Genghis Khan (lamb barbecue).
That's truly the soul food of Hokkaido residents.

If you say "We're having yakiniku tonight!" at home, the dinner table will naturally be filled with Jingisukan (Mongolian barbecue).
Cherry blossom viewing parties, neighborhood gatherings, and summer barbecues in the garden—of course, the dish served is Jingisukan (Mongolian barbecue).

Guidebooks feature a variety of restaurants, and many tourists visiting Hokkaido are probably surprised by the sheer number of establishments displaying signs for Genghis Khan (grilled lamb).
Have you ever paid attention to the "hot pot" used in that Genghis Khan dish?

For those of you thinking, "Huh? It's just a simple iron pot, right?"
Yes, let's go to Iwamizawa City!

A Genghis Khan hot pot art museum has opened in Iwamizawa City, featuring a collection of 150 Genghis Khan hot pots.
Each one is different in terms of material, size, and everything else.

I heard that the Jin Nabe Art Museum was opening, so I went to check it out, coinciding with the opening party.

1. The origins of Genghis Khan
2. Location of the Jin Nabe Art Museum
3. Exhibits at the Jin Nabe Art Museum
4. Not just to see, but to taste and experience the history of jin nabe.
Final thoughts

It is said that Genghis Khan (grilled lamb) originated from the Chinese lamb dish "Kao Yang Rou".

Khao Yang Rou is made by thinly slicing lamb, marinating it in a sauce, and then grilling it.
The culture of eating lamb was introduced to Japan from the late Taisho period to the early Showa period.
It wasn't until the late 20s and early 30s, after the war, that these became widely available in ordinary households.

In Japan at that time, there was a push to increase sheep production in order to make clothing for the military.
However, after the sheep were shorn, there was leftover meat, and the idea of ​​using it to make Genghis Khan (grilled lamb) spread as a way to utilize it.

The Jingisukan Hot Pot Museum, which collects various Jingisukan hot pots, officially opened on November 11th.
The Jin Nabe Art Museum is located in Manji, Kurisawa-cho, Iwamizawa City.

The opening date, November 11th, coincides with the anniversary of the opening of the former JNR Manji Line, which Manji also used to run on.
The population, which was over 7000 at its peak, has gradually decreased.

As I drove from Sapporo city, passing scattered houses and heading towards the mountains, I came across a place where people were gathered.
The day I went to cover the event, November 12th, the day after the opening, was the opening event featuring a potluck Genghis Khan barbecue.

The people who had already gathered were starting the fire and preparing the venue.

As I got out of the car, I saw Director Mizoguchi of the Jin Nabe Art Museum, happily explaining about hot pot to the customers.
Currently, houses are sparse, and the district has a population of only about 50 people, making it a depopulated village. However, this area, which once thrived due to the presence of the Manji coal mine, is also where Director Mizoguchi's grandfather, Sakuzo Mizoguchi, opened his shop.

After that, the family continued the business for generations, but due to the closure of the old Manji Line and other factors, the shop closed in 2001.

It was in such a place that Director Mizoguchi opened the Jin-Nabe Art Museum, hoping that people would "see," "touch," and "eat" Jin-gisukan (grilled lamb) and the Jin-gisukan pot through the collection and exhibition of Jin-gisukan, and learn about them.

I actually stepped inside the Jin Nabe Art Museum.
Inside, gin pots and bottles of gin sauce were lined up everywhere.

There are a staggering 157 Jin Nabe pots! Of course, each one is unique; no two are exactly alike.
We are continuing our collection, and we plan to increase the number of exhibits in the future.

What prompted Director Mizoguchi to start collecting?

Director Mizoguchi was the organizer of inter-industry networking events.
That's when I met Takashi Kitano, who has made the study of Genghis Khan (grilled lamb) and Jinpa (Genghis Khan parties) his life's work.

Through his interactions with Mr. Kitano, Director Mizoguchi became fascinated by the allure of jin nabe (a type of hot pot).
And so, Director Mizoguchi and Mr. Kitano took the lead, and together with members of the inter-industry exchange group, they began searching for an old-style jin kettle.

At that time, while Director Mizoguchi was cleaning out the warehouse of the Mizoguchi Store, which is now a museum, a Genghis Khan grill was also found in the warehouse.
Upon further investigation, it became clear that these items are quite rare and valuable.

One of the pots found in the warehouse of Mizoguchi Shoten.
It has a detachable handle, making it easy to carry even when the pot is hot.

The handle is shaped like a shachihoko (mythical sea creature).

That sparked Director Mizoguchi's passion for collecting gin pots, and the gin pot art museum is the culmination of his steady collection.

Jin woks are collected based on various criteria, including not only the material and shape, but also other factors.

The slits allow the smoke from the fire below the pot to directly hit the meat, thus smoking it.

A star from Hokkaido! It bears the logo of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.

I'm curious how those bell-shaped things are baked.
Some things are difficult to distinguish or understand without a close comparison.

However, each pot comes with detailed instructions, so you can rest assured.
Reading the explanation will deepen your understanding.

As I spoke with Director Mizoguchi, I learned that Jin Nabe has undergone various evolutions.

For example, grills with slits were commonly used in the past because people were grilling Genghis Khan outdoors where ventilation wasn't a concern.
Gradually, more and more families started cooking Genghis Khan (grilled lamb) indoors, and as a result, grills that produced a lot of smoke became inconvenient, leading to a shift towards grills without slits.

Furthermore, as food is increasingly used for leisure and recreational activities, there is a growing preference for food that is easy to carry and easy to dispose of after use.
Then, disposable aluminum cookware and complete sets containing everything from a heat source and pot to ingredients and sauces became available.

In some regions, marinated raw meat became popular, and cookware was developed that prevented the meat from burning when grilling, as well as cookware that made cleanup easier.

The Jin Nabe Art Museum displays a large number of jin nabe dishes.
I've discovered that Genghis Khan hot pot can be enjoyed as an art form as well.

But you can't understand a pot just by looking at it! You can only truly understand a pot by actually cooking with it.

While some of the pots are unusable, the Jin Nabe Art Museum lends out usable pots as part of its dynamic preservation efforts.
(Limited to designated areas within the museum grounds). You can also learn how to clean up afterwards and how to use the pots and pans.

If you'd like to try it out, please make a reservation by phone, bring your own heat source, ingredients, tableware, and other necessary items, and enjoy a Genghis Khan barbecue using a unique pot that you like.

Final thoughts

How was it.

This museum is dedicated solely to Genghis Khan grilling pots. While Hokkaido residents see them every day, a visit will surely surprise you with the sheer variety available.
Furthermore, those from outside Hokkaido will be able to experience the passion and dedication that the people of Hokkaido have for Jingisukan (grilled lamb).

Genghis Khan Hot Pot Art Museum
Address: 8 Nakamachi, Manji, Kurisawa-cho, Iwamizawa City, Hokkaido
Phone number: 090-7054-0971
(Director Mizoguchi's cell phone)
Admission: Free. Donations are welcome.
Opening days and hours: Summer season from April to the end of October.
The museum is generally open on Saturdays and Sundays. However, since the director is a faculty member at Hokusei Gakuen Junior College, the museum is only open when the director is available. However, it is open every year on November 11th as the anniversary of its founding. Opening dates will be posted on the Facebook page.
Facebook:Jingisukan Art Museum / Jingisukan Museum / Genghis Khan Hot Pot Museum

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