Uiro is a Japanese sweet that is loved by all Japanese people. Its origins lie in Odawara, Kanagawa prefecture.
Sweets? Medicine?
When you visit the Uiro Museum, you’ll see the sweet “Uiro” being sold in front, and a pharmacy on the left side of the same store. Huh? Sweets? Medicine? Where is the museum? You’ll be wondering. If you ask the shop staff for the museum, they’ll guide you to the museum. The museum is located at the back, past the pharmacy. But what does it mean to sell sweets and medicine together?
A museum where secrets are revealed
The name “Uiro” comes from the surname Uiro family. The Uiro family excelled in medical arts and fortune telling, and presented their family medicine “Uiro” to the Imperial family and the Shogunate. The recipe for this medicine is still passed down to the Uiro family of Odawara, inherited from father to son. They also invented their own sweets to serve as treats for foreign envoys. These were also called “Uiro,” and the recipe spread throughout the country thanks to the craftsmen who worked there at the time.
Inside the museum, items related to the Uiro family are on display. Photography is prohibited inside the building, so I can’t show you any photos, but the exhibits are very interesting.
Kabuki classic play “Uiro-uri” scenario
When the kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjūrō II had a sore throat and couldn’t perform on stage, he took the medicinal Uiro and was completely cured. As a token of his gratitude, Danjūrō created the Uirouri scenario to play. A tongue twister recitation of the origins of Uiro and its medicinal properties is available at the museum. It is widely used as a training material for actors, announcers, and voice actors, so many people are familiar with it. What a long history it has!
Uiro the sweet and Uiro the medicine
The box of Uiro clearly states that it is a sweet. On the back, the origin is also written.
At that time, Uiro was made from brown sugar and rice flour, which were very expensive at the time. With the respect, I bought the original Uiro. I love Uiro, by the way. Compared to Nagoya Uiro, Odawara Uiro seemed to have more elasticity. It is made from natural ingredients, so you should eat it within two days after opening.
I also bought some Uiro medicinal products. This family medicine has been made by a single son since the Muromachi period, without any branching out, and has been passed down for 25 generations. There was a limit on what could be purchased because it was becoming difficult to obtain the ingredients. The medicine is a special product that can only be purchased at the main store. While I was in the store, customers were constantly coming in to buy Uiro medicinal products. It’s very popular.
Uiro has an interesting story and history. Be sure to visit Uiro museum, while you are in Odawara, and enjoy the unique history of Uiro family. It’s located close to Odawara Castle.
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1-13-17, Honcho, Odawara, Kanagawa
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