special technique) to how Yakult is actually made. As a farewell, you will recieve a Yakult Man-themed goody bag full of some of the other products Yakult makes. These include a pack of ramen and a bottle opener made from recycled Yakult bottles. Kids will instead receive a cute ruler. Sadly, there is no gift shop or café on site. It is also important to note that you cannot take photos or videos of any of the actual factory tour, only the decorated entrance. Speaking of the entrance, there are some fun interactive elements there -- including a wall full of Yakult from around the world, coloring stations, and even a fortune-telling station (we got good luck on our visit). Entry The Yakult factory tour is free for anyone to join. However, you will need to make a reservation beforehand on the official website. There are three tours per day: at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Each tour lasts about 60 minutes and is conducted entirely in Japanese (there is English signage though). We recommend booking at least a week in advance. How to get there Getting to the Yakult Ibaraki Plant is relatively straightforward if you make sure to check the exact train you are boarding. The easiest way is to start at Shinjuku Station and catch the Shonan-Shinjuku Line to Utsunomiya. This takes you directly to Kurihashi Station, the nearest station to the factory. It takes roughly around one hour and costs . Once you get to Kurihashi Station, exit out the East Exit and jump into a taxi. It is then a 7-minute, approximately drive to the factory site. Although it is technically possible to walk, we wouldn't recommend it, as it is 35 minutes!

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