Located in Yahata Higashi Ward, northern Fukuoka Prefecture, the Yū Dyeing and Weaving Studio is a workshop dedicated to Kokura-ori, a traditional craft of which Kitakyushu is proud. Studio founder Noriko Tsuki continues to create vibrant Kokura-ori textiles, dyeing threads with plants and weaving them by hand. What is the source of this creativity that captivates people both in Japan and abroad?

Thick and durable. Captivating with beautiful vertical stripes.

Kokura-ori is a simple weave created by crossing warp and weft threads one by one. Its distinctive feature, however, is the high density of warp threads—used in greater quantity, approximately three times that of the weft. This makes the weft threads less visible, allowing the vertical stripes to appear sharply defined and radiate a captivating beauty.It is a unique fabric with a smooth texture, creating a three-dimensional effect through the gradations of thread color.

During the Edo period, it was used for hakama and obi. In the Meiji era, it circulated as student uniforms.

Originating in the Edo period in the Buzen Kokura domain (present-day Kitakyushu City), Kokura-ori emerged. As this region was a cotton-producing area, samurai women began weaving textiles using cotton yarn.Its thick, durable fabric gradually led to its use for samurai hakama and obi, spreading nationwide. It gained fame when Tokugawa Ieyasu wore it as a haori during falconry, earning the praise “Kokura-ori that even a spear cannot pierce” and becoming highly valued.

During the Meiji era, the gray fabric “Shimofuri Kokura,” made by twisting black and white threads, became popular nationwide as the summer uniform for male students. However, as cheap machine-woven imitations began appearing in various regions, production in Kokura waned, overwhelmed by this trend.Furthermore, Kokura flourished as an “iron town” with its steelworks, and by the early Showa period, the last Kokura-ori factory closed, leading to the discontinuation of the fabric.

A Fateful Encounter with a Scrap of Kokura-ori at an Antique Shop

Nestled in the quiet foothills of Yahata Higashi Ward, Kitakyushu City, lies the Yusei Dyeing and Weaving Studio. Its director, textile artist Noriko Tsukiji, is the person who revived Kokura-ori. Born and raised in Kitakyushu, Tsukiji, who loved literature, became captivated by the beauty of Noh costumes while studying classical performing arts like Noh and Joruri at university.

While visiting a Nishijin-ori weaving workshop in Kyoto, Tsukiji was moved by the mastery of the artisans. Yet she realized that what she truly wanted to express was not patterns, but “color.” She boldly dropped out of university and threw herself into the world of dyeing and weaving.After mastering the fundamentals of yarn dyeing and weaving at a textile research institute in Kitakyushu, he traveled to Kumejima Island in Okinawa. There, he learned tsumugi weaving by assisting elderly women at a workshop producing Kumejima Tsumugi, a fabric passed down since the Ryukyu Kingdom era.Kumejima is considered the birthplace of tsumugi, the weave that spread nationwide from there. Kumejima tsumugi is also designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property of Japan, making it an essential place to learn dyeing and weaving techniques. However, he struggled to create a piece he felt truly satisfied with.

One day, a shocking encounter came to Tsukiji. At an antique shop she happened to visit, she found a scrap of Kokura-ori fabric. This small piece, about 10 centimeters, showed only vertical stripes despite being woven. When the shopkeeper told the astonished Tsukiji, “This is Edo-period Kokura-ori,” she only associated Kokura-ori with the gray student uniforms of her youth.The beautiful gradient of the vertical stripes, the substantial yet silk-like texture, appeared to Tsukishiro as something incredibly fresh, hard to believe it was from about 150 years ago. “To discover that the very fabric I aspired to weave existed right in the land where I was born and raised! It was such a happy encounter,” Tsukishiro says, his eyes narrowing with satisfaction.

Reviving and Regenerating Kokura Ori 

At the time, no one around him knew about Edo-period Kokura-ori. Tsukishiro had the scraps sent to the Industrial Research Institute for weave analysis. There, he learned that while most textiles have a 1:1 warp-to-weft ratio, Kokura-ori had a 2:1 ratio, meaning it had more warp threads.She immediately tried weaving with that ratio, but couldn’t achieve the smoothness of the old scrap. Further investigation revealed that the smooth texture came from years of use.

Tsukishiro sought to create fabric with a smooth texture from the start, not through aging. By using finer threads, increasing the number of threads, and raising the density, he achieved a lustrous sheen reminiscent of silk, despite the fabric being cotton. This can be seen as Tsukishiro’s “recreation” and evolution of the historic Kokura-ori. Thus, in 1984, Kokura-ori was revived. Tsukishiro began presenting his work as Kokura-ori, paying homage to his predecessors.It was precisely the instantly recognizable, vibrant striped patterns that made it widely accepted. His first work was selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition.

However, even after successfully restoring the technique, it took three years to fully master the design of the satisfying Kokura stripes. Driven by a desire to use color more freely, unbound by traditional color schemes, he wove the pale pink obi “Plum Blossom Season,” which won the Asahi Shimbun Award at the Western Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition in 1991.To date, she has produced over 600 pieces. Today, Kitakyushu is recognized as a center for Kokura-ori weaving, and several new artisans have emerged.

Borrowing the power of plants to express translucent colors 

Tsuki dyes cotton threads using natural materials like plants found around her workshop. “Dyeing with plants is incredibly fascinating. For example, rosemary dyes a yellowish color before the flowers bloom, but once they bloom, it dyes a stronger olive hue. Even the same plant changes color depending on the season.”

Unlike chemical dyes, plant-based dyeing takes time and doesn’t happen instantly, making it ideal for creating gradations. You can add more thread later to achieve lighter shades, and it easily reflects whims or moods, perfectly aligning with human rhythms. “Above all,” Tsukiji says, “the soft, naturally derived colors have a translucent quality.”

Preparing thousands of warp threads before weaving

Due to its characteristic of raised vertical stripes, Kokura-ori fabric has many constraints—it cannot form check or horizontal stripe patterns. “But that also means Kokura-ori’s distinctive character remains consistent. Since only the warp thread colors show, the thread’s color is directly reflected—that’s its strength. So the key is how many ‘paints’ you possess, which is why we constantly dye threads.”

Preparing these threads in advance according to the design, known as “warping,” is also a crucial process. The warp threads are arranged on the warping machine, rotated, and combined into the necessary colors while considering factors like length and tension before being wound onto the beam. Preparing around 2,300 warp threads for a single obi involves this painstaking, mind-numbing work. It is precisely this effort that produces the delicate colors.

Textiles suited to the climate and character of Kitakyushu

When Tsukiji weaves Kokura-ori on her loom, it’s not a light “tick-tock” sound that resonates, but a loud “thud-thud!”It’s a surprisingly intense sound, hard to imagine coming from such a delicately beautiful fabric. “I weave with strong force to increase the thread density. If I weave gently, the fabric becomes fluffy and lacks firmness. If I slack off, irregularities in the weave become noticeable. So once I start weaving, I just focus intently and keep going.”

“It’s a very stubborn fabric,” Tsukiji-san says with a smile. “This region, even after the tradition once faded, has stubbornly woven this difficult fabric for 400 years. It’s inflexible and clumsy—a fabric that’s quintessentially Kitakyushu.”

Modern, refined textiles captivate the world

Hand-weaving yields limited production, so to introduce Kokura-ori to more people, Tsukiji launched the machine-woven brand “Kokura Shima Shima” in 2007, which she oversees. This allows for the creation of wider fabrics impossible with hand-weaving, enabling larger-scale works like furniture, interiors, and art.Collaborations with global creators like architect Kengo Kuma and Kunihiko Morinaga of the fashion brand ANREALAGE consistently draw the attention of highly discerning individuals.

However, Tsukiji’s core focus remains hand-weaving in the workshop. “No matter how many colors overlap, I aim for a world where colors respect each other, playing a symphony,” Tsukiji states. While he has expressed abstract worlds through Kokura weaving until now, over the past two or three years, he has been challenging himself to incorporate concreteness within them. For example, within vertical stripes, a single diagonal line like rain falling…”Inorganic vertical stripes and organic natural elements seem incompatible, but I want to bring that into the world of vertical stripes. I’m still in the prototyping phase, but I hope to complete it someday.”

Tsukiji-san restores and revives Kokura-ori while seeking new forms of expression. The world eagerly awaits what new beauty will emerge from Tsukiji-san’s meticulous, refined Kokura-ori, woven with such expansive sensibility.

The post Ogura-ori, expressing delicate colors through vertical stripes. Yusei Dyeing and Weaving Studio, Noriko Tsukishiro / Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Koga City, adjacent to Fukuoka City, the capital of Fukuoka Prefecture, is bordered by lush green mountains to the east and faces the Genkai Sea to the west, boasting a beautiful coastline of white sand and green pines. Located here is Masuda Paulownia Box Shop, a specialist manufacturer of paulownia boxes that has earned deep trust both domestically and internationally since its founding.They produce a wide range of products, from special paulownia boxes for storing the works of Living National Treasures to paulownia boxes for everyday use. What is the appeal and dedication to craftsmanship behind their work?

The Unwavering Craftsmanship of Paulownia Box Making, Passed Down Since Founding

Founded in 1929, the company traces its origins to Mr. Fujii’s great-grandfather, who honed his skills at a paulownia box shop in Hiroshima. He branched off from the main family business to open a shop in Fukuoka, dedicated to crafting boxes for traditional crafts like Hakata dolls and Hakata-ori textiles.The business was then passed down to the second-generation grandfather and then to the third-generation Fujii. Rooted in their hometown of Fukuoka, they grew into one of Japan’s largest companies, producing approximately 1.2 million paulownia boxes annually to house crafts and gifts from across the country.

Characteristics of Paulownia Boxes and Environmental Considerations

Paulownia boxes have long been used to store precious items like clothing, books, jewelry, tea ceremony utensils, Buddhist altarware, and food. Paulownia wood excels in humidity control, insect resistance, and fire resistance. It is also lightweight yet sturdy among woods, making it easy to transport and providing reliable protection for stored items without warping.Beyond functionality, their refined grain and elegant, sophisticated appearance have long contributed to their popularity. Furthermore, while cedar takes 50 years to mature, paulownia grows remarkably fast, reaching maturity in just 25 years. With careful maintenance, these boxes can be used for generations, making paulownia a recognized eco-friendly material.

Changing Uses and New Demands for Paulownia Boxes

Recently, shifts in lifestyle have brought changes to the uses of paulownia boxes. While demand for boxes storing kimonos and traditional crafts is declining, the need for them as gift boxes for items like sake, chocolate, tea, and beef is growing, making paulownia boxes more commonplace.

To meet this expanding demand, Masuda Paulownia Box Shop integrated its two traditional operations: the artisan workshop crafting each box individually to match the craftwork, and the factory handling mass production. This structure allows them to leverage the skills of veteran artisans while accommodating a wide range of needs, from custom orders to large-lot production.

Paulownia boxes come in various grades, ranging from high-end, one-of-a-kind boxes crafted for National Living Treasure pieces or museum collections to more affordable boxes used for food or gift packaging. Grades vary based on materials and specifications. This structure, designed to meet such diverse needs, has led to increased gift applications and overseas exports, boosting production volume to more than double that of 15 years ago.

From Reactive to Proactive

Mr. Fujii took over the family business from his grandfather and became president at age 25. Considering what he could and should do as a young leader, he set three goals: “Make younger generations more aware of the merits of paulownia boxes,” “Increase orders to boost employee morale,” and “Expand the business scale to raise the profile of paulownia boxes.”Mr. Fujii questioned the passive mindset that boxes were merely supporting actors to the contents, where form and quantity were entirely dictated by the contents. Resolving that this couldn’t continue, he took decisive action and began developing original products that leveraged the unique characteristics of paulownia wood.

The Birth of the Hit Product: The “Paulownia Rice Storage Container”

With the theme “Bringing Paulownia Boxes Closer to Daily Life,” new product planning began with three goals: making people aware of the benefits of paulownia boxes, utilizing the company’s accumulated box-making expertise, and above all, creating products people would genuinely want.

First, the functional properties of paulownia wood—its humidity-regulating and insect-repelling effects, plus its lightness—led to the idea of a “rice storage container.” The aim was to let people experience the deliciousness of rice (i.e., maintaining rice quality) at their daily meals and convey the excellence of paulownia boxes.

Next, we aimed for a simple, timeless design that would blend seamlessly into modern kitchens. We went through multiple iterations with the product designer, discussing not only aesthetic beauty but also, with input from our craftsmen, whether the shape would be easy to produce in the factory.

Finally, the most challenging aspect was determining the “price point.” We considered the appropriate price from various angles: for personal use, as gifts, and for export.

Thus, our flagship product, the “Paulownia Rice Storage Container,” was born. In 2017, its quality and form were highly praised, earning it a spot in the “JIDA DESIGN MUSEUM SELECTION” (Vol. 18) by the Japan Industrial Designers Association (JIDA), an organization dedicated to preserving outstanding design for future generations. It has since grown into a long-selling product, with cumulative sales exceeding 40,000 units.

Feedback from buyers includes: “Rice stays incredibly fresh!” “Lightweight and easy to use!” and “The simple design is stylish!” Many who use it personally gift it to family and friends, gradually spreading the word about the Paulownia Rice Storage Container’s merits through word of mouth.

The rice storage container sparked interest in paulownia boxes themselves, leading to increased inquiries, including from overseas. Unexpectedly, the rice container became an effective “salesperson” for promoting the appeal of paulownia boxes.

Within the company, employees began seeing their handmade products—previously unseen—in department stores and high-end interior shops. This spurred them to actively participate in product development, asking: “Can we achieve better finishing? Can we make production more efficient?” Subsequent releases like vegetable and bread storage boxes, and the house-shaped bookend “Book House,” also gained popularity, steadily expanding their original product line.

The Future as a Packaging Coordinator

Masuda Kiri Bako Ten’s reputation grew after creating its own products. Moving forward, while upholding its founding principle of providing high-quality goods, the company aims to offer comprehensive proposals encompassing not just box size, design, and logo placement, but also the softer aspects like cushioning materials, string, shipping methods, sales systems, and promotional strategies.”Conceptually, we see ourselves more as tailors than manufacturers,” says Fujii. “Based on factory data, we want to fulfill a consulting role that fits each customer—advising on what products to package how to sell well, or how to approach overseas markets.” They pursue new possibilities for paulownia boxes not merely as storage tools, but as entities bridging Japanese traditional culture with modern lifestyles.
Born from the idea of safely and beautifully storing cherished items, the paulownia box is a gift from nature. It fits perfectly into people’s lives across generations, adding color to their daily existence.

The post Masuda Paulownia Box Shop: Crafting Paulownia Boxes That Blend Time-Honored Traditions with Modern Aesthetics / Koga City, Fukuoka Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Hakata dolls have been made in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, for about 400 years. In fact, the general term for clay dolls made in Hakata is Hakata doll, and there are many different styles of Hakata dolls. Young Hakata doll maker Mr. Hiromine Nakamura, the fourth generation of Nakamura Ningyo, is one of those who have been attracting attention in the Hakata doll world for his particularly original works.

Nakamura Dolls have been in business for four generations since the Taisho Era (1912-1926)

Nakamura dolls began in the Taisho era (1912-1926). Chikuami Nakamura, the first generation, was born into a wealthy family of what today would be called investors and rice marketers. At the age of 13, he began an apprenticeship with the Nakanoko family, a prestigious Hakata doll maker, and nine years later, in 1917, he started his own business. Since then, the baton has been passed from father to son: Engai the second, Shinkyo the third, and Hiromine the fourth.

What is the charm and role of dolls?

The Nakamura family, which has been involved in Hakata dolls for generations, has continued to look at the role of dolls in its own unique way. Unlike pottery, textiles, and other crafts used in daily life, dolls do not have a function to be “used. Nevertheless, the value of dolls lies in the fact that they appeal to people’s hearts and have been handed down through generations as a reflection of culture and the times.

In fact, Hiromine-san has been interested in this aspect of dolls since he was a child. However, as he faced the dolls as a puppeteer and had many conversations with the third generation, he realized that “dolls also have a function. That is to pray. For example, Ohinasama and May dolls have been made to pray for the healthy growth of children. Sometimes, a doll placed in a small corner can comfort the heart. Nakamura understands that there is a “beauty of use” in dolls, and that is why dolls are considered one of the traditional crafts. A doll is a form of human prayer. And being a dollmaker is the job of giving shape to people’s prayers.
The Nakamura family’s doll making is based on free ideas while inheriting tradition. This is because they believe that the role of “prayer” played by dolls will never change, even if the times change. For more than 100 years, Nakamura has been making dolls that give people dreams and hopes.

Oriental and Western “Doll Sense

According to Hiromine, dolls are “something between God and man. However, this is a Japanese way of thinking, and is slightly different in the West. In the West, there is first a god, and then a human being is created by the god in his own image, and a doll is created by the human being in his own image. In other words, they are often understood in the order of God, man, and doll. On the other hand, most of Asia, including Japan, is polytheistic, and nature worship is a fundamental part of their religion, so God = nature, and then there is man, and dolls are made to connect the two. In other words, the composition of the God/man and the doll is the link between the two.

Because of this difference in thinking, when Mr. Hiromine once described Hakata dolls as “dolls” overseas, they were considered “low status” and “not art,” and in some cases he was refused the opportunity to exhibit them. Since then, Mr. Nakamura has described Hakata dolls as “sculpture” or “art,” and he believes that this single action is a step toward bringing the appeal of Hakata dolls to the world.

The “Athlete Series” has received high acclaim even from overseas.

One of Hiromine’s representative works is the “Athlete Series,” featuring baseball, archery, and professional wrestling players. What triggered his attention was winning the Excellence Award in the 2017 Kanazawa World Crafts Competition at the 3rd Kanazawa World Crafts Triennale held in Kanazawa in 2016.

From the outside, it may seem like smooth sailing for Hiromine, who had decided since nursery school that she wanted to become a dollmaker after studying sculpture at the Tokyo University of the Arts. However, according to Hiromine, even in the midst of his fulfilling days, there was a sense of impatience.

This is because in the Nakamura family, “doing things differently from generation to generation” and “not making dolls that look like their parents” have been handed down from generation to generation. His father, Shinkyo, while carrying on the tradition and techniques, has created a wide range of works, including portraits, monuments, and dolls for the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival. In particular, he has worked on dolls based on the theme of the Tensho Mission to Europe, and in 2011 he had an audience with the Pope and presented a doll to him. While watching his father’s back as he pursued his own themes and was highly praised by the world, Hiromine always felt the “pains of creation.

The “Athlete Series” was born out of this struggle, just in time for Mr. Hiromine to make his first May doll for his own child. When I tried to be too traditional, my friends from art school would not respond,” he said. As I struggled between the two, I realized that this was the only time to create a “radical work that would resonate with both sides,”” said Hiromine. He then reinterpreted the May dolls himself. He came to the conclusion that the motifs of Momotaro and Kintaro, May dolls, had always portrayed the heroes of the times, and this overlapped with the image of today’s athletes.

How Hakata Dolls were born

The lively forms and beautifully detailed colors of Hakata dolls are a testament to the beauty of Hakata dolls. Hiromine’s dolls attract the viewer’s attention because of his new ideas built on top of his solid skills.

The process of making Hakata dolls involves a number of steps using traditional techniques. First, clay is kneaded and shaped using a spatula and fingers. Once the prototype is complete, the head, sleeves, and other parts are all divided and a plaster mold is made. Then, the clay is pressed into the mold with fingers to a thickness of about 7mm. Each hollow part is created. This is called “dough pressing. Then, each piece of dough is glued together again with a dovetail and formed. After drying and firing, the baked pieces are painted with pigments dissolved in glue or rock paints, and finally completed. Sometimes a one-of-a-kind piece is created by hollowing out the prototype directly from the original, without going through the process of mold making. Making dolls requires much more time and effort than making statues. When you look at the dolls again with the process in mind, you will feel even more excited.

The Future as a Doll Artist

Having found his own direction with the “Athlete Series,” Hiromine is now receiving a variety of offers. He has been introducing new forms of Hakata dolls, a traditional craft, to the world one after another, such as “Gojira of Remembrance” (2023) created for the 70th anniversary of “Godzilla” and “The Lion of Time” that decorated the show window of “Grand Seiko Boutique Omotesando Hills” at the opening of the boutique.

A Neutral Receiver

At the same time, Hiromine’s style is to respond to offers other than doll-making, such as designing the obi sash for the Hakata Gions Yamakasa festival, original drawings for animations, and 3D modeling. This is largely due to the family motto that has been passed down in the Nakamura family for generations, especially the third generation’s words, “Be a neutral receiver. He says, “By responding to a variety of things, you can see what you want to see. I also think I can tell people that puppeteers can do such interesting things.

Creating dolls that reach the hearts of people today

Hirofumi now faces the challenge of making dolls under the scenario of an Edo period doll maker who, by chance, travels back in time to the present day. In the Edo period, people visited doll stores in search of dolls.
I believe that dolls have unlimited possibilities as long as human beings exist. Dolls are a comprehensive art form that has something to offer not only in their shape, but also in the clothes they wear, their personal belongings, and everything else. I would like to deepen that part of my art by using my techniques and knowledge. It might be interesting to put a real embroidered stadium jacket on a doll. In April 2023, Hiromine will open a private gallery, “KAIGEIDO,” a one-minute walk from Nakamura Doll Studio in Sakurazaka, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, featuring not only the works of the third and fourth generations, but also those of Hiromine’s sister, FU Nakamura, a calligrapher, and overseas artists. The gallery also features works by the third and fourth generations, as well as those of Hiromine’s sister, Nakamura Fuku, a calligrapher, and other overseas artists, and holds genre-less exhibitions. One cannot help but look forward to a new wave of artists who are not bound by traditional craftsmanship, but rather incorporate the “now” and face the modern world.

The post Hakata dolls, a new interpretation of tradition, are attracting worldwide attention. Dollmaker Hiromine Nakamura / Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Kikigama is located in Chikushino City, where Amagaisan (Mt. Amagaisan) spreads out in the midwestern part of Fukuoka. Takaaki Yoshida, who has a studio and gallery in a lush residential area, does everything by himself, from clay making to potteries, painting, and kiln firing. His pottery has the flavor of old pottery and attracts many people.

From Graphic Design to Vessel Making

Mr. Yoshida says, “I started late as a pottery maker. First, he majored in graphic design at university, but during his studies, he became attracted to three-dimensional industrial design instead of two-dimensional graphic design. After graduation, he wanted to do work that incorporated graphic design into three-dimensional objects, and that’s when he came across vessels.

I felt a sense of luck that Saga, a production center of tableware, was located next to Fukuoka, where I was born and raised,” he said. At the time, he knew nothing about pottery and spent two years at a pottery college in Arita, Japan, learning the basics. After graduating from the university, he went to Shigaraki in Shiga Prefecture to study pottery making until he was satisfied with his decision to pursue this career. While studying at the “Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Cultural Park,” which houses studios of ceramic artists from Japan and abroad, he immersed himself in the production of chair objects, hoping to create art that could actually be used.

Training at a Karatsu Pottery Became a Turning Point

Mr. Yoshida says, “Apprenticeship at the Tenpyo Kiln in Karatsu was a turning point for me. The kiln was known for its old-fashioned, antique-style pottery, and produced a wide variety of pottery with wonderful painting techniques, including “Sometsuke,” in which blue is the only color used, and “Iroe,” in which a variety of colors are used. Mr. Yoshida, who has been pursuing his own path in graphic design and art production, says, “I was very much influenced by my teachers, Mr. and Mrs. Shingo and Satsuki Oka. It was here that the foundation for Mr. Yoshida’s tasteful pottery was formed.

Pursuing his own style after becoming independent

After becoming independent in 2007, Mr. Yoshida spent his days going deep into the mountains of Arita to search for materials such as potter’s stone and clay, hoping to use the same materials as those used by his predecessors 400 years ago. At the time, there were not many potteries that started with the search for materials, so I thought there was room for me,” he says.

But that was like a sushi chef growing rice, catching tuna on a boat, and making sushi. It takes too much time and costs too much, and if you do that, you have to make expensive items such as sake and tea utensils to make a profit,” he said. Through a process of trial and error, Mr. Yoshida turned his attention to making everyday vessels that he truly wanted to produce.

Aiming to create vessels that look like old pottery

Yoshida’s vessels are made of “porcelain,” a clay made from crushed stones, but their warm, natural form gives the impression of softness, just like ceramics.

The warm, natural form of his vessels gives them the soft impression of ceramics, and the slightly bluish texture of his antique-like pieces is the result of mixing clay from Amakusa, Kumamoto, with crushed stones he has dug up.

Today’s clay is too white and tasteless,” he says. If you look at old pottery pieces, they were more uneven and had more expression because there was no such thing as a de-ironing machine to remove the iron like today. I add stones that I have dug up myself with the intention of making them a little dirty so that they don’t become too clean,” says Yoshida. The glaze is made of crushed ash from stones dug in the Arita area. He makes his vessels using the traditional combination of stone and ash.

When using the potter’s wheel, Yoshida emphasizes the importance of momentum. Many people are highly skilled at carefully turning a potter’s wheel, but I think it is interesting when I let my momentum guide my work. As my master told me, I am attracted to pieces that are not too tightly made, but have a “blank space” for people to enter,” he says.

Painting in blue using old-fashioned gosu

The painting of the pieces cannot be overlooked when talking about “Kikkigama. Mr. Yoshida chose an old technique called “Somezuke,” in which cobalt-containing pigments called gosu are used. When fired, the finished product has a simple blue color.

However, the painting is only one part of the vessel. I try to make the lines live,” he says, “even if they are a little off or overhang, so that the painted surface has a sense of blank space. The paintings are traditional patterns such as small patterns, chrysanthemums, birds and animals, and so on, like Ko-Imari paintings from the Momoyama period to the beginning of the Edo period. The lively patterns created by the vigor of the brush are inspiring just by looking at them.

What is surprising is that Mr. Yoshida has decided to “never paint the same pattern. It is said that a craftsman is highly skilled only if he paints dozens or hundreds of the same picture, but I am not suited to keep painting the same thing,” says Yoshida, laughing. Each mug has a different pattern, so it is fun to choose which one suits you best.

Yoshida invented the “prime number design,” which represents prime numbers in Chinese characters.

While there are many other potteries besides Kikki-gama that make pottery that looks like old pottery, there is one pattern that Mr. Yoshida has created. He created the “prime number pattern,” in which prime numbers are randomly written in Chinese characters. Prime numbers are “undivisible,” aren’t they? I have always loved prime numbers because I feel the emotion of the human heart that cannot be divided,” says Mr. Yoshida. Another popular work is the humorous “Ku (bitterness) Laughing Text,” in which the hiragana character “Ku” is lined up in a row. Ms. Yoshida’s light sensitivity makes the familiar seem fresh.

Mr. Yoshida’s Challenge Continues as He Eyes the World

When asked about his future plans, Mr. Yoshida’s eyes light up as he says, “Right now, I am using a gas kiln, which is easy to reproduce and produces vessels exactly as I want, but eventually, I would like to try a wood-fired kiln. It takes more time and effort, but a wood-fired kiln is the best way to get closer to traditional pottery. Because firing is done by natural forces and cannot be controlled, the clay and glaze sometimes change in unexpected ways, and you can expect to make things that are beyond your imagination. Also, overseas customers seem to find added value in the traditional wood-fired kilns,” he says.
Yoshida’s pottery has received many orders from overseas, including Kanto, Kansai, and the United States, and there is currently a two-year waiting list. The texture of his pottery, which looks as if it were made 400 years ago, and his lively painting have captured the hearts of people living today, transcending national borders. Today, in his small workshop, daily vessels that enrich people’s lives are being created.

The post Old painted ware is made into vessels that are a part of today’s life. Kikigama” by Takaaki Yoshida / Chikushino City, Fukuoka Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

In the southern part of Fukuoka Prefecture, in the satoyama of Tanushimaru-cho, Kurume City, there is Aiseian, a Kurume-gasuri weaving company that has been in business for seven generations. Kurume kasuri is one of the three major kasuri fabrics in Japan. More than 200 years after its birth, Kurume kasuri still attracts people with its simple texture of cotton, elaborate kasuri patterns, and beautiful indigo color that can only be achieved by indigo dyeing.

Kurume Kasuri, Born of a Young Girl’s Curiosity

Kurume City is located in the Chikugo region of southern Fukuoka Prefecture. In the late Edo period (around 1800), Kurume-gasuri was invented by a girl named Inoue Den, who was born under the castle of the Kurume Domain.

Inoue Den was intrigued by the spotted pattern on faded old clothes and unraveled the cloth to find out how it worked. He found white spots on the threads themselves, and using this as a clue, he tied white threads together, dyed them with indigo, and wove them, resulting in the appearance of a white pattern in the cloth. This was the beginning of the history of Kurume kasuri, a craft born of one girl’s curiosity and inspiration.

Since then, Den has continued to teach this technique to many people throughout her life and has worked hard to popularize Kurume kasuri. Kurume-gasuri became popular as a side job for farmers during the off-season, and from the Meiji period onward, it became popular throughout the country as clothing for the common people. In the early Meiji period, when production began to flourish, “Aiseian” also began its history as a weaving company.

Integrated production of about 36 processes

Aiseian’s current workshop is located in Tanushimaru-cho, Kurume City, at the foot of the Mino Mountain range. 30 years ago, the workshop was relocated to its current location in search of water, which is important for indigo dyeing. Takahiro Matsueda, the seventh generation, and his mother Sayoko, the sixth generation, produce Kurume-gasuri in the workshop surrounded by rich nature.

Kurume kasuri was the first cotton fabric to be designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property of Japan in 1957. The three requirements for certification are: “use of hand-knotted kasuri yarn,” “dyeing with genuine natural indigo,” and “weaving on a handloom. The process involves 36 steps, including designing (pattern design), weaving (dye-proofing), indigo dyeing, washing, hand weaving, drying (……), and so on. In its heyday, the division of labor was well advanced, but as times and demand changed, the number of weavers decreased. Today, there are only about 20 weavers left, and most of them are engaged in integrated production.

Ai fabric is made the old-fashioned way, using only the finest raw materials.

Among the many processes, one of the most distinctive of “Aiseian” is the indigo building process. Ai-kenchiku is the process of fermenting natural indigo in a jar to produce the indigo solution used to dye the yarns. The quality of the water is said to affect the quality of the dyeing process, and each weaver has its own method.

We do not use chemical dyes or chemicals, but use a technique that has been handed down since the Muromachi period (1333-1573). Natural indigo produced in Tokushima Prefecture, maltose and pure rice wine are added to the indigo jar, and fermentation is promoted by the action of microorganisms. My father loved to drink, but the indigo jar also loves to drink (laughs),” smiles Takahiro.

Takahiro first came into contact with Kurume kasuri when he was seven years old. His father, Tetsuya, would playfully let Takahiro help him dye the threads. In addition to the dyeing process, Takahiro also tried his hand at weaving by sitting on his mother Sayoko’s lap and learning as he went along. The workshop was close to where he lived, and the smell of indigo and the sound of weaving embraced him during his childhood. It did not take long for Takahiro to decide to pursue this career.

What is the unique way of expression at Aiseian?

Kurume kasuri is characterized by the various patterns expressed by the warp and weft threads. Because the threads are dyed before weaving, the outlines of the patterns become slightly out of alignment and blurred, which is what gives the kasuri its unique texture. In 1839 (Tempo 10), dyeing and weaving artist Taizo Otsuka invented the traditional pictorial kasuri technique using a picture stand, a technique that has survived to this day. This was an opportunity that greatly expanded the expressive possibilities of kasuri.

Even within the Kurume kasuri, there are regional differences in the kasuri pattern. In the Chikugo region, which is dotted with Kurume kasuri weavers, small patterns are specialized in Hirokawa Town and Yame City. In the area of Sanma-gun, where the head family of Aiseian is located, they produce large patterns, medium patterns, and even pictured kasuri.

The pictured kasuri technique is said to have been pioneered by Takahiro’s great-grandfather, Matsueda Tamaki, the third generation of the Aiseian family and a living national treasure. His outstanding technique and deep knowledge of waka poetry led him to create unique patterns, further expanding the range of expression of Kurume kasuri. His large, poetic, pictorial patterns inspired by the nature of Chikugo and the beautiful gradations of indigo color. This creativity has been passed down through the generations to Takahiro’s father, Tetsuya, who is certified as an Important Intangible Cultural Property Kurume-gasuri Technician, his mother Sayoko, and the current owner, Takahiro, and has shaped the current “Aiseian” style.

Chasing the Light Left Behind by My Father

After graduating from university, Takahiro left his hometown and worked for a company, but in 2020, when his father Tetsuya became ill, he decided to follow the path of Kurume-gasuri. For Takahiro, the Kurume Kasuri workshop is a part of his life and a place that holds fond memories of his parents. He had no hesitation in returning to his parents’ home. At the time, however, Tetsuya was a nationally renowned artist who had won numerous titles at prestigious exhibitions in the craft world, including the Japan Traditional Crafts Dyeing and Weaving Exhibition and the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition. Tetsuya was somewhat apprehensive about following in his father’s footsteps.

I am familiar with Kurume kasuri,” he said. Even after I returned to Kurume as his successor, even though I was anxious, I did not feel any gap or discomfort. My father never showed any pain in his face until he passed away, and he passed on his skills and heart to my mother and me to the best of his ability. It was a really good father-son time,” Takahiro recalls.

Tetsuya passed away shortly after Takahiro returned to his parents’ home, but coincidentally, Tetsuya’s posthumous work, Kurume-gasuri kimono “Hikaraku” won the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award at the 67th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition (FY 2020), the largest publicly-collected exhibition of its kind in Japan. This achievement was a ray of hope for the two surviving members of the family.

The two men took each other’s hands and wiped away their tears in a desperate attempt to look forward. However, just as they were gradually regaining their normal lives, the next disaster struck the workshop.

In the summer of 2023, the workshop was hit by a massive landslide caused by heavy rain. Sand and muddy water poured into the workshop. The indigo jar and loom were damaged, and valuable materials were covered in mud. I think we may be doomed. ……,” she said. Seeing his mother’s despondent look, Takahiro also felt a complete loss of hope.

Immediately after the disaster, the two were at a loss. Soon, however, Takahiro’s friends from his days as an office worker, as well as Kurume City and Oki Town officials involved in the protection of cultural properties, arrived to help clean up the workshop, and the two gradually regained their composure. The two gradually regained their cheerful spirits. “The production of Kurume kasuri is a self-contained process, so sometimes there are moments when we feel lonely,” said Mr. Takahiro. However, the disaster made us realize once again that we have the support of many people.

Now, I am also pursuing the theme of “light,” which my father had set as the theme of his work. I am trying to dye not only with indigo but also with yellow, green, and various other colors of plants and trees. I would like to find my own unique way of expressing Kurume kasuri by getting various hints from nature, such as the wind blowing in the mountains, the murmuring of rivers, and the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. Takahiro’s journey of exploration continues, using the light left behind by his father, Tetsuya, as a guide.

The post Light shines through the deep indigo color. Takahiro Matsueda, Aiseian / Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

AMAM DACOTAN is a bakery from Fukuoka that pioneered the nationwide Maritotsuzzo boom. It has also opened a store in Tokyo, as well as a sister store “DACOMECCA,” another brand “dacō? and another brand “I’m donut? a specialty store for fresh doughnuts, and others. All of them draw huge lines every day for their creative baked goods! What is the secret of their popularity?

Creating stores that create “excitement” with delicious breads

Amamudakotan is located in Ropponmatsu, a little away from downtown Fukuoka City. Stepping into the shop, you will feel as if you are visiting a fantasy world in the stylish space with antique furniture and a lot of dried flowers hanging from the ceiling. The aroma of freshly baked bread fills the air, and it is a blissful moment when you are tempted to buy one thing or another! Six years after its opening, the store is still very popular, with a long line of customers waiting in line even before the store opens.

Starting from a small pasta store of 7 tatami mats

Ryota Hirako, the representative of Amamudakotan, was not originally a baker, but a chef trained in Italian cuisine for about 10 years. After becoming independent, he opened the pasta specialty restaurant “Hiraconche” in Hirao in 2012. It was a small restaurant of about 7 tatami mats where I was the only cook,” recalls Hirako. After the store flourished, it moved to a larger location in Kego, where it opened a café-restaurant on the first floor and a dried flower store on the second floor.

Bread and dried flowers is an unexpected combination. I have always loved antiques, so I wanted to open a dried flower store as well,” says Hirako. The café-restaurant has gained a reputation for the beautiful visual of fresh flowers hanging from the ceiling before they are dried. He also painted the walls and floors himself, creating a unique space that has become the cornerstone of the restaurant’s current design.

Dough from “Breadstock

Mr. Hirako says he has always loved bread. He says, “Like myself, I think that people who say they like bread like not only the bread itself, but also the excitement of going to a bakery and choosing bread. Six or seven years ago, however, most bakeries offered only a few items. The only bakery that satisfied his desire to go to a bakery was “Breadstock” in Higashi Ward, Fukuoka City. Hirako fell in love not only with the wide selection of items, but also with the flavor of the dough. While he insisted on making everything by hand at his restaurant, he began to want to make his own bread, which was the only bread he purchased. Hirako learned to make dough at “bread stock,” which she was fascinated by, and opened the bakery “Amamudakotan” in Ropponmatsu in 2018.

From a chef’s point of view, he develops breads with a free spirit.

The “breadstock” dough, made from domestic wheat and aged for about 15 hours, is characterized by its crispy texture and rich moisture. The breads at Amamudakotan, such as sandwiches filled to overflowing with ingredients and hot dogs topped with homemade sausages, are both hearty and photogenic, and have captured the hearts of customers.

Bakers want people to taste the dough itself, so they tend to keep the ingredients in their bread simple,” says Hirako. When I go to a bakery, I think of bread as an ingredient, as a cook, and I feel like I’m visiting a produce or butcher store (laughs). (Laughs). “I always look at the bread while thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it taste better if I did this? As she looked at the bread, she realized that the best balance was to enhance both the ingredients and the bread, rather than focusing on one or the other, and this led her to her current voluminous style.

Hirako’s goal is to create bread with a sense of unity, where the ingredients are delicious, the dough is crisp, and everything enhances each other. Many people come from far and wide to enjoy the bread made from the chef’s point of view, with the flavor of the ingredients as the main ingredient and the texture of the bread as the supporting dish.

Every time a new product is released, it attracts attention, such as the “maritozzo,” a local Italian pastry that has made “Amamudakotan” a nationally popular restaurant on SNS.

Deep-fried brioche dough, a new kind of doughnut

One of the hottest items on the market today is a “raw doughnut” made by deep frying brioche dough. One day, Mr. Hirako was working on a prototype of a new product in preparation for the opening of “Dakomecca,” a sister store of “Amamudakotan. I especially like the brioche dough from ‘breadstock,’ and I was always looking for possibilities outside of bread,” he said. When he tried frying the dough, he was shocked by the texture, which melted in his mouth for the first time. The staff all tasted it together and were very excited. We were so excited,” he smiles. He named the new melt-in-your-mouth texture “raw doughnut,” and opened the raw doughnut specialty store “I’m Doughnut? a store specializing in raw doughnuts, in the hope that many people will enjoy them.

He named it “raw doughnut” after the new texture, and opened a shop specializing in raw doughnuts in the hope that many people would enjoy it. However, the soft, melt-in-your-mouth brioche dough from Breadstock is what made it possible for us to achieve this delicious taste. The dough is fried as if it were a fritter, further developing the “breadstock” dough. It is precisely because he is a chef that he continues to create new things from his own perspective.

I want to pursue the fun of creating a restaurant.

Finally, in 2021, he will open his first “Amamudakotan” in Omotesando, Tokyo. We decided to expand into Tokyo because we used to live in Omotesando and love the city, and above all, we wanted to open a store where our staff could see the possibilities for the future. In addition, there are three Dakoh stores under the “Dakoh” brand, six I.M. Doughnuts? has now grown to six stores in Japan and one overseas, bringing the total number of stores in Tokyo alone to 12.

What is even more surprising is that they do not simply open stores in the same format, but rather create a different concept for each store, taking into account the local characteristics of the area. First, Hirako looked at the property and designed the space himself, imagining what kind of interior would be best for this particular location, given the site’s location. He also produced the bread lineup, staff uniforms, background music, and merchandise. For example, the Ochanomizu branch of Dakoh has its first café, and the Shibuya branch of I.M. Doughnuts? The Shibuya store of “I’m Doughnuts?” has 50 different types of doughnuts on display… Although it would be more cost-effective to open stores following the same format, “It is fun to create one store at a time, even if it takes a lot of time and effort,” says Mr. Hirako.

I want people to enjoy going to the bakery.

Mr. Hirako’s extraordinary passion for creating stores stems from his desire for people to “enjoy going to bakeries. This is reflected in every aspect of the bakery, from the bread and space to the customer service of the staff, which continues to impress visitors.

With the increase in the number of stores and more than 100 staff members, my responsibilities have also increased,” says Hirako. But I think the most important thing for the company is to do what I want to do. The staff with long experience in the field has also grown up and has become a great support for Mr. Hirako’s creativity. There are still many things I want to do, so I would like to sort them out (laughs). We can’t take our eyes off Ms. Hirako’s new creations and new stores, which always surprise and thrill us.

The post A new kind of bread & doughnuts created from a chef’s point of view. AMAM DACOTAN” by Ryota Hirako / Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Soy sauce is an indispensable fermented seasoning for the Japanese.Recently, however, the number of soy sauce breweries engaged in its production has been declining.There are concerns about the decline of this traditional industry.Against this backdrop, Mr. Yoshinori Jo of Mitsuru Soy Sauce Brewery in Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture, is taking up the challenge of reviving traditional breweries and making soy sauce with his own hands.

Decided to make soy sauce after learning that the company did not brew its own soy sauce

Most of them purchase soy sauce called “kiage” shoyu, which is made from unrefined soy sauce that has not been heat-treated or filtered, from soy sauce cooperatives or manufacturers.The soy sauce is then heated and seasoned only by the company itself.This is largely due to the “Law for the Promotion of Modernization of Small and Medium Enterprises” enacted in 1963.At that time, the government subsidized local cooperatives and manufacturers to efficiently produce products essential to daily life.While capital investment accelerated large-scale production, many small breweries stopped brewing their own products and shifted to purchasing from suppliers.Mitsuru Soy Sauce was one such brewery.
Having grown up with the aroma of soy sauce from an early age, Mr. Shiro naturally thought he would take over the family business.However, when he visited a large factory of a soy sauce cooperative as part of his work experience at an agricultural high school, he learned about the specific manufacturing process of soy sauce for the first time.I smelled the steamed soybeans, learned about koji and moromi, and thought, “Soy sauce is amazing.On the other hand, I felt sad that I didn’t have my own home brewery, and I wanted to make my own soy sauce someday!I wanted to make my own soy sauce someday!After graduating from high school, he went on to study brewing at Tokyo University of Agriculture.He began to study soy sauce making all over again.
While I was still a student!and went on an apprenticeship at soy sauce breweries all over the country.

While I’m still a student!”and train as a warrior at soy sauce breweries across the country.

Mr. Shiro began his journey into soy sauce making, but Mitsuru Soy Sauce had been out of brewing for more than 30 years, so he was unable to learn the know-how from his family, and the factory did not have any brewing equipment.Under these circumstances, Mr. Shiro, who was still a student, came up with the idea of traveling to breweries across the country to learn about soy sauce making.

I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do when I entered university, so I worked hard in my classroom, and during spring break, which coincided with the soy sauce brewing period, I asked my university professor for introductions and soy sauce breweries I met at department store events to let me study here for one week.I asked them to let me study here for a week, and they accepted me.Once I joined the family business, it would be very difficult to ask other manufacturers for training, so I decided to go as far as I could, thinking that I could only do this while I was still a student,” he said.

Thus, by the time he graduated, he had visited seven breweries and learned about soy sauce production at each.After graduation, he spent a year training at Okamoto Soy Sauce in Hiroshima, and before returning to Itoshima, he enrolled in a food coordinator training school in Tokyo to learn more about soy sauce production and its surroundings.After returning to Fukuoka, he began to steadily prepare for the revival of his business.

Start by fixing the sleeping vats and building the koji room.

However, the brewery was not equipped with a brewing environment that would allow him to make use of the knowledge and experience he had gained, so his first challenge was to set up facilities.

With the help of craftsmen, he repaired the wooden vats that had been sitting in the warehouse and built a new room for making koji.We didn’t even have a kettle for steaming soybeans, so we really needed the help of various professionals.For the wooden vats, we asked craftsmen from Fujii Seikosho, the only vat manufacturer in Japan that can produce large wooden vats using traditional methods, to come to our house in Osaka.They repaired the ones that could be used, but only two of the five that remained were usable.We started with those two and gradually increased the number of barrels.In this way, the vats, which had been lying dormant for some time, were brought back to life, and brewing began for the first time in about 40 years.

From the past to the present.Yeast Connects Soy Sauce Making from Our Predecessors

When Mr. Shiro was in college, he took yeast from a pillar in a warehouse that had been covered with mash that had been scattered from the vats when Mitsuru Soy Sauce used to brew its own soy sauce.This yeast was used in the first brewing of Mitsuru Soy Sauce, thus connecting the history of Mitsuru Soy Sauce.Perhaps it was this effect that led to the release in February 2013 of the first dark soy sauce since the revival of brewing, “Namaari,” which was greeted with the comment, “A wonderful soy sauce has been born!”and people from all over Japan praised the new product.

Many people I met during my time in Tokyo, such as the editors-in-chief of cooking magazines and writers, introduced me to many people who were well versed in the food industry,” he said.Word of our reputation spread by word of mouth, and we began to be used at famous sushi restaurants and French restaurants.

The reason why I chose the brand name “Namaire,” is because I wanted to keep it simple.I wanted to keep it simple.I wanted to keep it simple. I used local ingredients from Itoshima, handmade koji, and the traditional method of making soy sauce in wooden vats, and I chose the word “Namaire” to express the pure impression.

The ingredients are made in Itoshima and Okinawan salt.We challenge ourselves to make pesticide-free soy sauce and new type of soy sauce.

Eleven years have passed since the first shipment.Today, the soy sauce produced by Mr. Shiro is loved by many people and restaurants in Fukuoka and Tokyo.The ingredients are locally grown soybeans (fukuyutaka) and wheat (minami no kaori) from Itoshima, and the salt is shimasu from Okinawa.They sell dark, light, and re-finish soy sauces, as well as a pesticide-free dark soy sauce and a light-colored soy sauce called “orange.We had been trying to produce the pesticide-free soy sauce with the cooperation of local farmers since the beginning, but we had to stop production due to soil problems, etc. When we met with cooking expert Yoshiko Tatsumi, she blackmailed us, saying, “Why don’t you make it!She then asked me, “Why don’t you make it?I was given such an opportunity and started making it again with pesticide-free soybeans grown in Kyushu.Orange is a new soy sauce that we started to sell in 2023, and it is pressed before the moromi begins to ferment with lactic acid bacteria and yeast.We think you will enjoy the new flavor of soy sauce,” he says.When you actually lick the orange, you will find that the flavor is strong but the aroma of soy sauce is not strong, and the sweetness unique to koji spreads.It gives the impression of a new seasoning that is soy sauce but not soy sauce.

After starting to make soy sauce, I now understand why so many people are moving away from soy sauce production.Even if you prepare it the old-fashioned way, it’s tough from a business standpoint and takes a lot of time and effort.It is not an easy job.But I still want to stick to handmade, in-house brewing.I want to make use of everything that is produced during the soy sauce making process, such as selling the moromi and processing the strained lees into furikake, and I want to pursue new soy sauce possibilities, such as orange.Mr. Shiro hopes to continue to produce soy sauce on the current scale, without expanding to a larger scale.It seems certain that many people in the soy sauce industry, the culinary industry, and repeat customers will continue to pay close attention to what kind of soy sauce Mitsuru Soy Sauce will be releasing in the future.

The post Reviving in-house brewing from scratch: Mitsuru Soy Sauce Brewery, Yoshinori Jo, Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Soy sauce is an indispensable fermented seasoning for the Japanese. Recently, however, the number of soy sauce breweries engaged in its production has been declining. There is concern that the traditional industry is in decline. In the midst of this situation, Mr. Yoshinori Jo of Mitsuru Soy Sauce Brewery in Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture, has taken up the challenge of reviving traditional breweries and making soy sauce with his own hands.

Determined to make soy sauce when he learned that they were not brewing their own soy sauce

While there are many soy sauce makers in Japan, few of them are engaged in the entire process of soy sauce production, from raw material processing to pressing, and most of them purchase soy sauce called “kiage shoyu,” which is made from unprocessed, unfiltered soy sauce, from soy sauce cooperatives or makers, and only heat and season it themselves. The soy sauce is then heated and seasoned only by the company itself. This is largely due to the “Law for the Promotion of Modernization of Small and Medium Enterprises” enacted in 1963. At that time, the government subsidized local cooperatives and manufacturers to efficiently produce products essential to daily life. While capital investment accelerated large-scale production, many small breweries stopped brewing their own products and shifted to purchasing from suppliers. Mitsuru Soy Sauce was one such brewery.

Having grown up with the aroma of soy sauce from an early age, Mr. Shiro naturally thought he would take over the family business. However, when he visited a large factory of a soy sauce cooperative as part of his work experience at an agricultural high school, he learned about the specific manufacturing process of soy sauce for the first time. I smelled the steamed soybeans, learned about koji and moromi, and thought, “Soy sauce is amazing. On the other hand, I felt sad that I didn’t have my own home brewery, and I wanted to make my own soy sauce someday! I wanted to make my own soy sauce someday! After graduating from high school, he went on to study brewing at Tokyo University of Agriculture. He began to study soy sauce making all over again.

While still a student! and went on an apprenticeship at soy sauce breweries all over the country.

However, Mitsuru Soy Sauce had been out of the brewing business for more than 30 years, so he was unable to learn from his family and there were no brewing facilities in the factory. Under these circumstances, Mr. Shiro, who was still a student, came up with the idea of traveling to breweries across the country to learn about soy sauce making.

I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do when I entered university, so I worked hard in my classroom, and during spring break, which coincided with the soy sauce brewing period, I asked my university professor for introductions and soy sauce breweries I met at department store events to let me study here for one week. I asked them to let me study here for a week, and they accepted me. Once I joined the family business, it would be very difficult to ask other manufacturers for training, so I decided to go as far as I could, thinking that I could only do this while I was still a student.

Thus, by the time he graduated, he had visited seven breweries and learned about soy sauce production at each. After graduation, he spent a year working at Okamoto Soy Sauce in Hiroshima, and before returning to Itoshima, he enrolled in a food coordinator training school in Tokyo to learn more about soy sauce production and its surroundings. After returning to Fukuoka, he began to steadily prepare for the revival of his business.

He started by repairing the vats that had been lying dormant and building a koji mold room.

Mr. Shiro returned to his parents’ home with a full of energy, but even though he wanted to use the knowledge and experience he had gained, the brewing environment at his factory was not yet ready, so his first challenge was to set up facilities.

With the help of craftsmen, he repaired the wooden vats that had been sitting in the warehouse and built a new room for making koji. We didn’t even have a kettle for steaming soybeans, so we really needed the help of various professionals. For the wooden vats, we asked craftsmen from Fujii Seikosho, the only vat manufacturer in Japan that can produce large wooden vats using traditional methods, to come to our house in Osaka. They repaired the ones that could be used, but only two of the five that remained were usable. We started with those two and gradually increased the number of vats. In this way, the vats, which had been lying dormant for some time, were brought back to life, and brewing began for the first time in about 40 years.

From the past to the present. Yeast Links Soy Sauce Craftsmanship from Predecessors

When Mr. Shiro was in college, he took yeast from a pillar in the warehouse that had been covered with mash that had been scattered from the vats when Mitsuru Soy Sauce was brewing its own soy sauce in the past, cultivated it, and froze it. This yeast was used in the first brewing of Mitsuru Soy Sauce, thus connecting the history of Mitsuru Soy Sauce. Perhaps this was a factor in the success of the soy sauce, but when Mitsuru Soy Sauce released its first dark soy sauce, “Namaari,” in February 2013, it received praise from all over Japan. The soy sauce was praised by people from all over Japan.

Many food-savvy people introduced us, including people at the brewery where I trained, and the editors-in-chief of cooking magazines and writers I met during my time in Tokyo. The reputation of the product spread by word of mouth, and it came to be used at famous sushi restaurants and French restaurants.

The reason why he chose the brand name “Namaire,” is because he wanted to keep it simple, “There is a lot of information on the packaging of soy sauce that is particular about soy sauce, such as ‘domestic soybeans’ and ‘made in wooden vats. I wanted to keep it simple. I wanted to keep it simple. I used local ingredients from Itoshima, handmade koji, and wooden vat brewing, which is a traditional production method, and I chose the word “raw” to express the pure impression.

The ingredients are made in Itoshima and Okinawan salt. Tackling the challenge of pesticide-free soy sauce and new types of soy sauce

Eleven years have passed since the first shipment. Today, the soy sauce produced by Mr. Shiro is loved by many people and restaurants, especially in his hometown Fukuoka and Tokyo. The ingredients are locally grown soybeans (fukuyutaka) and wheat (minami no kaori) from Itoshima, and the salt is shimasu from Okinawa. They sell dark, light, and re-finish soy sauces, as well as a pesticide-free dark soy sauce and a light-colored soy sauce called “orange. We had been trying to produce the pesticide-free soy sauce with the cooperation of local farmers since the beginning, but we had to stop production due to soil problems, etc. When we met with cooking expert Yoshiko Tatsumi, she blackmailed us, saying, “Why don’t you make it? She then asked me, “Why don’t you make it? I was given such an opportunity and started making it again with pesticide-free soybeans grown in Kyushu. Orange is a new soy sauce that we started to sell in 2023, and it is pressed before the moromi begins to ferment with lactic acid bacteria and yeast. We think you will enjoy the new flavor of soy sauce,” he says. When you actually lick the orange, you will find that the flavor is strong but the aroma of soy sauce is not strong, and the sweetness unique to koji spreads. It tastes like a new seasoning that is soy sauce but not soy sauce.

After I started making soy sauce, I understood why so many people are leaving the soy sauce business. Even if you prepare it the old-fashioned way, it’s tough from a business standpoint, and it takes a lot of time and effort. It is not an easy job. But I still want to stick to handmade, in-house brewing. I want to make use of everything that is produced during the soy sauce making process, such as selling the moromi and processing the strained lees into furikake, and I want to pursue new soy sauce possibilities, such as orange. Mr. Shiro hopes to continue to make soy sauce on the current scale without expanding to a larger scale. It seems certain that many people in the soy sauce industry, the culinary industry, and repeat customers will continue to pay close attention to what kind of soy sauce Mitsuru Soy Sauce will be releasing in the future.

The post Yoshinori Shiro of Mitsuru Soy Sauce Brewery revives in-house brewing by starting from scratch / Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Yame City in Fukuoka Prefecture is known for its tea production. Especially in Hoshino Village, which is located at a high altitude and is called “Okuyame,” the production of Kabusecha, a type of tea with a strong flavor, is thriving due to the difference in temperature. We visited two tea farmers who are earnestly engaged in tea production while facing nature on a daily basis, and experienced their passion for Japanese tea.

Tea made with traditional techniques in a beautiful mountainous area

The Yame region in the southern part of the Chikugo Plain of Fukuoka Prefecture is located between the Chikugo and Yabe Rivers, the largest rivers in Kyushu. Blessed with fertile soil, subsoil water, abundant rainfall, and a large temperature difference between day and night, the region has been cultivating tea for about 600 years, as it meets the natural conditions suitable for tea cultivation.

Hoshino Village, located in the mountains at an altitude of more than 200 meters above sea level and known for its beautiful starlit sky, is a famous producer of high-quality sencha and gyokuro teas. Hoshino tea is known as one of the highest quality Yamecha teas.

Hoshino tea is characterized by its rich flavor, deep mellow aroma, and beautiful color. Among them, Gyokuro, the highest grade of Japanese tea, has repeatedly won the top prize in the Gyokuro category of the National Tea Fair (22 times in the Heisei period), in which tea production areas throughout Japan compete to be the best in Japan in terms of Japanese tea. The “Yame Traditional Gyokuro” entered in this competition “must be grown on trees that have been pruned only once after harvest and allowed to sprout naturally until autumn,” and “covered with natural materials such as rice straw for 16 days or more. （The tea is grown by adhering to traditional techniques such as “covering” the trees with natural materials such as rice straw for at least 16 days and hand-picking the sprouts. The taste is exceptional. Pour hot water at 50-60 degrees Celsius slowly and wait for about 2 minutes, and the flavor and sweetness locked inside the tea leaves will be released in the hot water, giving it a mild, sweet, deep flavor and a noble aroma that is very impressive. In 2015, Yame Traditional Gyokuro became the first tea to be registered under the country’s Geographical Indication (GI*) protection system in order to protect its special cultivation methods and production area characteristics as intellectual property.

Of course, Traditional Gyokuro is not the only Hoshino tea. In Hoshino Village, open-air cultivation is also widely practiced in addition to covered cultivation, but it is certain that the knowledge and experience of tea farmers who have kept up the traditional techniques have led to the production of delicious tea.

GI = GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION. A system to protect as intellectual property the names (geographical indications) of products that have achieved high quality and reputation due to special traditional production methods and characteristics of the production area, such as climate, climate, and soil.

From cultivation to processing and sales. Reflecting the voices of consumers in tea production

Mr. Kohei Takagi, who runs a tea shop in Hoshino Village called “Hoshosho-en,” is a devoted farmer who is called the hope of young farmers. After two years of in-depth study of tea cultivation and processing at the Tea Research Center of the National Institute of Agroforestry and Forestry in Shizuoka Prefecture, he returned to his hometown and now cultivates tea in a vast field of about 10 hectares (about eight times the size of the Koshien baseball stadium). Mr. Takagi’s tea plantation is located in the mountains of Hoshino Village, which is located at a high altitude. The tea plantation is located on top of a unique geological formation called Senmaigan, which contains many natural microorganisms, and is therefore blessed with rich soil. In addition to such geographical advantages, Mr. Takagi has taken on the challenge of tea cultivation with all his human knowledge, including the selection of fertilizers, the amount and timing of fertilizer application, the selection of covering materials, the timing and duration of application, and frost protection.

Running a tea shop has also had a positive influence on Mr. Takagi’s tea production. Generally, tea farmers rush raw tea leaves to tea factories to prevent oxidation, which begins immediately after harvesting, and deliver “aracha,” which is made by steaming, rubbing, and drying tea leaves, to tea wholesalers. The wholesalers then process and blend the “aracha” into products, but apart from wholesaling, Mr. Takagi also handles the secondary processing and blending himself. He says, “I can check the taste of the tea I make and hear directly from customers. Every year, it is a battle against nature, so it is difficult to keep the quality constant, but the voices of customers who frankly tell me, “This year’s tea tasted like this,” are the driving force behind our tea production.

Focusing on the Future as a Tea Producing Area

There is another key person who is indispensable when talking about Hoshino Tea. He is Masahiro Tanaka, who serves as the head of the Hoshino branch of the JA Tea Industry Youth Association. Mr. Tanaka and Mr. Takagi have been friends since childhood, and both have taken over the family business and worked hard to produce high quality tea while engaging in friendly competition with each other. The climate and soil of Hoshino Village are the reason why we can produce high quality sencha and gyokuro teas. We believe that continuing to master the art of tea production by taking advantage of the characteristics of the land will help us differentiate ourselves from other tea-producing regions. On the other hand, however, the reality is that the demand for bottled tea is increasing in Japan, and more and more households do not have a teapot. In order for the tea industry to become a sustainable industry in the future, we must consider what kind of tea the domestic and overseas markets demand and what kind of target audience we should approach from the production site. In order to explore the possibilities of organic, pesticide-free, and fermented teas demanded by overseas markets and take action, it will be necessary for producers and tea merchants to work together even more firmly than now,” says Hoshino, who is looking to the future of Hoshino Tea.

Overseas and Domestic. The Challenge of Japanese Tea Continues

Recently, the number of Japanese tea lovers has been increasing overseas, and Hoshino tea is also exported. However, there are many areas (e.g., EU) where standards for residual pesticide concentration are strict, and the standards differ from country to country, so there are not many farmers who can produce organic and pesticide-free tea. Hoshino Village has the advantage of being located at a high altitude, which makes it difficult to attract insects, but it is said to take at least 10 years to stabilize the quality of tea without using chemical fertilizers or pesticides, which places a heavy burden on farmers. Although there are many challenges, Mr. Takagi has direct dealings with overseas farmers, “They always ask me to send them good quality products! He also sees the potential for Japanese tea to make great strides overseas. The Yameyama tea cooperative is also actively involved in overseas exports, and we look forward to future developments.

Their goal for the future is to continue their activities to encourage more people to brew tea at home,” they say. For young children, we start with hojicha, which is low in caffeine, and gradually move on to green tea. If children are exposed to home-brewed tea when they are young, even if they leave tea for a while, they often come back to it when they grow up and say, “I love making tea at home. I want to believe in such a cycle,” he says.

While conveying the richness of time spent with tea to the domestic market, they also want to enter the large overseas market. We look forward to the future of Yame “Hoshino Tea” pioneered by young tea growers.

The post The power of a cup of tea that brings a peaceful sensation. Hoshino Tea” made with special care and cultivation methods / Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Wakami Shuzo was founded in 1922 in Okawa City, Fukuoka Prefecture, located downstream of the Chikugo River. Named with the hope of “creating young waves” like the Chikugo River, the largest river in Kyushu, the brewery has been pioneering the deliciousness of sake in its own unique way.

Founded in the Chikugo River basin, a region famous for sake brewing

The Chikugo River, the largest river in Kyushu, flows majestically in front of the sake brewery. The Chikugo River basin, where the brewery is located, is blessed with abundant underground water sourced from Mount Aso, and the vast Chikushino Plain, which nurtures high-quality rice, stretches out. As one of Japan’s leading sake-producing regions, it developed significantly, with over 80 sake breweries in existence by the mid-Meiji period. At the same time, “Wakamiya Shuzo,” the main branch of “Imamura Honke Shuzo,” was also founded.

The origins of “Wakamiya Shuzo” date back to 1922 (Taisho 11). Three brothers from “Imamura Honke Shuzo,” which was founded in 1895 (Meiji 28), split off to start their own businesses, and one of them began sake brewing. Today, all other breweries have closed, and Wakamiya Shuzo, the sole remaining brewery, carries on the sake-making tradition of the Imamura family. Currently, the brewery is led by the fourth-generation head, Imamura Kaichiro, his sister and production manager, Imamura Yuka, and the ninth-generation master brewer, Shoji Takahiro, who are dedicated to sake production.

Shortly after production began with these three at the helm, in the 2010 brewing year (Heisei 22), the quality design of the existing “Wakami” brand was completely revamped. The brand was relaunched as a limited-release product, establishing the current structure.

The concept is “the surging wave of flavor and the lingering aftertaste.”

Amid the fierce competition among numerous sake breweries in the Chikugo River basin, Wakami Sake Brewery stands out for its exceptional craftsmanship. Since the inception of the Fukuoka Prefecture Sake Appraisal Competition in 2012 (Heisei 24), Wakami’s “Wakami Junmai Daiginjo” has won the top award, the First Governor’s Award, in every edition. This was a promising start that embodied the company’s founding vision of “creating a fresh wave in sake brewing.” At the 11th Fukuoka Prefecture Sake Appraisal Competition held in September 2023, two of the brewery’s brands, “Wakamiwa Junmai Ginjo Yamada Nishiki” and “Wakamiwa Junmai Sake,” won the same award in the Junmai Ginjo and Junmai Sake categories.

Wakami Shuzo’s concept for sake brewing is “the pushing wave of flavor and the pulling wave of aftertaste.” This refers to the taste of its signature brand, Wakami Junmai Ginjo, which bursts into the mouth like a wave of umami, then quickly recedes with a refreshing finish. Many people are captivated by this beautiful, wave-like quality of the sake.

The moisture content of the rice used for sake brewing is also carefully adjusted.

In the 2010 brewing year, the “Wakami” series was completely revamped and reborn as a limited-release product. From the outset, the brewery has been committed to creating “everyday sake that adds color to daily life.” The fourth-generation head brewer, Kaichiro Imamura, says, “Because this is sake that people drink every day, we strive to create a flavor that never gets old, making minor changes every year.”

The rice used as raw material for sake varies in characteristics even if it is the same variety and harvested in the same year. Among these, the difference in moisture content in rice, though only a fraction of 1%, significantly affects the quality of the sake. “We place great importance on reproducibility in producing good sake. Therefore, adjusting the moisture content of the rice is crucial. For example, even if the rice variety and milling degree are the same, the moisture content of the rice varies, so we measure it carefully each time and work with the master brewer to design how to express the differences and individuality between last year’s and this year’s rice in the brewing process.”

The rice used for sake is carefully selected from Fukuoka Prefecture.

The rice used by Wakami Shuzo is almost entirely grown in Fukuoka Prefecture. The three main varieties used are “Yamada Nishiki,” “Yume Ikkan,” and “Jugenmu,” all of which are rice varieties specifically suited for sake production.

“Yamada Nishiki” is carefully selected from the major production area of Itoshima in Fukuoka Prefecture. It is characterized by its elegant aroma and rich flavor, and is said to effectively express the ‘wave of flavor’ that ‘Wakami Sake Brewery’ aims to achieve. ‘Yume Ikken,’ widely used throughout Fukuoka Prefecture, is used in junmai sake with a rice polishing ratio of 50% to 70%. It has a clean taste with a light aftertaste. “Jugenmu” has a low amino acid content and few impurities. While it may seem bland, it brings out the flavor that Wakaba Shuzo aims for in its brewing process. Due to its characteristics, it dissolves well but is prone to breaking, so it is mainly used in pure rice sake polished to 65%.

“Rather than forcing the flavor to meet target values, we prioritize sake brewing that aligns with the rice’s unique characteristics,” says Mr. Imamura. In addition to rigorous moisture management, the brewery conducts regular discussions and tastings led by the head brewer, and solicits feedback from partner retailers to continuously improve the flavor.

The harmony among the brewery staff fosters the creation of fine sake.

Furthermore, we maintain strict hygiene standards by thoroughly cleaning and organizing the brewery every day, and disassembling and cleaning the brewing equipment once a week. Given the warm climate of Fukuoka, temperature control is also crucial for sake production, so we have introduced thermal tanks equipped with cooling devices that allow for precise temperature regulation. While sake quality design is essential, quality control also plays a significant role in determining the taste.

“Wakamiya Shuzo” operates with a small, elite team. We set a longer brewing period relative to our production volume, taking our time to craft our sake. We do not prioritize mass production. ‘By focusing on how to produce high-quality sake with a small team, we naturally arrived at a meticulous brewing process,’ says Mr. Imamura. The consistent, everyday drinkability of their sake is likely supported by such behind-the-scenes efforts. The uniqueness of Wakamiya is born from its small, dedicated team. As embodied by their motto, “Wa-jo Ryoshu” (harmony brews fine sake), the harmony among the sincere sake brewers continues to produce excellent sake.

To remain unchanged, we continue to refine our craft.

One of the things I am currently working on is exploring the compatibility of local Kyushu cuisine with sake. I source gourmet foods and ingredients from various regions and conduct repeated tastings, focusing on standard sakes. I incorporate the ideas and improvements that emerge—such as aroma, acidity, and aftertaste—into the sake-making process. When aiming to create a sake for everyday use, pairing it with locally beloved dishes is perhaps the most important consideration. To create a sake that will remain a staple in people’s lives, it is essential to continuously refine what already exists.

Previously, we changed the rice used in our seasonal limited-edition brand “Wakami Junmai Ginjo TYPE-FY2,” which was well-received, from processed rice to 100% Yamada Nishiki rice for year-round sales. At the time, the brewers temporarily hesitated over the rice change, worried that the refined, clean taste characteristic of “Yamada Nishiki” might leave those who preferred the previous flavor feeling unsatisfied. However, when it was released as planned, it was unexpectedly well-received. “I believe this bottle has become one that people can recognize as the current Wakami, including this evolution,” recalls Imamura.

While maintaining the original concept, the brewery continues to make updates. “To become a presence that enriches daily life, we strive to improve the quality of our everyday sake,” says Imura. This philosophy continues to resonate with those who enjoy their sake. Perhaps the day when these small waves grow into larger ones, creating a new wave in the world of Japanese sake, is not too far off.

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