The Kitami Mint Memorial Museum is located in Kitami, Hokkaido, a city which prospered from mint production in the past. The mint of Kitami City accounted for around 70% of the world market in 1939, and in this museum a variety of documents relating to this famous mint are on display, including historical documents and dried mint specimens, as well as mint products from around the world. In front of the museum, there is an herb garden where a variety of herbs, including both Japanese and foreign varieties of mint, are grown, and in summer visitors to the museum can enjoy the flowers of the herbs too.
In the mint distillation building, which is separate from the museum, there are showings of how mint is distilled, and the air is wrapped in the gentle scent of mint that has just been extracted. The building is not just for watching the mint distillation showings, though; there are also workshop events where visitors can actually try their hand at mint extraction and use Japanese mint to make hand cream. The events vary, so make sure to check the official website for the schedule in advance.