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At the end of a long, cold winter day, have you ever found yourself craving a bowl of steaming hot miso soup to go? If you live in Tokyo, then you happen to be in luck. There’s a shop selling freeze-dried products that lets you customize your own miso soup, and even down it on site. Furthermore, you can try different varieties of miso soup from around Japan. Read on to learn more about this awesome jewel right outside Tokyo Station.

First of all, just what is freeze-dried food? A freeze-dried food is preserved by being “dried in a vacuum system while being maintained at a temperature below that of its crystallization point.” The food can then be restored to its original state by simply adding water. Supposedly, this method of food preservation retains the taste, flavors, color, and vitamins of the original food better than other preservation methods.

  • Freeze-dried food specialty shop

Japanese company Amano Foods, which specializes in freeze-dried food items, runs a specialty shop called “Amano Freeze-Dried Station.” It is located a one-minute walk from Tokyo Station. The shop sells five varieties of miso from around Japan, including Hokkaido, Sendai, Haccho (Aichi Prefecture), Setouchi (Okayama Prefecture), and Kyushu variations. Once you’ve selected your miso, you can choose your desired seasonings packet to create the miso soup of your dreams! Each packet comes individually wrapped, so if you come with a friend, you can each try a different flavor. No more fighting with your family and friends about what kind of miso soup to make!

▼Screenshot from Amano Food’s official website showing you the five varieties of miso and the eight varieties of seasonings to choose from

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▼So many flavors to choose from! Indecisive people, beware.

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▼A map of Japan showing where each of the five versions of miso originate from

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▼Close-up of the miso packets

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▼The available seasonings

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▼An example of how to create your own unique flavor

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  • Hot water dispensers are available for use at the shop

Of course it’s OK to buy the packets of miso and seasonings and take them home. There’s also a wide selection of foods that would make good o-miyage (souvenirs). But on a cold winter day, wouldn’t you rather have your miso soup as quickly as possible? The staff members completely agree with you, so they always have a ready supply of hot water in the store for people who just want to indulge there.

▼Add hot water, and voilà!

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  • Storefront boasts many limited edition items as well

Products that are preserved through freeze-drying retain their flavor and nutrient content better compared to other instant food items. There’s no harm in trying some out, right? There are many limited items in the store, so next time you’re in the area, be sure to stop by and take a peek!

Shop Information:
Shop name: “Amano Freeze-Dried Station” (『アマノフリーズドライステーション』)
Address: Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Marunouchi 2-7-2, JP Tower B1F, Inside “KITTE GRANCHE”
Hours of operation: Weekdays/Saturdays: 10AM-9PM, Sundays/National holidays: 10AM-8PM

▼Location of the store relative to Tokyo Station (a one-minute walk from the Marunouchi East Exit)

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Original article by Yuniman
Sources: Amano Foods (Japanese), Amano Foods (English)
Images: RocketNews24, Amano Foods (Japanese)
[ Read in Japanese ]