The “Hakugakusen” brand of Yasumoto Sake Brewery was launched in 2001 by Yasumoto Takeshi, the current head of the family and master brewer, at the age of 27. Rather than relying on the traditions of the brewery, which was founded in 1853, Yasumoto has repeatedly refined “Hakugakusen” through trial and error, placing emphasis on data. This journey has now spanned more than 20 years, and the brand continues to evolve.

To create a new brand

The Togo district, where Yasumoto Sake Brewery is located, is in the southeastern part of Fukui City, a region blessed with nature and history. The Asuwa River flows to the north, and the rich farmland stretches out, producing Togo rice, which is renowned for its delicious taste.Near the historical site of the Asakura clan, a warlord family from the Warring States period, the Toda River runs parallel to the Togo Kaido Road, where temples and sake breweries associated with the Asakura clan stand, including Anmoto Sake Brewery, which has a long history.

Founded 170 years ago.The revolutionary figure of the 47th generation of the Anmoto family,

The Anmoto family, which has been in existence since the Heian period, was once a prominent family engaged in money changing and forestry. They transitioned to sake brewing in 1853, the year the Black Ships arrived. Anmoto-san, the 47th generation of the Anmoto family, graduated from the Brewing Department of a university and joined the National Research Institute of Brewing in Hiroshima Prefecture, where he studied not only brewing but also marketing.There, he interacted with other successors of his generation from renowned breweries across the country and discussed their dreams for the future, which strengthened his desire to launch his own brand.

The birth of the Hakutakusen brand

Before Mr. Yasumoto returned to Fukui, Yasumoto Shuzo only produced regular sake, such as junmai and ginjo, which were not designated as specific types of sake, except for sake for competitions.At the time, nearly 10 years had passed since the introduction of the specific designation system, and high-quality sake had become widely recognized as a standard for selection. Fearing that the brewery would disappear if it continued to produce only ordinary sake, Mr. Yasumoto joined the brewery in 2000 and launched the new brand “Hakutakusen” the following year.The concept is “a solitary, refined sake to accompany meals.” The sake is designed to complement dishes while refreshing the mouth and throat with each sip, leading one to unconsciously reach for another cup. This unique taste is expressed through the word “solitary.” The brand name also carries the wish that “people will gather like mountains around the sake made with water from the Shirayama mountain range and brewed in the mountainous region of Togo.”The launch of the new brand is a new challenge for Yasumoto Shuzo to uphold its 170-year tradition, and Yasumoto has thoroughly reevaluated his approach to sake production and sales, repeatedly making improvements while prioritizing data and current trends.

A product lineup that generates buzz

“Hakutakusen” currently offers five regular products, including junmai, junmai ginjo, and junmai daiginjo, as well as seasonal products sold throughout the year, with a lineup of approximately 15 to 20 varieties.Seasonal sake products typically include new sake released from winter to spring and “hiyo-oroshi,” which is sake that has been heated once and stored before being shipped in autumn. However, “Shirayama-sen” releases seasonal products in sync with cherry blossom season and the start of the Echizen crab season, leveraging Fukui’s signature attractions—cherry blossoms and Echizen crab—to generate buzz.

“Hakutakusen” has been selected twice as the in-flight sake for domestic first-class flights and has won eight consecutive Platinum Awards and a Gold Award at the French Sake Tasting Competition, earning high acclaim both domestically and internationally.

All-Fukui sake production as a brand

The bottle of “Hakutakusen” features the “FUKUI RICE ONLY” mark, which certifies that it is made exclusively with rice grown in Fukui Prefecture since 2022. Mr. Yasumoto’s commitment to using only rice from Fukui Prefecture for his sake production stems from his desire to differentiate his product in today’s market.“In modern times, delicious sake has become the norm. We at Anmoto Sake Brewery have spent a long time considering what else we can express. Ultimately, we arrived at the idea of crafting sake entirely from Fukui’s water, rice, and terroir.”

Aiming for an extremely clear and light taste

The Fukui Prefecture-produced sake rice used by Yasumoto Sake Brewery is “Gohyakumangoku” and “Gin no Sato.” Gohyakumangoku is known as one of the main production areas in Fukui Prefecture, while Gin no Sato is a sake rice developed in Kyushu. To arrive at this point, the brewery conducted trial brewing with various sake rice varieties such as Yamada Nishiki and Omachi.

“Gin no Sato was the most suitable variety for this region in terms of its ability to withstand the high polishing required for ginjo sake, as well as its ease of cultivation and cost-effectiveness.” Gin no Sato was transplanted from Kyushu to Fukui, and local farmers have been cultivating it specially for 10 years. In recent years, it has also gained attention as a variety that can withstand high temperatures in summer.

Keeping the koji-making process clean

Mr. Yasumoto limits himself to two types of sake rice because, as he explains, “First, I narrow down the rice I use, then master the sake-making process that suits that rice.” This logical and clear thinking is reflected in his statement: “What’s essential for the future of Japanese sake is a light flavor. To achieve that consistently, we continue to experiment and refine our methods.”

Pursuing a clearer flavor

“The underground water we use at our brewery is a medium-hard water rich in minerals, which promotes active yeast activity and alcohol production. We pay meticulous attention to controlling this balance appropriately.”

Targeting new markets with the “Hakutakusen” brand

When Mr. Yasumoto launched “Hakutakusen” and began producing junmai sake and ginjo sake, the company had no prior shipping record, so it was a true start-from-scratch endeavor in terms of sales. He gathered information about sake retailers that prioritized quality control from magazines and other sources, was introduced to other breweries, and ventured outside the prefecture to establish business relationships one by one. That pioneering spirit is now turning its sights overseas.Currently, approximately 10% of Anmoto Shuzo’s shipments are destined for Asia, with plans to expand into Europe and the United States in the future.

Recently, the company has developed a pure rice daiginjo sake inspired by “assemblage” and an original glass designed specifically for ‘Hakutakusen’ to enhance its flavor. These innovative proposals to globalize Japanese sake will further elevate the brand value of “Hakutakusen” and undoubtedly make its name resonate worldwide.

The post Refining the “Hakugakusen” brand and now aiming for the world. Takashi Yasumoto, Yasumoto Shuzo / Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Yamatsugi Paper is a papermaking studio for Echizen washi paper, and mainly produces fine art komagami paper. Fine art komagami paper is a general term for washi paper used for Japanese accessories, and includes papers with various patterns made using techniques unique to Echizen washi paper. Yamashita Hiroya, a sixth-generation traditional craftsman, has inherited the traditional techniques of the production area while creating an original new paper called “ukigami,” which is expanding the possibilities of Echizen washi paper.

A Japanese paper production area that has continued to evolve

Yamatsugi Paper Mill is located in the Imadate district of Echizen City. This is a major production area of ​​Japanese paper, where Kawakami Gozen is said to have taught how to make paper about 1,500 years ago, and there are still about 30 workshops remaining. Yamatsugi Paper Mill is one of them, and is located close to the approach to the majestic Okamoto Shrine and Otaki Shrine, which enshrines Kawakami Gozen.

Various techniques developed in the region

Echizen washi paper, a production area with a history of 1,500 years, has continued to protect its traditions by innovating technology to suit the times. In the early Showa period, techniques such as “hooking”, in which paper fibers are “hooked” onto a metal mold to create a pattern, and “pouring”, in which paper material is poured into a mold to create a pattern, were invented, dramatically expanding the market for art and craft paper such as fine art paper.

Even in today’s world where paperless society is on the rise, art and craft paper has increased in value as “paper for manufacturing” through the development of new patterned papers and honing molding techniques.

Making high-quality washi paper using pulp

Since ancient times, the raw materials for washi paper have been plants such as kozo, mitsumata, and gampi, and only the white bark found just beneath the outer bark is used. This white part is called jinpi, and is characterized by its long, strong fibers. Yamatsugi Paper Factory uses not only bast but also pulp used in Western paper as a raw material. Pulp makes it easy to give paper thickness and is easy to process, which has led to a wide range of uses for washi paper.

“In our workshop, we ‘make up’ the paper by placing a thin layer of kozo, mitsumata, and gampi on top of the filtered pulp,” says Yamashita.

The challenge of being part of the effort to protect this unique production area

Yamatsugi Paper Factory was founded in 1868. When it first opened, it started out by producing plain handmade washi paper such as hosho paper, but gradually began to focus on producing art komagami. In the past, they also produced a lot of postcards, but as times changed and demand for postcards fell, they began receiving more orders for sake bottle label paper, and have been producing komagami that adapts to the changing times.

Switching to mass-produced handmade paper

In the production area, the traditional way was to dry each sheet of hand-made washi paper one by one. However, in today’s world where working styles have changed, it is also important to increase efficiency. “We are a ‘mass-producer of hand-made paper,'” says Yamashita, and Yamatsugi Paper Mill has installed a press that can continuously dry hand-made washi paper. “From the perspective of washi tradition, this may be considered unorthodox, but for that tradition to continue, the paper mill needs to survive. I think it is essential to make improvements to produce more high-quality paper while still sticking to hand-made paper.”

Developing new washi paper using traditional techniques

Yamatsugi Paper Mill is a family-run workshop run by Yamashita, his father, and employees, with Yamashita’s uncle currently serving as the representative. After graduating from a vocational school, Yamashita worked at a store specializing in washi crafts in Kyoto before returning to Yamatsugi Paper Mill 20 years ago. “By going outside once, I realized how amazing this production area is. And I felt strongly that we, the younger generation, need to continue to take on new challenges, rather than just relying on the traditions built by our great predecessors.”

The Birth of Ukigami

Yamashita, who wanted to create cutting-edge washi paper, noticed a family crest-like mark embossed on washi paper. He had the idea that if he embossed this repeatedly, he could create washi paper with a new design, so he tried it with his father and others. The paper that was embossed all over had a clearly uneven surface, and it looked like it was floating, so he named it “Ukigami (floating paper)”. Yamashita was convinced that this new washi paper would definitely attract attention.

The three-dimensional pattern creates a rich look

Traditional embossing is a technique that similarly presses a mold into paper to make a pattern stand out, but it inevitably results in rounded corners. However, with embossed paper, the pattern stands out at right angles, making it appear more three-dimensional. The unevenness of the pattern creates shadows, and the way it looks changes depending on the angle of the light is also an appealing feature.

Ukigami can also be dyed to your preferred color after it has been made. Although only one color can be used, the intensity of the color changes between the recessed and raised areas, resulting in a beautiful two-color finish.

Aiming to develop new products using new washi paper

Ukigami was featured in a sample book, but Yamashita felt that this alone was not enough. “As things stand, Ukigami will only be distributed in a limited number of countries. Ukigami has more potential, and I want more people to know about it,” said Yamashita, and he began to develop unique products for Yamashita Paper Mill using Ukigami.

Sample products of washi paper

In 2017, they developed a stylish tea canister wrapped in ukigami. The main purpose of this product was not to sell, but to show people the possibilities of ukigami. The tea canister was to show people that the underside of ukigami is flat and can be attached to various things, and the card case was to appeal that ukigami is durable and can be sewn on.

Participating in exhibitions proved successful

Next, in order to raise awareness of Ukigami, Yamashita began exhibiting tea cans at an exhibition in 2017, where craft manufacturers from all over the country gather. At first, he struggled to receive orders, but after exhibiting a second and third time, he gained connections with buyers, and in 2019, at the third exhibition, Yamatsugi Paper’s tea can won first place overall in a popularity vote by visitors. The Ukigami tea can was featured on the cover of the monthly magazine Fujingaho, and Yamashita says, “We became known as Yamatsugi for tea cans.” As the tea cans became popular, Yamatsugi Paper received more requests from manufacturers around the country, asking them to make Ukigami to match their products. “I was happy when my father, whom I respect, praised us for developing new business partners,” Yamashita says with a smile.

Increasing our strengths as a workshop

In 2021, Yamatsugi Paper’s ukigami paper was used on the packaging of Godiva, a luxury French chocolate brand. The pattern, which uses motifs such as the letter “G” for Godiva, was also designed by Yamatsugi Paper. The designer was Taniguchi Misaki. Taniguchi studied graphic design as a student, and after working at a design office in Fukui City, she joined Yamatsugi Paper in 2020. She is now learning papermaking in parallel with her design work. “Having an in-house craftsman-designer allows us to make better proposals to clients. It’s a big strength for us,” says Yamashita.

Washi paper opens up new possibilities in manufacturing

Yamatsugi Paper Mill’s Ukigami is a new type of washi paper created using the traditional technique of embossing. Yamashita is enthusiastic about updating the various techniques handed down in the production area to develop “washi that feels new for today’s age.”

He says that unique washi paper like Ukigami still has a lot of potential as a manufacturing material. “By developing original products and responding to various requests from clients, I want to make washi a common part of modern manufacturing.”

To achieve this dream, Yamashita says he wants to improve his communication and presentation skills with overseas companies, and this is sure to further increase the global reputation of Echizen Washi, which prides itself on being a “cutting-edge washi paper mill.”

The post Making washi paper the standard for modern manufacturing: The challenge of Yamatsugi Paper Mills first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Tsuruga Kombu Honmachi Honten” runs a processing industry of ‘oboro kombu’, a specialty of Fukui Prefecture, in Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture.

From the middle of the Edo period to the Meiji period, Tsuruga prospered as a port of call for “Kitamae Senpaku” (Kitamae ships),

The company carefully selects the finest kelp and produces “oboro kelp” of exquisite thickness that only Tsuruga kelp craftsmen can produce.

It is a delicacy that is sure to please gourmets from all over the country.

Tsuruga Kombu” is a processing company of specialty ‘oboro kombu’ in Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture. Akio Bessho, a handmade kelp craftsman, was selected as a “Contemporary Master Craftsman” in 2020 for his outstanding skills. We interviewed the specialist who has been working in this field for 63 years and knows everything about kelp about the charm of oboro kelp and the work of a handmade kelp craftsman.

Oboro kelp, a local industry representative of Tsuruga

Tsuruga City, located in the Reinan region of southwestern Fukui Prefecture, is a port city facing Tsuruga Bay on the Sea of Japan and once flourished as a port of call for “Kitamaebune” ships. Kitamaebune” refers to a group of merchant ships that operated between Hokkaido and Osaka from the mid-Edo period to the Meiji period. They linked Hokkaido and Osaka, buying and selling goods around the Sea of Japan. At Tsuruga, one of the ports of call, kelp and herring brought from Hokkaido were unloaded and stored in warehouses, and many of them made their fortunes as kelp dealers. Kelp was mainly transported to Kyoto and other parts of the Kansai region, while herring was transported to various parts of western Japan not only for eating, but also as fertilizer for growing cotton and other crops.

Tsuruga prospered as a major kelp accumulation area, and kelp shops lined the streets, attracting craftsmen who processed kelp, which grew into a local industry. The “Saiku Kombu” used in ceremonies and cooking, and the “Oboro Kombu” and “Tororo Kombu” made of thinly shaved kombu appeared and became popular in Kyoto, Osaka, and other cities. It is believed that oboro kelp and tororo kelp were born at about the same time, and even today, when the center of distribution has shifted to Osaka, processing of oboro kelp is still active in Tsuruga, which accounts for more than 80% of the nation’s production.

Tradition of “oboro kelp” spun by artisans

Tsuruga Kombu was founded in 2017 by the current head of Tsuruga Kombu, Takayuki Morita, who has a long career in sales and purchasing at a long-established kombu shop in Fukui Prefecture. As one of the 20 or so kelp processors in Tsuruga, Tsuruga Kelp mainly sells oboro kelp as well as dashi kelp and other products. In addition to hiring handmade kelp craftsmen as employees, the company’s main business is to purchase oboro kelp from individual handmade kelp craftsmen and distribute it to kelp specialty stores. There are many artisans in Tsuruga who shave kelp at home, and in the past, Mr. Bessho also continued to work privately. However, he has joined the company to take on the Tsuruga kelp business because he shares Mr. Morita’s philosophy of preserving the traditional local industry of oboro kelp and aiming to become a company that can contribute to the local community.

Craftsmen shave each piece by hand.

As Mr. Bessho says, “Generally speaking, people may be more familiar with tororo kombu than oboro kombu,” both oboro kombu and tororo kombu are thinly processed kombu products, and the differences between them are not well known.

The difference between oboro kelp and tororo kelp lies in the way it is shaved. Tororo kelp is made by layering and pressing several sheets of kelp and shaving them into a large block. The sides of the layered kelp are shaved, resulting in a fine shape. Tororo kelp is often sold in supermarkets because mechanization has made it possible to shave a large amount of kelp in a short period of time. Today, even in Osaka, a major kelp consumption area, tororo kelp is commonly available.

On the other hand, for oboro kelp, a craftsman shaves one piece of kelp from the surface in a thin and wide range. Since the quality of the kelp is directly reflected, clean kelp with few blemishes is used. Compared to Tororo kelp, which is shaved by machine, the amount that a craftsman can shave is very small. Therefore, the price of oboro kelp is higher, and according to Mr. Morita, it can cost twice as much as tororo kelp, depending on the type of kelp.

Tororo kelp has a fluffy texture and the flavor of the kelp spreads gradually in the mouth. On the other hand, oboro kelp is firm in texture and the flavor of kelp can be tasted directly.

Oboro kelp is produced in Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Osaka, but Tsuruga has a particularly strong reputation for its handmade technique. It is precisely because the Tsuruga region has preserved the “craftsmanship” of carefully thinly shaving each piece of high-quality kelp by hand that the gem of oboro kelp has survived to this day.

Using up all the kelp

How did oboro kelp come about in the first place? In the Edo period (1603-1867), some of the kelp brought to Tsuruga by the Kitamae Ship had developed mold during the process of drying and maturing. The kelp was soaked in vinegar to soften it, and when the mold-free surface was scraped with a piece of glass, the taste was so good that it was commercialized as oboro kelp.

Even today, the only ingredients for oboro kombu are kombu and vinegar. The kelp is very hard, so the craftsmen soak it in vinegar to soften it and make it easier to shave before shaving it into oboro kelp. Tsuruga Kombu” offers four types of products, each with a different name depending on the part of the kelp to be shaved.

First, both ends of the kelp soaked in vinegar are cut off to make the shape uniform, and then the kelp is shaved from the surface. Kuro oboro” is made by shaving the black part of the kelp surface and is characterized by its strong sour taste. The “Mukikomi Oboro” is a mixture of the black part of the kelp surface and the white part inside, and has just the right amount of saltiness and acidity. Taihaku Oboro” is made by shaving only the white part of the kelp close to the core, and is considered to be the best quality kelp. Shiroita Kombu” is made by trimming the core of ‘Oboro Kombu’ after shaving it. Because of its thickness, it is often used to wrap ingredients. A typical example is the thin, clear kelp at the top of batella and saba-zushi.

Kurooboro,” or ‘black kelp,’ which is closer to the surface of the kelp, allows for a direct sensation of saltiness, acidity, and umami flavor. As you move closer to the core of the kelp, you can enjoy the refined flavor of the kelp itself, which enhances the dishes to which it is added. Use a whole piece of kelp. Mr. Bessho and other handmade kelp artisans preserve this uniquely beautiful Japanese food culture.

0.01mm and 0.1mm. The art of shaving to the finest thickness

The thickness of the oboro kelp shaved by Mr. Bessho is only 0.01 mm. It has been commercialized by Tsuruga Kombu under the name of “Taihaku Oboro Kiwami,” and was the reason Mr. Bessho was awarded the “Contemporary Master Craftsman” award. It is the thinnest kelp ever made, and when you put it in your mouth, it quickly melts on your tongue, and the flavor and aroma of the kelp spreads in your mouth.

When Mr. Bessho and his staff shave the kelp, they use a special knife. The knife is characterized by its slightly bent blade edge, which is used to shave the kelp by scratching the kelp with the bent edge. Bending the tip of the blade is also an important part of the craftsman’s job. The angle of the blade tip determines the thinness and width of the oboro kelp, so the bending process requires skillful technique.

The knife, which is the life of a handmade kelp craftsman, surprisingly needs to be sharpened once every 30 minutes. The knives used to sharpen the kelp are so thin that they soon lose their ability to sharpen because the kelp no longer catches on the blade, so they are resharpened every 30 minutes to bend the edge of the blade and make it ready. Craftsmen call this bending of the cutting edge of the knife “akita,” and the process of adjusting the angle of the cutting edge is called “akita-tsuki” (putting on akita). Some craftsmen prepare two or three knives, and when the blade weakens, they change the entire knife and resharpen it together.

Sharpening with the “foot,” not the wrist

When shaving kelp, the craftsman sits cross-legged on a special stand and puts only his right foot on the ground. Holding the kelp with his right foot, he pulls the kelp with his left hand and shaves it with a knife held in his right hand. Mr. Bessho says, “If you use your wrist to shave, the kelp will fall apart. If you use your foot instead of your wrist to shave the kelp, it will be uniformly thin,” he said.

The skill of a modern master craftsman is evident in the “Takegami Kombu.

There is a type of kelp that Mr. Bessho says is much more difficult to shave than oboro kelp, which is 0.01 mm thick. It is “chikushi kombu. Chikushi kelp is made by shaving the white part of the kelp near the core to a thickness of 0.1 mm. Mr. Bessho adjusts his breathing and concentration, and while maintaining a uniform thickness of 0.1 mm, he shaves a piece of “Takegami Kombu” of 40 to 50 cm in one go. It is truly a master craftsman’s technique that only Mr. Bessho can perform.

Takegami Kombu” is a top-quality product that is mainly ordered by high-class restaurants, and is used to wrap and steam dishes such as sea bream and cod. The 0.1 mm thickness of “Takegami Kombu” is exquisite because it keeps the kombu from melting when steamed and transfers the flavor of the kombu to the ingredients while making the dish look beautiful.

Mr. Bessho developed “Takegami Kombu” in 1980, and has been shaving it for more than 40 years. Mr. Bessho is the only one in Japan who can still shave “Takegami Kombu,” and efforts have begun to succeed him in order to keep the techniques of this “modern master craftsman” alive.

To keep the tradition of handmade kelp alive

At its peak, the Tsuruga region alone had 500 to 600 handmade kelp craftsmen, but now there are less than 100. The number of artisans is aging. In order to preserve the culture of Tsuruga’s handmade kelp, Bessho says, “I want to focus on training young successors. Mr. Kohei Kawase, who retired from the ironworks where he worked and joined the company as an apprentice “to live my own life.

Kawase shaves 4 to 5 kilograms of oboro kelp a day, not as much as Bessho, who shaves 12 kilograms a day, but under the direct guidance of a master craftsman of rare ability, he is gaining training day by day. I want to make him a full-fledged master in three years,” he says. I want to train him to be a full-fledged master in three years, and I will also take over the technique of “Takegami Kombu,”” says Mr. Bessho.

Since around 2000, Bessho has been giving lectures on kelp eating culture and demonstrating handmade kelp at local schools in Tsuruga City. He also actively travels to events in Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyushu, and other cities to demonstrate handmade kelp. Kawase admired Bessho’s efforts to promote the appeal of handmade kelp.

Spreading Oboro Kombu throughout Japan

Along with training his successors, Mr. Bessho’s dream is to spread the word about Oboro kelp and its food culture throughout Japan. Oboro kelp has a historical background in Osaka, where it was brought from Tsuruga and became popular among the general public in the late Edo period (1603-1868), and spread to Osaka and the rest of the Kansai region. The fact that knives for handmade kelp were made in Sakai, Osaka, which is famous for its cutlery production, is also considered to be a factor in the spread of oboro kelp in the Kansai region.

Makonbu is used for oboro kombu because it is cheaper than Rausu or Rishiri kombu and has a moderate umami flavor compared to kombu used for making broth such as Rausu or Rishiri, making it suitable for eating as is. Originally eaten by the common people, Mr. Bessho hopes that people all over the country, not just in restaurants, will enjoy eating oboro kombu.

The best way to eat it is to roll up a rice ball with oboro kombu, but oboro kombu is also tasty as a snack or with alcohol. It can also be put in a bowl, poured over hot water, and drizzled with soy sauce to make an elegant soup, or topped with udon noodles to enjoy a bit of luxury in a casual way. Mr. Bessho also taught us how to make kombujime, a quick and easy way to wrap sashimi in oboro kombu and wait for the kombu to dissolve. Recently, I found a restaurant in Tokyo that serves shabu-shabu with oboro kelp. In the future, I would like to focus on new ways of eating oboro kombu, not only in Japanese cuisine,” he says.

Mr. Bessho says that in order to increase awareness of oboro kombu, he would like to continue to actively visit events nationwide, taking advantage of his title as a modern master craftsman.

In January 2023, the main Tsuruga Kombu store and store will open in a location about a 10-minute walk from JR Tsuruga Station. At the store, artisans will be stationed to demonstrate handmade kelp. With the birth of a new base where artisans can directly interact with consumers, the appeal of Tsuruga’s oboro kelp is sure to spread steadily.

The craftsmen at Tsuruga Kombu Honmachi have been pursuing “what is delicious oboro kombu” and “what is oboro kombu that makes you confident” and have refined their skills in shaving kombu. Skilled craftsmen shave 12 kilograms of oboro kelp uniformly per day while checking the characteristics of each piece of kelp with their hands. He also adjusts the angle of the blade of the special knife used to shave the kelp, sharpening it frequently to keep it sharp. In order to pass on such skillful techniques and meticulous work, he has been training young craftsmen, and is now aiming to pass on the technique of “Takegami Kombu,” a top quality product that can only be made by a modern master craftsman.

The post Shaving the finest “thickness” from a single piece of kelp. Akio Bessho, a modern master craftsman and handmade kelp artisan / Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Ono City, located in the northeastern part of Fukui Prefecture on the border with Gifu Prefecture, is blessed with a climate of widely varying temperatures and subsoil water from the foot of Mount Hakusan, making it the third largest rice producing area in the prefecture. Masayuki Matsuda, the owner of Shirobei, a natural rice farmer who insists on using no pesticides or fertilizers, won the highest award in a rice competition. What is Mr. Matsuda’s commitment that produced this rice?

Oddball from Small Rural Community in Fukui Prefecture Wins Top Prize in Rice Competition

The Morime district of Ono City, Fukui Prefecture, where Mr. Matsuda lives, is a small community of 45 households, 40 of which are engaged in traditional farming. In 2006, he began growing rice naturally, without using pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, or fungicides, in a pristine environment. Currently, 2.5 hectares of the 3.2 hectares of rice paddies are used to grow naturally grown rice varieties such as Akisakari, Himegomomi, Milky Queen, Sasanishiki, Asahi, and Nikkomaru. Weeding is kept to a minimum and no animal manure or other fertilizers are applied in order to keep the environment close to that of the wild. However, in 2015, its rice won a gold medal in the most difficult overall category at the National Rice and Food Taste Analysis Competition International, the largest rice fair in Japan, and has won gold medals and special excellence awards in various categories to date.

Akisakari” has its roots in ”Koshihikari

Koshihikari,” Japan’s representative rice, was actually born at the Agricultural Experiment Station in Fukui Prefecture. It has a large grain size, sweetness, and a rich aroma when cooked, and is harvested in large quantities. It is now grown all over Japan as a representative of delicious rice, and Fukui accounts for 70-80% of the rice harvested in Japan. However, due to the effects of global warming, the temperature during the “ripening period,” when the ears of rice emerge, blossom, pollinate, and the rice grows and enlarges, has become too hot, resulting in a deterioration of rice quality, known as “high temperature injury. In 2008, Fukui Prefecture developed the “Akisakari” variety as a countermeasure against high temperature damage. Having its roots in Koshihikari, it is tolerant of high temperatures and has a late maturation period to avoid high temperatures as much as possible. It is characterized by its slightly chewy texture, and the more it is chewed, the sweeter it tastes.

After trying it, I felt that Akisakari was the best for the region.

Mr. Matsuda began growing Akisakari right around the time it was announced. In 2012, an acquaintance secretly entered Mr. Matsuda’s Akisakari rice in a rice and taste evaluation contest. Although it did not win an award, it was highly praised, and he began growing it in earnest, thinking that he could produce rice that would win awards. The following year, he was certified as the “BEST FARMER” in the same competition, which received approximately 5,000 rice samples , and the selected Akisakari rice received the Environment Kingdom Special Excellence Award in the special cultivation category. Mr. Matsuda’s award was narrowly chosen based on the sum of his scores for eating quality, which is measured by an analyzer to measure moisture, protein, amylose, and fatty acids, and taste quality (miduchi), which measures the umami component of white rice.

Concerned about his family’s health, he moved to safe cultivation methods that do not use pesticides.

Mr. Matsuda insists on being recognized in competitions because he wants the people around him to understand the value of his naturally grown rice. He became ill after his son, who was spraying pesticides with him, inhaled them and collapsed. Concerned about his health, Mr. Matsuda began to teach himself how to grow rice without pesticides, recalling his childhood experience of growing rice using cow manure as fertilizer when his father ran a dairy farm. The rice harvested at that time was so beautiful and clear that it won the second prize in an evaluation by an agricultural cooperative, which was rare at that time.

Miracle apples” sparked a strong interest in natural cultivation

As he gathered more information, he came across the book “The Miracle Apple,” which was also made into a movie, written by Akinori Kimura, who is known as a charismatic figure of natural farming. He became interested in the natural way of farming, and began to attend seminars and workshops on natural farming around the country on weekends and with his salary. What surprised me the most was that when I put freshly cooked rice in a jar with the lid on, it fermented and smelled good. Organic rice was just going to rot and turn to mush,” he said. This was the farming method I was looking for, and I decided to spend the rest of my life on it,” said Matsuda.

Year after year, he realized that it is difficult to cultivate rice in soil accustomed to chemical ingredients.

Rice grown under the cover of the surroundings was highly appreciated.

The first year they started growing rice without pesticides, fertilizers, or fungicides, they were able to harvest four bales per square meter of rice paddies, half of what they had been able to produce with pesticides and chemical fertilizers. The following year, however, the harvest dropped dramatically to only one bale. Seeing the rice paddies overgrown with weeds, his relatives were furious, saying, “We have gone crazy because we do not use pesticides and fertilizers. Mr. Matsuda believed that the problem lay in the soil soaked in chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Unable to overcome the many voices of opposition, such as, “If weeds grow, diseases and insects appear, it will cause trouble in the surrounding rice paddies,” he suspended pesticide-free, fertilizer-free, and fungicide-free cultivation. However, Mr. Matsuda was not ready to give up and decided to continue cultivating only one field in secret. As a result, the rice harvested from that one acre was recognized in a prestigious competition, which changed the attitude of those around him, and Mr. Matsuda gradually expanded his naturally cultivated acreage.

After decades of using chemical fertilizers and pesticides that became widespread after World War II, the soil is not easily restored to its natural state. It is important to remove the chemical components by digging the rice fields deeper to expose them to the air and by using the power of plants with deep roots, such as wheat, to take care of the soil. Even after 16 years of doing so, the weeds are finally getting under control. It will take more time,” said Matsuda, crushing the weed-covered soil with his fingers.

He is taking analytical data to “visualize” his pesticide- and fertilizer-free production.

Nevertheless, when I go out to the rice paddies now, I feel that the environment is gradually returning to the way it was in my childhood, with more snakes and frogs, and ducks flying in and out. The yield is still unprofitable, at most about 4 bales per hectare. There was a time when I tried to increase the planting density while checking how the rice was growing. He has also tried to make the rice fields more attractive to ducks, which eat weeds, by repeatedly flooding the fields with water. He is continuing his research by collecting rice data (data on amylose, which determines the viscosity of rice when cooked, and other quality data) for each rice paddy, which he will use for the following year’s cultivation.

In addition, in order to add value and increase the price per bale, they have asked the Tsukuba Analysis Center to measure residual pesticides and radiation to confirm safety. They also measure data on the analysis of brown rice components such as protein, carbohydrates, and sodium, and disclose this information when offering the rice as a tax return gift to hometowns and for publicity purposes.

How do you convert the evaluation of rice into needs?

Another thing that Mr. Matsuda is trying to do is to store the rice after harvesting. He keeps the brown rice in a cool storage at 12°C to ensure that the taste value does not change. He says that even one year after harvest, the taste of such rice does not deteriorate to the point where one cannot tell that the rice is old. If the rice is stored well, it does not oxidize and turn yellow, and it can be eaten for a long time,” he says.

When a tasting event was held at a local community center, Mr. Matsuda’s rice was rated as the best tasting rice compared to the same variety from other regions. However, even with such a reputation, when the price was discussed, rice stores and mass merchandisers would not take it up. The challenge for the future, he says, is how to turn the reputation of the rice into a need, and to get consumers who buy the rice once to become repeat buyers.

What is the true rice that Mr. Matsuda is aiming for?

Mr. Matsuda’s goal is to produce rice that has been grown without too much human intervention, that adapts to the local environment, and that has characteristics unique to that area. Many modern rice varieties are supposed to be grown with an abundance of fertilizers and pesticides. He is looking forward to seeing how such rice will explore cultivation policies and change its flavor in response to his own cultivation methods that are being evaluated.

It is said that when rice is grown naturally, it eventually becomes closer to the original species. Modern rice has a strong aroma when cooked and taste when you put it in your mouth, and many varieties of rice play a leading role in their own right. My rice is grown as it is, which I believe makes it closer to the original form of the plant called rice. I think it will be rice that is the star of the show, but not the main attraction, and not too tasty that it complements side dishes. Rice is a staple food, and Mr. Matsuda believes that it should not have too much individuality in order to keep eating it for a long time without getting tired of it.

I want to create a healthy Japan with naturally grown rice.

I want to keep my philosophy in mind,” he says, ”because if you only learn how to cultivate rice, you are just imitating others and will fall behind . When he looks at the condition of his rice paddies and the yield of his harvest, he almost fails many times, and every time he does, he remembers his starting point, his philosophy. Natural cultivation is so difficult and unprofitable considering the time and effort involved that only a few people engage in it.

Since they do not use herbicides, most of the 2,500 hours of annual farm work is spent weeding and mowing. He is absolutely confident in the taste of his rice, saying, “ If only there was a chance for people to try our rice once.” He is passionate in his words, saying, “I want to create a healthy future for Japan with strongly grown rice,” while adding value through competitions and analytical data based on his particular farming methods, which he started because of the health of his family.

The post Shirobei” Masayuki Matsuda, a natural rice farmer in Fukui aiming for pesticide- and fertilizer-free cultivation / Ono City, Fukui Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Ono City, the castle town of Echizen Ono Castle, known as the “Castle in the Sky”, is a treasure trove of spring water, including the famous “Goshozu” water, which has been selected as one of Japan’s top 100 waters.

Nomura Soy Sauce, which is brewed using this famous water, is one of the few soy sauce breweries in Japan that insists on making its own koji (fermented rice).

Please enjoy the soy sauce that brings out the unique flavors of this region, such as the sweet-tasting soy sauce made from locally produced soy beans.

Nomura Soy Sauce is a long-established soy sauce brewery that was founded in the early Meiji era. Akashi Nomura, the sixth-generation head of the brewery, has inherited the traditions of the brewery established by his predecessors, and is breathing new life into the soy sauce industry by developing new products one after another with a flexible approach that takes account of the changing times.

Traditional soy sauce brewed in a “town of famous water

Ono City is located in the north-east of Fukui Prefecture, and is also known as the castle town of “Echizen Ono Castle”, which is famous throughout the country for its spectacular view of the sea of clouds from the castle, and is known as the “castle in the sky”. It is also famous as a treasure trove of spring water, and the city center is a pure water village with many spring water sources, including “Goshozu”, which has been selected as one of the 100 best waters in Japan by the Ministry of the Environment. In the center of the city is the Nomura Soy Sauce warehouse, where they have been brewing soy sauce using the delicious local water for many years.

Sweet and smooth Fukui soy sauce

There are currently around 20 soy sauce manufacturers in Fukui Prefecture, including Nomura Soy Sauce. Speaking about the soy sauce made in Fukui, Mr. Nomura says, “There is a characteristic to the soy sauce of Hokuriku, which includes Fukui. That is that there are many ‘sweet’ soy sauces. As you might imagine, in the past, sweet foods were precious, and sweet soy sauce may have been one way of showing hospitality.”

Incidentally, soy sauce from Kyushu is also sweet, but it has a thicker texture, whereas soy sauce from Fukui is thinner. Basically, the lighter the color of soy sauce, the higher the salt content. The color of soy sauce from Fukui is somewhere in between dark and light soy sauce. It has long been popular with the locals as a sweet and moderately salty “good balance” soy sauce. Nomura Shoyu’s standard product “Ohno no Oshouyu” is also a sweet and light soy sauce unique to Hokuriku.

A rare brewery that makes soy sauce from koji

The process of making soy sauce begins with steamed soybeans and roasted wheat being mixed together to make koji, then koji is added to salt water and fermented in a tank to make moromi. After repeated stirring, the moromi is fermented and matured, and then the unfiltered product is called “kiage shoyu”. This kiage shoyu is then pasteurized and bottled for distribution as a product. When pasteurizing the raw soy sauce, adding sugar, starch syrup, or other sweeteners, as well as flavorings such as amino acids, will result in a sweeter soy sauce.

In the past, each soy sauce brewery produced its own raw soy sauce, but as Japan entered a period of rapid economic growth, in order to respond to mass production and mass consumption, there was an increase in the number of cases where small and medium-sized breweries formed cooperatives and produced raw soy sauce together. Purchasing the soy sauce made by the cooperative and then heating it and adjusting the flavor to create their own unique products helped to reduce the risk of investing in equipment and also lowered costs, which was an advantage in surviving price competition with the big companies.

As Mr. Nomura says, “There are nearly 1,000 soy sauce manufacturers in Japan, but there are only one or two soy sauce breweries in each prefecture that make soy sauce from koji mold like we do,” and even today, Nomura Shoyu continues to stick to making their own koji.

Mr. Nomura, who says, “Because there are fewer and fewer breweries that make koji from scratch, the homemade koji we make is what gives our soy sauce its unique flavor,” makes his koji in the winter, when there is little change in temperature throughout the year. Even so, the conditions change significantly between January, when the temperature is at its lowest, and March, when spring arrives, so he adjusts the amount of koji seed he uses to respond to these changes, and makes koji that he thinks is best suited to soy sauce. He makes his soy sauce using the temperature changes of the four seasons in Ohno, without adjusting the temperature to promote fermentation and maturation.

Making soy sauce with Japanese soybeans

Since Japanese cuisine was registered as a UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013, soy sauce, which is essential for Japanese cooking, has also attracted a lot of attention from overseas. However, the harvest of soybeans, which are the main ingredient of soy sauce, varies greatly from year to year and region to region, and the number of farmers growing soybeans is decreasing. The overall self-sufficiency rate, including soybeans for animal feed, is only 6%. The current situation is that the self-sufficiency rate for food use alone is only around 20%.

“The low rate of domestic self-sufficiency for soybeans is a major issue for the soy sauce industry. At our brewery, we mainly use soybeans from India for our standard products, but we are also trying to make high-value-added soy sauce using domestic soybeans,” says Mr. Nomura.

Traditional production methods as ‘individuality’

Mr. Nomura, who was the managing director of Nomura Soy Sauce under the previous generation who had inherited the company’s traditions, was approached in 2007 by a local farmer who grew green soybeans and asked if he could use them to make soy sauce, and he developed an original product called “green soy sauce”. Cheap soy sauce can be made quickly using ground soybeans, but green soy sauce, which uses whole soybeans, takes longer to ferment. Also, when making the soy sauce, fermentation progresses more quickly when the temperature is raised, but in Nomura Soy Sauce’s brewery, where the temperature is not controlled, fermentation and maturation progress more slowly during the hot summer months, and it takes two years to make. The rare green soybeans are expensive to buy, and because it takes so long to make, the selling price is about 7 to 8 times that of standard products, but it has become a long-running product that continues to this day. As no sugar or amino acids are added during the heating process, the natural sweetness of the green soybeans is brought out. Unlike the soy sauce that is highly valued in the soy sauce industry these days, which contains a lot of amino acids, the traditional production method is now a unique selling point. Fortunately, Nomura Shoyu has continued to pass on the traditional production method. Mr. Nomura says that this is an invaluable asset.

Thanks to advances in manufacturing technology, the soy sauce produced by major manufacturers, which is available at affordable prices, has become a common condiment on our dinner tables. Conversely, this means that we are seeing less and less of the products from the small-scale soy sauce breweries that exist in each region.

As a result, it has become less common to compare the different characteristics of soy sauce from different breweries. Aomame Soy Sauce is a product that adds value by returning to the “common sense of the past” . However, Mr. Nomura, who also felt that a return to the origins alone would not be enough to respond to the changing times, was also promoting new initiatives.

Opening up the future of soy sauce with new products

As Mr. Nomura says, “The amount of soy sauce shipped has been declining since peaking in 1973, the year I was born,” and the annual per capita consumption has also decreased by about half in the 50 years from 1973 to 2021. “To put it in an extreme way, soy sauce that contains added sugar and amino acids, like our standard products, will not grow any more,” Mr. Nomura asserts. In an age of changing trends, such as the diversification of food, the increase in single-person households, and the rise of eating out and home-meal replacement, the number of occasions when people need to prepare food at home has greatly decreased. The use of soy sauce has overwhelmingly increased to the point where it is simply poured over food that has been prepared on the table. In this situation, Mr. Nomura saw a way forward in the development of a niche new product that would not be a soy sauce that goes with everything, but “this soy sauce for this dish”.

Developing a soy sauce sauce dedicated to Fukui specialties

It takes time for new products to become recognized. Furthermore, for a small brewery like Nomura Shoyu, it is difficult to promote new products on a large scale or to secure shelf space in supermarkets and other retailers at the time of launch. Therefore, Nomura Shoyu decided to create a special soy sauce sauce that would enhance the flavor of the local specialty dishes, and launched a campaign to improve the brewery’s recognition.

The first step was the Fukui specialty “oroshi soba” dipping sauce, which was developed and commercialized in 2003 by the previous owner in collaboration with other soy sauce breweries in Fukui Prefecture. It is based on soy sauce, with the sweetness kept to a minimum, and the flavor is designed to bring out the aroma of the soba and the spiciness of the grated daikon.

Later, in 2009, Mr. Nomura, who took over the brewery from his father, came up with the idea for a “soy sauce katsudon” based on the sauce katsudon, a specialty of Fukui Prefecture, and succeeded in getting it on the menu at over 50 restaurants in Fukui Prefecture. He then began to accelerate the development of new products, starting with the commercialization of the “Assari Tare Shoyu Katsudon”, a sauce specially made for soy sauce katsudon that he had popularized himself.

The soy sauce brewery was able to develop such tsuyu and tare because the previous owner, Mr. Nomura’s father, had been researching them since Mr. Nomura was still a child. When the previous owner was asked by a noodle factory he had a relationship with whether it would be possible to make soba tsuyu, he began by making prototypes in a saucepan, and then asked an expert from a major food manufacturer for advice. He worked on developing the recipe, the necessary equipment, and hygiene management, while receiving advice. What was most important, however, was that they had soy sauce, the main ingredient in tsuyu and tare, on hand, says Mr. Nomura. “If we were a food manufacturer, we would have to buy soy sauce, but we have so much of it that we could sell it. And because the shelf life of soy sauce is over a year even after it has been bottled, we can use the extra stock we have from reduced shipments to create new value in tsuyu and tare.

Soy sauce tare that makes the most of Ohno’s specialties

In 2014, they launched a new product called “Yaki-uo ni au oshouyu” (soy sauce that goes well with grilled fish), which focuses on a local specialty of their hometown, Ono City. In Ono, there is a tradition of eating whole grilled mackerel on the 11th day after the summer solstice, and this product has a strong umami flavor to go well with that mackerel. In 2017, they also developed “Satoumi Koroni Dashi” and “Maitake Ponzu”. The taro simmered in broth is a simple seasoning that you can use to make the Ono local dish “simmered taro” easily by simply boiling 500g of taro without using any water. On the other hand, the maitake mushroom ponzu is an innovative product that makes use of the large amount of simmering liquid that is produced by the manufacturers that process the Kuzuryu maitake mushrooms, a specialty of Ono, to create a ponzu sauce that is full of maitake mushroom flavor and has a mild acidity.

Actively engaging with consumers

After receiving a positive response to the development of a new soy sauce product specializing in Fukui specialties, Mr. Nomura also began initiatives to make Fukui soy sauce more accessible to people. In 2016, he opened “Jueimon, the Experience Brewery” on the grounds of Nomura Soy Sauce. Visitors can experience the process of “ka-ire”, which involves stirring the moromi mash using a paddle, and watch the pressing of the fermented moromi mash, allowing the facility to convey the traditional art of soy sauce making to a wide range of people, from children to adults.

In 2019, they launched “Nameless Raw Soy Sauce” in collaboration with a local company that handles online shopping. The general soy sauce that you find in supermarkets has been pasteurized to stop the fermentation process, giving it a rounded flavor and a savory aroma. Also, even if it says “raw soy sauce” on the label, in many cases the pasteurization process has been carried out to remove the bacteria that promotes fermentation. On the other hand, “Nameless Raw Soy Sauce” is bottled raw soy sauce that has not been pasteurized or had the bacteria removed after being pressed. Raw soy sauce has a rich flavor and a fresh, sour taste. The ingredients used to make “Nameless Raw Soy Sauce” are soybeans of the Ohno native variety called “Dai Daruma”, wheat from Fukui Prefecture called “Fuku Komugi”, and water from Ohno. As with the other soy sauce, the soybeans are prepared whole and fermented and matured without temperature control, so it takes two years to complete. So, two years before the product was released, they created a community called the “Fresh Soy Sauce Club” with the help of a soba noodle restaurant in Fukui City, and continued to communicate the use of fresh soy sauce in cooking, the traditional production method of soy sauce, and their commitment to the ingredients through events and social networking services. They also tried crowdfunding, and greatly exceeded their target amount. This project was truly one that moved not only “things” but also “people” and “events”.

The appeal of soy sauce for the future

The small brewery’s many challenges steadily increased its name recognition, and gradually they began to receive offers of collaboration from famous chefs and luxury brands outside the prefecture. In 2020, Nomura Shoyu’s soy sauce was selected to be used in the light meal menu for the Gran Class of the Hokuriku, Tohoku and Hokkaido Shinkansen bullet trains. The menu was supervised by Chef Kenzo Hashimoto of Ichirin, a Japanese restaurant that has received two Michelin stars. The chef asked Mr. Nomura for a soy sauce that would go well with the menu, which had the theme of “rediscovering Japanese food”, and so he specially pasteurized his “nameless raw soy sauce” for the chef.

In 2021, maitake ponzu was used as an ingredient in the “vegan salad noodles” served at the “GODIVA café Tokyo”, a collaboration with Fukui Prefecture, which is run by the luxury chocolate brand “GODIVA”. In this way, Nomura Shoyu continues to expand its field.

The owner of the brewery, Mr. Nomura, says, “We will continue to pursue the kind of soy sauce that is in demand today, while also cherishing the origins of soy sauce making.”

Each soy sauce brewery has its own unique flavor, and using different soy sauces for different dishes brings out the best in the flavors. Nomura Soy Sauce will continue to convey the appeal of this ‘old yet new’ soy sauce.

The situation surrounding soy sauce production has changed greatly since the early Meiji period, when Nomura Shoyu was founded, and today. Soybeans are now imported, and there are only a few manufacturers that make soy sauce from koji. As one of the traditional soy sauce breweries, we are constantly searching for the ideal flavor that Nomura Shoyu should produce. In addition, we will continue to create products that have an extra appeal, as deliciousness is now taken for granted.

The post Return to the origins and update. “Nomura Soy Sauce” pursues a new soy sauce that meets the needs of the modern age. first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Located almost in the center of Fukui Prefecture is Sabae City. In the mountainous eastern part of the city lies the Kawada district, a center of traditional lacquerware production in the Echizen region. Here, traditional techniques that have been passed down for 1,500 years are being combined with modern designs and functionality to create lacquerware for the contemporary lifestyle. One of the pioneers of this movement is Atsuo Yamagishi, who created lacquerware that can be used casually at the dinner table every day, with even scratches adding to the charm of the piece.

Echizen lacquerware is typically made by craftsmen who divide the work among themselves. Why is it made by families?

At its peak, Echizen lacquerware accounted for 80% of the domestic market share for commercial lacquerware. The history of lacquerware in the Kawada district, where it is produced, dates back 1,500 years, and the production of lacquerware is still carried out today by specialized craftsmen working in a division of labor. As a result, even today, there are many lacquerware wholesalers and craftsmen’s workshops in this town of about 4,000 people. Atsuo Yamagishi not only creates lacquerware but also produces lacquer artworks commissioned by galleries and other clients. His workshop, “Kinju,” is located in the mountains, a short distance from the town center.

Currently, the workshop’s signature lacquerware items are produced by Yamagishi’s son, Yoshiji, who has taken over the business, with the production process divided among family members, from the base coat to the final finish. The reason they produce everything in-house is that the technique used by the Yamagishi family is unique, making it difficult to outsource to other workshops.

When one hears “lacquerware,” one might typically imagine red or black bowls with a glossy finish. However, Yamagishi’s bowls feature brush strokes visible on the surface, giving them a slightly textured feel. They also have a warm, wooden texture and a unique shape that fits comfortably in the hand. Compared to the traditional lacquerware made in the Kawada region for use in inns and restaurants, the distinctive features of Yamagishi’s bowls are that each one has a unique expression and that they are designed so that even if the lacquer gets scratched from daily use, it doesn’t matter.

We hope that people will use these lacquerware pieces, which require careful maintenance, in their daily lives at home.

At its peak, Echizen lacquerware accounted for 80% of the domestic market share for commercial lacquerware. The history of lacquerware in the Kawada district, where it is produced, dates back 1,500 years, and the production of lacquerware is still carried out today by specialized craftsmen working in a division of labor. As a result, even today, there are many lacquerware wholesalers and craftsmen’s workshops in this town of about 4,000 people. Atsuo Yamagishi not only creates lacquerware but also produces lacquer artworks commissioned by galleries and other clients. His workshop, “Kinju,” is located in the mountains, a short distance from the town center.

Currently, the workshop’s signature lacquerware items are produced by Yamagishi’s son, Yoshiji, who has taken over the business, with the production process divided among family members, from the base coat to the final finish. The reason they produce everything in-house is that the technique used by the Yamagishi family is unique, making it difficult to outsource to other workshops.

When one hears “lacquerware,” one might typically imagine red or black bowls with a glossy finish. However, Yamagishi’s bowls feature brush strokes visible on the surface, giving them a slightly textured feel. They also have a warm, wooden texture and a unique shape that fits comfortably in the hand. Compared to the traditional lacquerware made in the Kawada region for use in inns and restaurants, the distinctive features of Yamagishi’s bowls are that each one has a unique expression and that they are designed so that even if the lacquer gets scratched from daily use, it doesn’t matter.

We hope that people will use these lacquerware pieces, which require careful maintenance, in their daily lives at home.

Mr. Yamagishi was born into a family of lacquer artisans that has been passed down for generations, and he inherited the techniques from his father as the fifth generation. In his mid-20s, when he exhibited his work at an exhibition outside the prefecture, he noticed that the questions from customers were not about the beauty of the lacquerware’s design, but rather about how to use it at home and how to maintain it on a daily basis. “Perhaps people think that hand-painted lacquerware like ours is difficult to use in everyday life,” he thought.

Originally, lacquerware was used on special occasions such as weddings and funerals, so it may be considered too delicate for everyday use. The beautiful, jewel-like luster may also make people hesitant to use it, fearing they might scratch it. With this in mind, Yamagishi began researching lacquer itself with the goal of developing durable lacquerware that could be used without hesitation in everyday life.

When he went into the mountains to collect lacquer sap (the process of extracting sap from lacquer trees), he discovered that the raw lacquer sap, which has a whiskey-like brown color, hardens into a stone-like substance that cannot be scratched even with a fingernail. However, when trying to enhance the durability of the vessels by applying multiple layers of lacquer to the wood, the lacquer became prone to cracking and peeling due to impact.

Upon researching literature on lacquerware, I learned that to make the vessels less prone to cracking and the lacquer less prone to peeling, the “wood base” (the raw, unfinished wood) is more crucial than the “coating.” By using a technique called “wood hardening,” which involves allowing the wood to absorb a large amount of lacquer, the wood itself becomes harder, improving the adhesion of the subsequent base coating. When I actually made vessels using this method, customers reported that the time before they needed repairs was significantly extended, and some pieces could be used for over 10 years without maintenance.

As a lacquerware artist from Echizen, it took time for Yamagishi’s dedication to be accepted.

To further enhance the strength of the base, the coating liquid was mixed with ground lacquer powder and grinding powder to achieve the optimal composition. While the durability was satisfactory, there were some issues. Typically, lacquer used for coating is filtered before application to remove impurities and prevent brush marks from remaining. However, since Yamagishi’s lacquer already contains powder, brush marks inevitably remain. Nevertheless, the texture created by these brush strokes adds character to the lacquerware’s surface, making any scratches less noticeable. For the final finish, the surface of the completed piece was sanded with sandpaper and intentionally given a matte finish to mimic the worn appearance of aged lacquerware. This was an innovative twist on the then-popular trend of intentionally washing new jeans to create a worn look.

At the time, the bowls that Yamagishi-san had designed were handmade with a strong sense of craftsmanship, with brush strokes still visible. It was vastly different from the neatly shaped lacquerware now lined up in the workshop, so when the local artisans, including Yamagishi’s family, saw the bowl he brought, they strongly opposed it, saying, “Are you trying to sell such poorly painted work?” When he asked a relative to handle the next step in finishing the bowl, they responded, “Can you really make something like this?” and kicked the box containing the bowl, leaving him feeling humiliated.

Despite this, Yamagishi persisted, relying on family members who understood his approach, and managed to complete the piece. He immediately took it to a local wholesaler, but the concept of accepting imperfections was too radical, and no one was willing to place an order. Yamagishi then leveraged the connections he had built through previous events to exhibit his work at events and retail stores nationwide.

These one-of-a-kind Echizen lacquerware pieces grow more beautiful with use.

After holding several solo exhibitions at a friend’s shop, Yamagishi’s innovative and unconventional tableware designs gradually gained recognition. One day, after being featured in the magazine “Katei Gaho,” inquiries began pouring in from pottery shops and galleries across the country. Typically, handmade pottery, which emphasizes its natural texture, is considered difficult to coordinate with traditional lacquerware due to their differing styles, especially when placed on the same table. However, the craftsmanship of Yamagishi’s vessels and plates makes them easy to pair with traditional ceramics.

They also complement the works of other ceramic artists with strong individual styles, blending seamlessly when placed together on the same table. For example, when pairing a ceramic cup with Yamagishi’s lacquerware as a saucer, the rough texture of the ceramic bottom does not leave noticeable scratches on the lacquerware. Yamagishi’s “casual lacquerware” steadily gained popularity, leading to solo exhibitions across the country. In 2005, he had the opportunity to hold solo exhibitions and lectures at four locations in New York City, and he continues to hold exhibitions at department stores and galleries in Tokyo several times a year.

As he pursued techniques that left brush strokes visible, Yamagishi encountered “negoro-nuri,” a traditional Japanese lacquering technique originating in Wakayama Prefecture. This technique involves applying a base coat of black lacquer and then layering red lacquer on top. As the piece is used, the red base gradually becomes visible through the black surface. He also incorporated the “Asahi” technique, also known as “gyaku negoro,” which involves applying black lacquer over a red lacquer base, causing the red to gradually emerge from the black surface with use. This expanded the range of his artistic expression.

For woodworking, he uses the “mokkan-shiki” method, which involves solidifying wood powder and soaking it in a large amount of lacquer to create a stronger base. This wood base does not warp or crack even after drying, allowing it to be used for many years and fully enjoying the natural aging of the vessel. “Even if a family purchases several of the same bowls, each one will develop its own unique character depending on who uses it.” These vessels are truly created into one-of-a-kind pieces by the people who use them.

The original beauty of Fukui’s traditional Echizen lacquerware, infused with a modern sensibility.

Additionally, since he began holding solo exhibitions, Yamagishi has been actively engaged in creative activities that incorporate traditional techniques with a modern sensibility in lacquerware and lacquer-based works.

In the past, he created colorful lacquerware items such as cups, plates, and chopsticks for national touring exhibitions as an artist. However, after falling ill several years ago and finding it difficult to work with his right hand, he decided to focus on painting, which can be done without using his right hand. He began creating one-of-a-kind pieces by using the back of jackets, wooden panels, and washi paper as canvases, freely expressing his ideas. In the past, he would have his wife hold the vessels or press down the paper, but now he fills a bowl with water and uses cloth or paper as weights to create pieces on his own. “I’m challenging myself to see how far I can take my work using only my left hand, immersing myself in my own world,” he says with a smile.

His current favorite piece is a work in progress called “rough carving,” where lacquer is applied to the sturdy material of a vessel cut from wood. He feels a sense of vitality in the roughness of the material before it is carved.

In the lacquerware industry today, new combinations and techniques that were previously unimaginable, such as applying lacquer to resin, are emerging. “There are still so many things I want to try,” says Yamagishi. The lacquerware and lacquer art he has created are at the heart of this movement, serving as wings that carry the culture of lacquer and creating hints for the future survival of the Kawanoda region.

The post Easily used every day, Echizen lacquerware transforms scratches into a source of enjoyment. Atsuo Yamagishi, Urushi Kobo Kinshu, Sabae City, Fukui Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Fukui Prefecture’s only red snow crab fishery

Male snow crabs are branded under different names depending on the fishing port where they are landed, such as “Matsuba Gani” in the San’in region and “Kano-Gani” in Ishikawa Prefecture. Among them, the male Echizen crab landed at a fishing port in Fukui Prefecture is known as one of the highest quality crabs, and is the only crab presented to the Imperial Household in Japan. The female Echizen crab is called “Seiko crab” in Fukui Prefecture. It is about one-third the size of “Echizen crab” and relatively reasonably priced, making it easier to eat and more popular.

As many as 40 snow crab fishing boats

In Fukui Prefecture, Echizen Fishing Port, Mikuni Port, Tsuruga Port, and Obama Port are the ports where snow crab is landed. Echizen Fishing Port in Echizen Town boasts the largest catch in Fukui Prefecture. It is located in the middle of the Echizen coast, which is designated as a national park, and there are 40 snow crab fishing boats based here. In the home of snow crab fishing, only the “Taikimaru” catches red snow crabs. In the past, there were other boats that caught red snow crab in addition to snow crab, but “Echizen crab” became a brand name and was sold at a high price, so all boats except ours shifted to snow crab fishing. We did not have a permit to fish for snow crab, so we did not enter the market and continued to catch only red snow crab. says Mr. Yamashita.

Red snow crab caught in deeper waters

As its name suggests, the red snow crab is characterized by the bright red color of its shell. Unlike snow crabs, which live at depths of 200 to 400 meters, the habitat of red snow crabs is extremely deep, ranging from 500 to 2,500 meters.

The snow crab is caught by bottom trawl, while the red snow crab is caught in crab cages, which is a different fishing method. Crab cage fishing is a fishing method in which crab bait is placed in a cage and sunk to the bottom of the sea to catch crabs that have entered the cage. Unlike bottom trawling, sand does not enter the cage, preventing sand from entering the crab’s shell and degrading the quality of the crab.

Red snow crab can be caught for a long period of time.

The fishing season for snow crab is fixed, and the male Echizen crab is caught from November 6 to March 20, a period of about five months. The female Seiko crab is caught from November 6 to December 31, less than two months due to resource conservation.

On the other hand, the fishing season for red snow crab is 10 months long, from September 1 to June 1. Snow crab boats make a living by catching flounder, sea bream, horse mackerel, etc. from spring through fall, when crab fishing is prohibited. Incidentally, since the fishing of female snow crabs is prohibited, only male snow crabs are consumed.

The “Growth Potential” of Fukui Prefecture Red Snow Crabs

Compared to snow crabs, red snow crabs are more reasonably priced due to the longer fishing season and the ability to secure a good catch. Compared to Echizen crab, which is a male snow crab, the price is about one-fourth to one-fifth of the auction price. However, there is room for growth for red snow crab,” says Captain Yamashita. In particular, Captain Yamashita is confident that the price of red snow crab caught in Fukui will continue to grow. Toyama and Tottori are famous for producing red snow crab. Compared to them, Fukui red snow crab is larger in size and therefore more expensive. In fact, the auction price of red snow crab caught by “Taikimaru” has been rising steadily since Mr. Yamashita took over as captain. This is due to Captain Yamashita’s tireless efforts to increase the value of red snow crab.

Taking over the ship and embarking on reform

Captain Yamashita was born in Nagoya, Japan. He started fishing for red snow crab in 2008, and in 2015 he took over as captain from his predecessor, increasing the proportion of high value catches such as the extremely scarce and rare “golden crab” and large size red snow crab. The company has increased the percentage of high-value catches such as “golden crab” and large-sized red snow crab, which are extremely scarce and rare.

When Mr. Yamashita became captain, the “Daiki Maru” red snow crab fishery was in crisis. The unit price of red snow crab was slumping, and the large amount of expenses were weighing heavily on the company. With business conditions becoming increasingly difficult, the first thing Mr. Yamashita did was to reduce the catch. The catch of red snow crab was higher per operation than that of snow crab, and this was one of the reasons for the price collapse. Therefore, Captain Yamashita reduced the number of crab baskets and thoroughly released crabs with a shell width of less than 9 cm. Only red snow crabs that could be marketed with confidence were selected for shipment. As a result, although the volume of landings decreased, the high quality of the crab was recognized and the unit price per kilo increased.

Resource Management Efforts

Captain Yamashita attached a sign to immature red snow crabs when he released them, and recorded the condition of the crabs when they were caught again. Analysis of these results showed that crabs released between November and the following May grew better, and that releasing crabs during the low water temperature period was more effective.

Furthermore, a survey conducted in cooperation with the Fukui Prefectural Fisheries Experiment Station revealed trends such as depths and fishing grounds where high quality red snow crabs with hard shells are easily caught, leading to more efficient operations.

The modernization of the red snow crab fishery has enabled “Daiki Maru” to shift to a “quality over quantity” approach to crab fishing, and the company has worked to further brand its high-quality red snow crabs.

The new brand “Koganegani” (Golden Crab)

The “Taikimaru” catches 1,000 to 2,000 red snow crabs per fishing trip. Of these, only 5 to 10 are golden red snow crabs. Captain Yamashita ships them as live crabs under the brand name “ Koganegani” (golden crab). Koganegani” is a crab that grows between a male snow crab and a female red snow crab, and it has the advantages of both, with the thick meat of a snow crab and the sweetness characteristic of a red snow crab. Although it is difficult to tell them apart at first glance, the golden crab has a harder shell with thorny edges and a slightly lighter coloring and a white belly than the red snow crab. Because of its rarity, it is traded at two to three times the price of red snow crab.

Sorting and shipping live

Captain Yamashita also started handling live red snow crab around 2019. Red snow crabs, which inhabit the deep sea, are vulnerable to temperature changes and are often boiled in salted water before being shipped. Compared to snow crabs, red snow crabs have more water content, and if they are not boiled in salted water, they quickly lose their freshness, and even if they are frozen, water is lost when they are thawed, which tends to spoil their taste. Therefore, “Taikimaru” selects about 100 large-sized red snow crabs per fishing trip and ships them live in a water tank at around 0°C to keep them fresh.

Shabu-shabu is the best way to enjoy red snow crab. For this reason, it is necessary to ship them live, and local inns have gradually started to sell live red snow crabs to us. We would like to increase the number of customers in the future,” said Captain Yamashita enthusiastically.

The “Daiki Maru” is working to strengthen its brand power by attaching a black tag to “Koganegani” (golden crab), which is shipped live, and a white tag to large-sized red snow crabs, an original tag of the Daiki Maru.

The “Taikimaru” is a new ship.

Thanks to Captain Yamashita’s numerous efforts, the annual landings of the “Daiki Maru,” which at one time fell to less than 30 million yen, have begun to increase, and in recent years have recovered to 50 million yen.

In September 2022, Captain Yamashita purchased a new vessel. The new “Daiki Maru” has greatly improved performance. The new vessel has improved its performance significantly, reducing the time to the fishing grounds from five hours to three hours, and improving the onboard environment to keep the crabs fresh, such as the live fish tanks.

Captain Yamashita says, “With the new vessel, we hope to increase shipments of higher quality red snow crabs and enhance the brand value of ‘Daiki Maru’s Red Snow Crab. He also hopes to continue to collect data on the catch of red snow crab and actively engage in resource management. Captain Yamashita’s vision of a “red snow crab fishery that lasts for 100 years” is sure to make “Daiki Maru’s” red snow crab a new brand that will rival or even surpass “Echizen Crab.

The post Fujio Yamashita, captain of “Daiki Maru,” taking on the challenge of branding “red snow crab” from Fukui Prefecture / Echizen Town, Fukui Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Founded in 1806, Yoshida Sake Brewery is located in Eiheiji-cho, Yoshida-gun, Fukui Prefecture. The high-quality sake rice and abundant water of Eiheiji-cho, as well as the local people and climate, are all described as “terroir,” and the sake brewed here opens the door to a new world for this long-established sake brewery.

Predecessor Makes a Splendid Comeback in Rice Cultivation

Yoshida Shuzo, which has brewed the famous sake Hakuryu, is located near the majestic Kuzuryu River. The area has an abundance of high-quality water suitable for sake brewing and rice cultivation, and the town of Eiheiji is home to a concentration of nationally known sake breweries, including the Koryu Brewery (which produces Koryu) and the Tanabe Brewery (which produces Echizenmisaki). In this fierce competition, Yoshida Mako is the toji at Yoshida Sake Brewery, and in 2017, at the young age of 25, she became the toji, garnering much attention as the youngest female toji in Japan at the time.

She now runs the brewery with her mother, Yukari, her sister, Shoko, and her husband, Daiki.

Junmai sake brewed entirely with rice grown in Eiheiji Town

Yoshida Sake Brewery became a pure rice sake brewery in 2017 when Mako-san became the toji. The sake rice used is Yamadanishiki, Gohyakumangoku, and Hanaechizen, and starting in 2018, all of the rice used as ingredients is produced in Eiheiji-cho.
Mako’s goal is to create a sake that is as pure and clear as the local water, and that can be enjoyed as a “sake to be enjoyed with food” while taking advantage of the characteristics of the Eiheiji rice.

New brewery to produce sake for foreign markets

In 2023, Yoshida Shuzo will build a new brewery and begin brewing a new type of sake for the overseas market that does not rely on junmai, ginjo, or other sake with a specific name. The driving force behind this small, family-run brewery’s global challenge is the passion for sake brewing that Mako’s father, Tomohiko, the sixth-generation brewer who passed away eight years ago, bequeathed to his family.

Breaking away from the grading system of sake brewing

When Tomohiko took over Yoshida Shuzo in the 1980s, the sake produced was mainly first- and second-grade sake. First- and second-grade sake were once the designations in the sake grading system, which was abolished in 1992 and replaced by the “Tokutei Meishu” system of junmai and ginjo sake.
At a meeting at the Takinogawa Brewery Experiment Station, where Tomohiko once trained as a sake brewer, he had the opportunity to drink sake collected from all over Japan. The first sake to be emptied was a daiginjo made from polished Yamada-Nishiki, which was a favorite of the participants. Witnessing this scene, Tomohiko felt that there was no future for him if he continued to rely on first- and second-class sake, and he decided to brew sake using Yamada Nishiki.

If you can’t buy rice, grow your own.

In 1990, Tomohiko attempted to purchase Yamada-Nishiki from the sake brewers association, but was turned down because of his lack of experience. While he was struggling, an acquaintance suggested that he grow his own Yamada-Nishiki, and he thought, “I see. At the time, the Yoshida family owned a number of rice fields that produced Koshihikari for food, and Tomohiko immediately set out to cultivate Yamada-Nishiki in Fukui, which at the time was considered the northern limit of cultivation.

Sake brewing starts with soil preparation

While chemical fertilizers were used in the fields where Koshihikari had been grown, no such fertilizers were used in the cultivation of Yamada-Nishiki, and pesticides were used as little as possible. As a result, only 3 bales of rice were harvested per 1 tan of rice field in the first year. Since it is said that a typical edible rice crop yields about 8 to 10 bales per one-tenth of a rice field, the yield was about one-third of the normal yield. However, the brewers were happy to have successfully harvested the rice for sake, and they began to make sake on a trial basis. Since they were now able to handle the entire process from rice cultivation to sake production, they decided to make a special junmai sake and junmai ginjo sake. The resulting sake was deeply moving, and seemed to indicate the path the company should take in the future.
Three years after they began cultivating Yamada-Nishiki, they were finally able to harvest a certain amount of Yamada-Nishiki of consistent quality.

Pursuit of quality, not quantity

In 2006, Tomohiko revived a sake called “Asaizumi,” which had been recorded from the time of the brewery’s founding, and released “Hakuryu Junmai Kaiso-shu Asaizumi” as a commemorative sake for the 200th anniversary of the brewery. The Yamada-Nishiki rice is polished to a low polishing ratio of 85% to recreate the flavor of the rice that would have been drunk in ancient times. The brewery also worked to produce high-end sake such as Junmai Daiginjo, which is made from large-grain Yamada-Nishiki. Although the management of the brewery itself was still in a very difficult situation, the direction for the future was gradually becoming clear.

The Family’s Challenge to Succeed the Will of the Predecessor

Some time later, in June 2014, Mako, who was about to graduate from college, received a call from Yukari. Tomohiko-san’s health is not good, and we are short on staff. Tomohiko is not feeling well and we are short on staff. Mako was so excited that she decided to ask him for help. So in the spring of 2015, after graduating from college, Mako immediately entered the brewery and began helping out with the brewing. However, at the end of that year, Tomohiko passed away at the young age of 54. The following year, the veteran Nanbu Touji, who had been asked to help out, suffered a back injury and returned to his hometown due to his advanced age. These difficulties combined to plunge the brewery into an unprecedented crisis.

Mothers and Daughters Survive the Crisis

Without a toji (master brewer), Yoshida Sake Brewery began brewing sake in 2016. Mako-san had some knowledge, but almost no experience. She sent daily updates on the progress of the unrefined sake to the Food Processing Research Institute, a prefectural agency, and received advice from visits to the brewery, and managed to get through that year, but the question of what to do with the sake from now on was a big one that kept going around in her mind. After Tomohiko’s death, Yukari, the seventh generation to take over the brewery, said to Mako, “You have helped with the brewing for the past two years and have a good understanding of the brewery’s policies. I want you to be the toji (master brewer). However, despite a month and a half of training at the Institute for Sake Research, which organizes the National New Sake Competition, analyzes and appraises sake, and provides training for brewers, Mako was not yet in a position where she could proudly say that she was proficient in sake brewing, which caused her great anxiety. She even thought about quitting the brewery. At that time, the secretariat of a local sake cooperative with which her father had a close relationship approached her about participating in a summer trial brewing program at the Kamikawa Taisetsu Sake Brewery in Hokkaido.

Yoshida Brewery, where the family comes together as one

In 2017, Mako’s mindset changed as she learned sake brewing from the ground up under Shinji Kawabata, the toji at Kamikawa Taisetsu Sake Brewery. Until then, she had been thinking only of “just perfecting sake,” but with Mr. Kawabata’s experienced instruction, she gradually came to understand the fun and depth of sake brewing, and she began to feel a desire to “make sake that I can truly enjoy.
After completing her training, Mako decided to officially become a toji. The following year, in 2018, her sister Shoko, who was working for an IT company in Tokyo, married Daiki, and the couple joined Yoshida Sake Brewery to help the company. Sachiko used the knowledge and experience she gained at the IT company to modernize the brewery, while Daiki assumed responsibility for sake rice cultivation. A structure is now in place to further refine the high-quality sake brewing that their late father laid the foundation for.

Established a joint venture with a Hong Kong company

After the death of her father, Yoshida Shuzo expanded the Yamada-Nishiki fields left to her by her father and improved the brewing facilities to further enhance the quality of the sake. Mako has also improved her brewing techniques as the years have passed, and is steadily approaching her longtime goal of producing a clear sake with no cloying taste, yet with a strong sense of rice flavor. Junmai Daiginjo” won a gold medal for two consecutive years at the National New Sake Competition in 2021 and 2022, and in recent years its reputation has become firmly established.
In June 2022, Yoshida Shuzo embarked on a major challenge. The company established Symphony Yoshida Brewery Co., Ltd. as a joint venture with Symphony, a Hong Kong-listed company that had been considering global expansion of sake production, to brew sake for the overseas market. With a focus on Hong Kong, Singapore, and other Asian countries, the company aims to enhance the value of sake and develop the global market through thorough quality control.
Also, in 2023, the Yoshimine Baian (Yoshimine Brewery), a renovated 100-year-old private house, will be completed. At this facility, through workshops to introduce the attractiveness of Eiheiji-machi sake rice, cedar ball making workshops, and other experiences, the charms of the culture and climate of Eiheiji-machi will be communicated, which can be learned only from a sake brewery that has taken root in this region and has been brewing sake.

Eiheiji Brand to the World

Thus, the Yoshida Sake Brewery began to promote the excellence of “Eiheiji Terroir” to the world. The company does not use a specific name for its overseas sake, which expresses the terroir, and instead plans to use the full potential of the sake rice, mainly Yamada-Nishiki grown by the company and its contract farmers, to create a sake with the best possible quality. In order to achieve this goal, they will need to increase the production of high-quality sake rice, but they expect to be able to meet this challenge thanks to the participation of farmers in Eiheiji Town, with whom they have developed close ties through workshops on the growth of Yamada Nishiki held by Daiki, who is in charge of rice production, in the Yoshida Sake Brewery Group’s sake rice production.
Mako says, “I am anxious about how our sake, which expresses the Eiheiji terroir, will be accepted overseas, but my expectations outweigh that. The challenge of going overseas has just begun, but as the sake brewed by the Yoshida Sake Brewery Group gains recognition overseas, the town of Eiheiji is expected to gain recognition as well. It is quite possible that the town will attract more people to visit Eiheiji, as is the case in small towns in France where famous wineries are located. Our own actions could help bring people from all over the world to Eiheiji. Yoshida Shuzo’s insatiable challenge continues toward such a future.

The post Local rice, local water, local farmers. Yoshida Sake Brewery, taking on the world with Eiheiji Terroir first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Located in Obama City, Fukui Prefecture, Babaya Vinegar Store is a rice vinegar brewer that was founded in the mid-Edo period and has been in business for more than 300 years. While continuing to preserve the tradition of preparing pure rice vinegar in a jar, which is rare in Japan, the company is also actively involved in the dissemination of information and the development of new products. The tradition of Tobaya Vinegar Store is gaining in brilliance in the modern age.

Vinegar brewed in Obama, which supported Kyoto’s food culture

Tobaya Vinegar Store is located in Obama City facing Obama Bay, which is part of the Wakasa Bay National Park. Obama City, blessed with rich marine products from the Sea of Japan, was once called “Wakasa Province” and was one of the “Miketsukuni” (provinces that offered marine products to the Imperial Court). In the Edo period (1603-1867), the city became the Obama domain and prospered as a base for Kitamae-bune, or Kitamaebune. The mackerel caught in Obama was transported to Kyoto, and the road leading from Obama to Kyoto is called “Saba Kaido (mackerel road),” and is now recognized as a Japanese Heritage Site.

Rice vinegar, an essential Obama specialty

The salt and vinegar used to preserve the seafood transported from Obama to the capital of Kyoto has given rise to specialties such as “sasazuke (pickled sea bream)” and “saba-zushi (mackerel sushi),” both of which have continued to be produced to this day. The small sea bream, also known as lenkodai or hanaoredai, is cut into three pieces, lightly salted, and then vinegared, and packed tightly in small cedar barrels with bamboo leaves. Rice vinegar from Tobaya Vinegar Store is used in many of the small sea bream sasazuke and saba-zushi made in Obama.

The brewing process has been continued for more than 300 years in a “jar”.

Tsubonosu, the signature product of Tobaya Vinegar Store, is a pure rice vinegar brewed in large jars that can hold more than one pound, as the name suggests. It is a spectacular sight to see 30 jars with a capacity of approximately 300 liters buried in the rice husks that are spread deep under the floor of the vinegar cellar. The Tobaya Vinegar Store has maintained the method of making vinegar by fermenting and maturing it in these jars for more than 300 years.

Pure rice vinegar with the flavor and sweetness of rice

When acetic acid bacteria are added to alcohol, the alcohol content is converted to acetic acid during the fermentation process, producing vinegar. In the case of pure rice vinegar, acetic acid bacteria are generally added to pure rice wine, which is fermented and then aged to complete the process. The principle is the same for tsubo-no-zu, but Tobaya Vinegar Store has maintained its original method of preparing it using amazake (sweet sake) and tanezu (seed vinegar).
Amazake is made by steaming Fukui Prefecture’s “Hanaetizen” rice, adding homemade rice malt, water pumped up from underground, and pure rice wine, and keeping it at 55°C for one whole day. The “seed vinegar” is the vinegar from the previous batch, which contains a lot of active acetic acid bacteria. The mixture of amazake and seed vinegar is poured directly into the jar, and then spread around the jar to ferment for one to two months while keeping it warm. At this time, an “acetic acid bacterial film” gradually appears on the surface and decomposes the alcohol to produce vinegar. A thick, beautiful film on the surface is a sign that fermentation has been completed to a good degree. About one-third of this is left to be used as seed vinegar for the next brewing.
After fermentation is complete, the vinegar is transferred to wooden barrels and aged for at least two months. After maturing, a large amount of steamed rice from the ingredient amazake remains, so the process of straining is necessary. The process of preparing amazake without filtering is a traditional method unique to Tobaya Vinegar Store, and is intended to add plenty of rice flavor to the vinegar. After the process of filtration and sterilization, the vinegar is made into tsubono-vinegar and shipped. The taste is full of the flavor and sweetness of rice, and the acidity is mild without being angular. It enhances the flavor of food, of course, but it is also delicious diluted and drunk on its own as it has no harshness.

Delicious Vinegar” to Enhance Dishes

The general method of making vinegar used by major manufacturers is “continuous fermentation,” in which fermentation is accelerated by forcing air into the vinegar to speed up the process, resulting in vinegar in just a few days. On the other hand, Tobaya Vinegar Store’s Tsubo-no Vinegar is made by a traditional method called “Seichi-Hakko,” in which the vinegar is left to ferment without stirring, using only the power of acetic acid bacteria, which takes more than four months. The reason why Tobaya Vinegar Store continues to spend so much time and effort to produce Tsubo-no-zu even in this day and age is nothing short of its commitment to producing “delicious vinegar that enhances food. However, the value of this commitment is only recognized when it is recognized. Takayuki Nakano, the 13th generation owner of Tobaya Vinegar Store, says, “I want to expand ‘sympathy’ for the store,” and has been making efforts to let today’s consumers know about Tobaya Vinegar Store’s commitment and history. This goes back to the time when the product name “Tsubono-zu” was created.

Visualizing” 300 years of tradition

Later, Mr. Nakano enrolled in the Department of Brewing and Fermentation at Tokyo University of Agriculture. While still a student, he established the website of Tobaya Vinegar Store with the help of his friends. After graduation, he attended graduate school at the University of Tokyo and joined a management consulting firm. After gaining experience there for three years, he returned to Obama in 2005 and began working at Tobaya Vinegar Store. Having keenly realized the importance of customer communication at the consulting firm, Mr. Nakano stepped up efforts to shorten the distance between Tobaya Vinegar Store and consumers. First, he renewed his website, which he had created as a student and neglected, and made his products available for online purchase. She also introduced in detail the history and commitment of Tobaya Vinegar Store and the process of making Tsubano-zu. Since then, the company has repeatedly renewed its website to make it easier for consumers to view and purchase its products, leading to the development of new customers.
Mr. Nakano says that it was difficult for a small, family-run brewery to tackle online shopping on its own. He attributes his success to his experience as a consultant. He has worked with large companies that have repeated cycles of business improvement, and he believes that this is important regardless of the size of the company, so he worked on it at Tobaya Vinegar Store as well. Currently, online sales are growing as a new pillar of sales.

Developing a succession of new products that capture the times

Mr. Nakano also focused on developing new products. He developed a succession of popular products that continue to this day, including “Vinegar Honey,” a drinkable vinegar blended from Tsubono-vinegar and acacia honey, “Oteremakara Vinegar,” which makes it easy to make vinegared food, and “Handmade Salted Koji Rice Malt Kit.
Among the new products, Mr. Nakano is particularly excited about the potential of vinegar honey. The market for vinegar for drinking has been expanding, sparked by black vinegar and fruit vinegar, and a nationwide survey of the market size of vinegar for household use in 2020 showed that vinegar for drinking exceeded that for cooking.
In anticipation of the growing health consciousness, Mr. Nakano is strengthening his lineup of drinking vinegar products. Recently, products containing ingredients said to boost the immune system in vinegar honey and fruit vinegar made by adding “maguey syrup” and fruit juice, which prevents blood sugar from rising, have been selling well, attracting repeat customers mainly through online sales.

Traditional pure rice vinegar from across the sea

The price of Tsubono-zu, the signature product of the Tobaya Vinegar Store, is almost double that of rice vinegar made by major manufacturers. Even so, sales of Tsubono-zu are strong. Many of our customers, such as restaurants, continue to use Tsubono-zu because they can get our taste because of it,” says Nakano.

Even today, most of the fishmongers, sushi bars, and restaurants in the local Obama area are clients of Tobaya Vinegar Store. The traditional vinegar making process, which has been preserved for more than 300 years through mutual support with the local community, is very time-consuming and labor intensive, and is no longer seen at other breweries. In 2010, he developed a new product called “Sakura Vinegar” at the request of a buyer with connections to a French restaurant in Paris. Sakura Vinegar” is made by marinating cherry blossom petals in Tsubono-vinegar-based sweet vinegar for one year, and was used by Michelin-starred restaurants. It is still shipped in limited quantities in the spring. Tsubono-zu and drinking vinegar are now also shipped to Europe, Australia, and Taiwan through buyers.

Making vinegar is a “divine work” of fermentation.

Mr. Nakano has pioneered the need for vinegar by developing numerous products that meet the changing times. While he will continue to take on new challenges, he is determined never to forget the “gratitude and appreciation for the power of nature” that he inherited from his predecessors.
Nakano says that the fermentation of Tsubono-vinegar is a “work of God” that transcends human technology, and that “fermentation is a force of nature. All humans can do is to wait for the right conditions to be created.

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Mr. Tatsuhito Iwama is a potter of Echizen ware, one of the “Six Old Kilns of Japan”. His representative work, the “Echizen Usukuchi Sake Cup,” is a flat sake cup with a drinking spout only 1 mm thick, a challenge to achieve the extreme thinness that was considered impossible for Echizen ware. The charm of this cup is its unparalleled smoothness when drinking sake. Kuroryu Sake Brewery, a leading sake brewery in Fukui, has also taken notice of the Echizen usukuchi sake cup and asked Mr. Iwama to create an original sake cup for them.

An unprecedented ultra-thin flat sake cup was born in Echizen ware.

Mr. Iwama has his “Ryusen Kiln” in Echizen-cho, located southwest of Fukui City and facing the Echizen Coast. Nearby is the Echizen Pottery Village, where artists who have entered the village have set up studios, galleries, and other bases for their creative activities. Mr. Iwama is one such artist and was certified as a traditional craftsman in 2019.

Echizen Pottery, which experienced a revival after a period of prosperity and decline

Echizen Pottery began at the end of the Heian Period (794-1185) and initially produced mainly miscellaneous daily-use ware such as water jars and mortars. By the late Muromachi Period (1333-1573), Echizen Pottery had become the largest pottery production area on the Sea of Japan side, and was distributed over a wide area from Hokkaido to Shimane Prefecture. However, it gradually declined in the mid-Edo Period due to the rise of other pottery production areas, and from the late Meiji to Taisho Periods, a number of pottery makers closed their businesses. In 1986, Echizen pottery was designated as a traditional craft by the national government, and in 2017, it was recognized as one of the “Six Old Kilns of Japan” by the Japanese government. Echizen Pottery has been revived and is now recognized as one of Japan’s Six Old Kilns.
Echizen Pottery is one of the simplest among the many types of pottery, and its simple, warm appearance that brings out the texture of the clay is appealing. In the past, Echizen pottery was characterized by the absence of glaze, but in recent years the use of glaze has been on the rise, and modern vessels in vivid hues, fired with layers of pigment-colored decorative clay, have also appeared.

Flat sake cup with a drinking spout only 1 mm thick

Pottery is broadly classified into ceramic and porcelain, and Echizen Pottery, which Mr. Iwama produces, is classified as ceramic.
While pottery is made mainly from clay, porcelain is made mainly from stone powder made from ground pottery stones and fired at 1,300 to 1,400 degrees Celsius. Firing at high temperatures melts the raw material into glass, making porcelain harder and thinner than ceramics.
Conversely, it has been difficult to reproduce the thinness of porcelain in ceramics. Mr. Iwama took up the challenge of producing Echizen ware that is thinner than porcelain and completed a piece called “Echizen Usukuchi Sake Cup. Needless to say, the greatest feature of the cup is the thinness of the mouth. The contour of the cup is only about one millimeter, and when you hold it to your mouth, you can only feel the texture of the cup, allowing the sake poured into the cup to flow naturally into your mouth. The sharpness of porcelain and the naturalness of Echizen ware combine to create a sake cup with an unprecedented tactile experience.
The challenge of creating ultra-thin Echizen ware, which seemed impossible, was also a struggle for Mr. Iwama to survive as an artist.

Fascinated by Echizen Pottery, Becomes an Artist

Mr. Iwama became fascinated with the world of pottery when he joined a local pottery club during his junior high school years, and in 1991, he joined a kiln in Echizen City and began working there as a live-in worker. From that year to 1994, he was selected for the Fukui Prefecture Art Exhibition for four consecutive years, gaining experience as a promising young artist. Gradually, his ability as an artist was recognized, and Iwama’s works began to appear in catalogs issued by the Echizen Pottery Cooperative Association to wholesalers and other dealers. In 2007, after receiving a certain number of orders for his work, he decided to open his own studio, partly on the recommendation of the cooperative. He borrowed the necessary funds from a financial institution to invest in an expensive gas kiln and other equipment.

Became independent as a writer. Continuous trial and error

When he first became independent, he received congratulatory new orders, but within two years, the orders stopped coming in. Orders from the cooperative, his main client, were also sluggish, and he was told that customers would get tired of his traditional Echizen pottery style alone. So, he repeated trial and error, including the production of brightly colored vessels made of decorative clay. People around him said, “His style changes from time to time,” but this was a result of his emphasis on the Echizen ware that customers wanted, rather than his persistence as an artist. Mr. Iwama was unsure of his path as an artist when his union approached him for advice, and this marked a turning point in his career.

Finally, an ultra-thin flat sake cup is completed.

A customer wants a thin flat sake cup with a thin mouth. Can you make a very thin one? When Mr. Iwama heard the request from the union, he knew it would be difficult, but he was determined to do it. However, the struggle was more than he expected.
The clay is then placed on a potter’s wheel and stretched upwards and downwards in a process known as “dochi-kiri,” or “clay killing,” to further prepare the clay and create the central axis. The clay is then placed on the potter’s wheel and stretched upwards and downwards in a process called “dochi-koshi,” in which it is stretched upwards and shrunk downwards to form the central axis. After adjusting the clay to make it harder, we thought we had finally succeeded in molding the clay, but when we fired it, it cracked. Next, he tried to make the clay dry longer after molding.
Finally, he completed an ultra-thin flat sake cup, but there were days when he was only able to mold a few pieces after a full day’s work. Mr. Iwama thought daily about how he could increase his production in order to earn his living as an artist.

Repetition is the shortcut to improvement.

Since he could not afford to hire an employee, Mr. Iwama thought the only way was to increase his own productivity, so he increased orders for flat sake cups. He decided to increase the accuracy and speed of the molding process by repeating the thin-stretching process. After consulting with the cooperative, he set the selling price of the flat sake cups at an unbelievable 1,000 yen or less, and orders poured in. As he continued to work hard on the molding process, he went from being able to make a few pieces a day to four or five pieces an hour, and is now able to mold about 10 pieces an hour. After molding, he dries the pieces, shaves the base, dries them moderately more, unglazes them at about 800 degrees Celsius, glazes them, and finishes by firing them at about 1200 degrees Celsius. It takes at least two weeks from the time of molding to the time of firing.

Ultra-thin flat sake cup of recognized value

Today, Mr. Iwama’s Echizen usukuchi sake cups are sold through a cooperative, and their prices are nearly five times higher than when he first started out on his own. In 2016, about three years after Iwama began making ultra-thin flat sake cups, the Kuroryu Sake Brewery, which had paid attention to Iwama’s work, commissioned him to make an original flat sake cup, which was released as the “Kuroryu Flat Cup. With the same ultra-thin finish as the Echizen usukuchi sake cup, it is gaining popularity as a sake cup that enhances the flavor of Kuroryu’s cold sake.

Continuous pursuit of perfection in the work

While holding his own work, which looks perfect to others, Iwama says, “I would like to make the mouth of the cup 0.1 mm thinner to further improve the perfection of the piece. The starting point for his pursuit of excellence as a ceramic artist is the experience of being fascinated by pottery at a pottery club he once attended. Now, Mr. Iwama teaches pottery-making classes for parents and children organized by Echizen Town and the local cooperative. Through these efforts, children will be introduced to pottery, and this will lead to a prosperous future for the production area.

The post The ultimate drinking cup. Echizen ware potter Tatsuhito Iwama continues to challenge the perfection of the “Echizen Usukuchi Sake Cup”. first appeared on NIHONMONO.