“I don’t want to show my children a field where not even insects appear, so I don’t use pesticides,” says Hideyo Ohtake, representative of “Nikkei Farm,” with conviction. Having dedicated himself to agriculture for over 17 years, he is committed to growing vegetables using only organic fertilizers and no pesticides whatsoever. He now cultivates as many as 100 varieties of vegetables annually and is one of the leaders shaping the future of agriculture in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture. He is also known for his “Legend Spinach,” which won the Grand Gold Award at the 2024 “Vegetable Sommelier Summit,” and has garnered attention from across the country. Together with his wife, Shiho—who manages sales at their farm’s direct-sales shop while he tends the fields—and his staff, he is dedicated to growing vegetables that bring joy to people.

I switched careers from hairdressing to farming. In terms of bringing joy to people, it was the same.

As it turns out, Ms. Otake’s first job after graduating from high school was as a hairdresser. “Back in high school, when a hairdresser helped me solve a problem with my hair, the words ‘Thank you’ just naturally came out of my mouth. I thought to myself that someday I’d like to make people happy as a hairdresser too, so I became an apprentice.”

Even back then, the Ohtake family owned a vegetable garden, but when his mother—who had been involved in farming—became too ill to tend the fields, he took over the farm. Driven by a sense of gratitude for having been able to pursue a career as a hairstylist, he eventually decided—after much deliberation—to leave the beauty industry and dedicate himself to farming.

“I never imagined I’d quit hairdressing to pursue farming, so I’m surprised even by myself. At first, I didn’t want to do it—I thought getting covered in mud was uncool. But when someone who ate our vegetables said, ‘That was delicious. Thank you,’ I realized that whether as a hairdresser or a farmer, the act of bringing joy to people is the same. That’s when the desire to make people happy through farming began to take root,” she recalls with a smile.

The creatures living in the soil are our vital partners, indispensable to agriculture.

Frustrated by people telling him that “pesticide-free farming is difficult,” Mr. Otake started by planting 1,000 corn stalks. However, the corn was completely wiped out by damage from palm civets, crows, and insects. Drawing on that experience, he devised strategies such as installing electric fences to keep out palm civets, and gradually increased his success rate. “When you cultivate crops while nurturing microorganisms, it seems that problems caused by continuous cropping—such as vegetable pathogens and stunted growth—don’t occur,” he says, confident in his unique organic farming method.

It has been about 17 years since he became a farmer. With his eager-to-learn and determined personality, Mr. Otake has taken on the challenge of growing a wide variety of vegetables. He began by simply learning about farming, gaining experience through conversations with veteran farmers and receiving guidance, and gradually developed his own style through trial and error.

What Mr. Ohtake values most in vegetable farming is preserving traditional farming methods without using pesticides. However, he is by no means opposed to pesticides. He says that his childhood memories of fun experiences have influenced this perspective.

“I’ve always loved insects; I used to catch rhinoceros beetles and dragonflies. It used to be normal to see frogs in the rice paddies and insects in the fields, but perhaps because people started using pesticides, they disappeared before I knew it. Through my hands-on experience in farming, I’ve learned that it’s the soil that grows the vegetables. By changing how we prepare the soil, the soil microorganisms also change, leading to healthy soil. “When the soil is healthy, the insect population naturally increases. So, in fact, I get hints on how to grow vegetables from the insects themselves. I’m proud to show my children the fields where the insects thrive,” he says with a cheerful smile. He explains that, for insects, the fields are like a restaurant. Rather than selfishly using pesticides, he minimizes interference with the soil and gradually increases the microbial population through green manure. He has built his current farming style on the philosophy that “I am privileged to grow vegetables using soil that is home to insects.”

Overcoming the hardships following the earthquake, they are preserving agriculture with passion

While studying agriculture, Mr. Otake has also pursued his own standards when it comes to distribution. After exploring ways to deliver pesticide-free vegetables and rare, diverse varieties to those who seek them, he decided against supplying markets or agricultural cooperatives (JA). Instead, he has maintained a unique business model of selling directly to contracted retailers and restaurants, while also offering seasonal vegetables at his farm’s own retail outlet.

While Nikkei Farm may appear to have followed a smooth path in agriculture, over the past 17 years it has weathered the reputational damage following the Great East Japan Earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic, overcoming numerous difficult situations where they were forced to discard the vegetables they had grown.

“Before the earthquake, about 80 percent of our sales came from supplying restaurants in Tokyo through a broker specializing in the foodservice industry, while the local market accounted for about 20 percent. However, due to the reputational damage caused by the earthquake and the nuclear accident, that 80 percent vanished overnight,” he recalls. Since even residents of Fukushima Prefecture were shunning locally grown vegetables at the time, his wife, Shiho, says, “When I think back on those days, I still can’t hold back my tears.” For a while, their daily routine consisted of growing produce only to throw it away, which took a heavy toll on them both physically and mentally. The company was operating at a continuous loss and was barely viable, but they were supported by the reopening of local restaurants and have been taking small steps toward recovery ever since.

“It was truly painful and difficult for about 10 years. However, while many people were forced to give up farming after the disaster, we resolved that we must carry on the agricultural traditions of Fukushima Prefecture and Koriyama into the future,” he says, expressing his feelings for his hometown.

At our farm stand, we sell fresh, seasonal vegetables grown with organic fertilizer.

Tucked away in a quiet residential neighborhood in Otsuki-cho, Koriyama City, the Nikkei Farm direct sales shop carries a wide variety of vegetables—primarily their own, but also those from other producers who grow delicious produce. The small shop is lined with colorful vegetables and rare varieties rarely seen elsewhere, bringing smiles to visitors’ faces. Grown without pesticides and using organic fertilizers, the vegetables are packed with the bounty of nature, boasting rich flavors and aromas. During the summer, in addition to edamame, zucchini, and green beans, colorful cherry tomatoes, beets, and “Kyomanju” (eggplant) make their appearance. The round, adorable salad squash and freshly picked corn are so fresh they can be eaten raw.

“Although it’s just a verbal recommendation, I introduce customers to several recipes they can enjoy using the vegetables we sell,” says Shiho, who runs the farm stand, with a smile. “It’s fun to talk to them directly, and I’m happy to be able to convey the appeal of our vegetables.” She adds that many people visit the stand after tasting dishes made with Nikkei Farm’s vegetables at local restaurants and wanting to try cooking with them themselves.

It’s as sweet as fruit. Corn you can eat raw

Nikkei Farm, which cultivates as many as 100 varieties annually, operates on a “small quantities, wide variety” model; however, even among these, its flagship product—corn—accounts for shipments of as many as 26,000 ears. During the three-month summer peak season, the farm harvests the corn every day around 3:00 a.m. and ships it while it’s still fresh and just-picked. This is because corn accumulates starch (sugar) overnight, and it is at its sweetest in the morning. In addition, corn harvested early in the morning has a higher moisture content, making it easier to maintain freshness and helping to prevent quality deterioration caused by the daytime heat.

At Nikkei Farm, corn is grown for about 10 days longer than usual, which concentrates the sweetness and deepens the flavor. The white corn variety “Pure White” maintains a high sugar content of 22.5 degrees, while the yellow corn maintains 21.5 degrees.

“We harvest the corn by feeling the top of the cob to make sure the kernels are firm, checking the base, and judging by the dryness and color of the silks,” says Mr. Otake, holding a cob of Pure White. He explains that by taking measures such as cutting the stems and reducing the number of leaves to prevent the corn earworm—a well-known corn pest—pest damage has been dramatically reduced.

“I recommend eating white corn raw. You can enjoy its juiciness and fresh sweetness. For yellow corn, cooking it slightly brings out more sweetness,” he told us.

I want to move many people with the taste of vegetables.

“I still have so many dreams,” says Mr. Otake with a smile. One of those dreams—which has become his own farming philosophy—is to move people with the taste of his vegetables.

He hopes to become the kind of farmer where parents and children don’t view eating or serving vegetables as a chore, but rather—just as children ask for candy—think, “The vegetables over there are delicious,” or “I want to eat that corn, so please buy some for me.”

“I believe that if I can convey the fun and message of farming through childhood experiences, the fields will continue to be places where vegetables are grown for generations to come. It also makes me happy when people say they’d like to visit the fields again.”

Furthermore, he notes that the current situation—where consumers take cheap vegetables for granted—is certainly not what farmers want, adding, “It’s also important for people to understand the challenges farmers face and change their mindset.”

“I’ve overcome many difficulties, but looking back now, I’m glad I chose farming. If there’s something I can do for others, I’ll do my best,” says Mr. Otake. Shiho, sitting beside him, nods vigorously in agreement. To continue seeing those smiling faces that say, “That was delicious!” they will press forward on their unique path in agriculture, finding fulfillment in their work every day.

The post Hideyo Otake of “Nikkei Farm,” which pursues delicious, seasonal vegetables using farming methods that are gentle on people and the environment / Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

“Sharaku,” which has gained popularity among local sake enthusiasts nationwide for its high quality, and “Aizu Miyaizumi,” which has been beloved locally since the brewery’s founding. “Miyaizumi Meijo” continues to pursue its ideal of sake brewing through these two brands. Amid abundant water sources and a climate ideal for sake brewing, fourth-generation brewery owner Yoshihiro (the older brother, pictured right) and Managing Director Yamato (the younger brother, pictured left) take on the challenge with a passionate desire to “create even better sake.” While meticulously monitoring the ever-changing temperature, humidity, and aromas within the brewery to refine the quality of their sake, the team—led by the Miyamori brothers—works as one to craft their sake.

A sake brewery in Aizu, a region renowned for its sake, that has carried on a 400-year history

Aizu-Wakamatsu City is one of the leading sake-producing regions in the Tohoku region. The Aizu Basin, surrounded on all sides by mountains, experiences significant seasonal temperature fluctuations. With cold winters that keep bacteria at bay, it is blessed with a climate and environment ideally suited for sake brewing. Furthermore, having flourished as a castle town, the area has a long history dating back to the Edo period, when numerous sake breweries were established and competed to refine their brewing techniques.

Located near the famous Tsuruga Castle, the charming brewery “Miyaizumi Meijo” was founded in 1955 (Showa 30). While there are many breweries with hundreds of years of history, this one might seem relatively new—but that is not the case. Miyaizumi Meijo is a brewery that branched off from “Hanaharu Shuzo,” one of the oldest and most prestigious breweries in Aizu-Wakamatsu, founded in 1718 (Kyōhō 3). Although its history as a company is short, it carries on a 400-year tradition of sake brewing.

The exterior, which blends seamlessly into the atmospheric streetscape of this castle town, is designated as a historic landmark, and the brewery grounds themselves are filled with charming spaces. Although it was originally a small facility, it has taken on its current form through a series of expansions. The varying heights of the roofs and the different materials used for the walls add to its unique character, giving the building a rich variety of expressions.

As the fourth-generation head, he is taking on the challenge of revitalizing the brewery and pioneering new brewing methods

The older brother, Yoshihiro, and the younger brother, Yamato, have an unusual background: after graduating from college, they both worked as systems engineers (SEs). In 2002, Yoshihiro quit his job as an SE and returned to Fukushima to turn around the family business, Miyaizumi Meijo. He was 26 years old at the time.

“We completely reevaluated our sake-making methods and production environment from scratch,” Yoshihiro recalls. “Although we had won gold medals several times at the National New Sake Competition, the techniques we’d honed for our competition entries weren’t being applied to our other sakes at all. So I became increasingly determined to apply the knowledge gained from making those competition sakes to our regular retail products and revitalize our lineup.”

At the time, the president was responsible for management, while the head brewer handled production. However, Yoshihiro believed that “if the business leader were also involved in the brewing process, we could get closer to our ideal flavor.” He traveled around the country visiting breweries he believed produced high-quality sake, incorporating their excellent techniques as he pursued a new flavor profile.

The bond between brothers has brought a breath of fresh air to the sake brewery

After working as a systems engineer, Yamato became a secretary to a member of the Diet. One day, his older brother Yoshihiro—who had already returned to their family home—asked him, “Yamato, why don’t we make sake together?” “I’d always wanted to work with my brother someday, so I didn’t hesitate for a moment,” Yamato says with a beaming smile.

“I wanted to produce sake of a consistently high standard, and as the number of stone vats was gradually increasing, I felt I needed my younger brother’s help to improve the quality of our local brand, ‘Aizu Miyaizumi,’” says Yoshihiro. From that point on, a new chapter in sake brewing centered around the brothers began.

In recent years, Yoshihiro has primarily been in charge of brewing “Sharaku,” while Yamato has focused on “Aizu Miyaizumi,” and together they continue to pursue their ideals through these two brands.

Reviving “Sharaku,” Which Once Nearly Disappeared, to Reform the Warehouse

Originally, the “Sharaku” brand belonged to Higashiyama Shuzo, a brewery that traced its roots back to Miyamori Bunjiro Shoten—the original main branch of the Miyamori Shuzo family. Although it was popular among the people of Aizu, Higashiyama Shuzo regrettably went out of business in 2009. Consequently, Miyaizumi Meijo, which shares the same origins, took over the “Sharaku” brand.

“Although we took over the ‘Sharaku’ brand, I wanted to create a sake that would be recognized nationwide, so I poured the sake-making expertise I had cultivated over the years into crafting a new sake,” says Yoshihiro. As a result, “Sharaku”—whose history had once nearly come to an end—has grown into a sake that enjoys nationwide popularity. In 2014, at the “SAKE COMPETITION”—an event that determines Japan’s most delicious commercially available sake—it won first place in both the Junmai and Junmai Ginjo categories, proving its exceptional quality to the nation. Since then, the brewery has continued to strive for even higher quality, and “Sharaku” has become such a renowned sake that it is now a regular gold medal winner at various competitions.

“Aizu Miyaizumi”: Continuing to Take on Technical Challenges

“Aizu Miyaizumi” primarily ships its products within Fukushima Prefecture. Considered a premium sake on par with “Sharaku” in terms of flavor and quality, it achieved remarkable success in 2018 by winning first place nationwide in the Junmai category at the “SAKE COMPETITION” and earning numerous awards at international sake competitions, thereby gaining national attention. Driven by a single-minded desire to “cherish the brand that has been safeguarded by generations of brewers,” the brewery has consistently raised the bar for brewing quality.

“Aizu Miyaizumi will continue to pursue technical challenges as we strive to create the ideal sake,” says Mr. Yamato. The brewery is not content merely to “preserve tradition”; its pursuit of new brewing innovations knows no bounds. Using sake-brewing rice varieties developed by Fukushima Prefecture—such as “Yume no Ka” and “Fuku no Ka”—as well as “Wataribune No. 2,” “Yamada Ho,” “Yamasake No. 4,” and “Oyama Nishiki,” the brewery has produced a diverse range of sakes. “There are still many brewing styles and techniques I’d like to try in the future,” Mr. Yamato says with a delighted smile.

Uncompromising Sake Brewing with High-Quality Water and Rice

The brewery is highly regarded not only for the quality of its sake but also for its strict hygiene standards. Beautifully polished wooden corridors, imposing tanks, and koji quietly maturing over time. While many breweries store their sake at room temperature or in tanks, Miyasumi Meijo strictly adheres to immediate bottling after pressing and refrigerated storage of the entire batch in bottles to prevent oxidation from air exposure and deterioration at room temperature.

“Starting with the process of drawing groundwater to create the brewing water used throughout every stage of sake production—from managing raw materials and the moromi (fermenting mash), to pressing (the process of separating the finished moromi into sake and lees), storage, and shipping—we make no compromises in the work and environment necessary to improve the quality of our sake,” says Mr. Yamato.

Aiming for High-Quality Sake Through Data Management and Accumulation

Inside the brewery, there is a space that exudes a unique atmosphere, much like a laboratory. In the “Analysis Room,” lined with various analytical instruments, there were analyzers capable of measuring data—such as alcohol content, acidity, and Sake Meter Value (sweetness)—necessary for assessing the fermentation progress of the mash before it becomes raw sake.

Both Mr. Yoshihiro and Mr. Yamato majored in science in college, so they are meticulous about collecting data. This is to ensure that they can verify their findings at any time. Believing that “good sake can only be achieved through accumulated experience,” they manage all data related to their research aimed at further advancing sake brewing, as well as data on every batch of sake they actually produce. Through this approach, Miyaizumi Meijo pursues the production of delicious, high-quality sake at the highest possible standards.

With our sights set on the world, we’ll keep taking on new challenges while having fun.

“Our brewery has now reached the ideal scale,” says Yoshihiro with a smile. “We used to be a small brewery that didn’t even produce enough to fill 10 tanks, but now we’re making 150 tanks’ worth. A brewery of about 2,000 koku is ideal because we can keep a close eye on everything.” He goes on to share his new dream: “Going forward, we want to deliver sake that people around the world—not just in Japan—will find delicious, so we’re also considering venturing into exports. I hope our sake will be discovered by people all over the world.”

“Working alongside my brother is incredibly fulfilling,” says Yamato, his eyes sparkling. “I look forward to exploring the exciting world that lies ahead together with my brother, the president.” He reaffirms his resolve: “As the population continues to decline and the number of drinkers shrinks, I believe it’s crucial to reach out to the world. I want to keep taking on new challenges so that people will say, ‘Miyaizumi is doing something fascinating again.’”

As long as these positive challenges continue, the future of Miyaizumi Meijo looks set to become even more exciting. Just imagining what kind of sake they’ll create makes my heart race.

The post Preserving tradition while continuing to take on new challenges. Yoshihiro and Yamato Miyamori of “Miyaizumi Meijo,” who captivate customers with two brands that linger in the heart and memory / Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Located in Iizaka-machi, Fukushima City, “Momiyama Orchard” produces cherries, peaches, and apples. Kazuhiro Momiyama, the fifth-generation owner of this long-established orchard—which has been in operation since the 1890s—continues to produce superior fruit through relentless curiosity and daily research, including a commitment to natural soil cultivation.His wife, Tomomi, runs a farm stand and café that sells fresh fruit and original processed goods from the orchard, promoting the appeal of Fukushima’s prized fruits. “Nothing makes us happier than hearing people say our peaches and apples are delicious,” the couple smiles, their hearts united in this shared passion.

An Orchard and Family Bonds Passed Down Since the Meiji Era

Fukushima City offers high-quality fruit throughout the four seasons: strawberries in spring, cherries in early summer, peaches in summer, pears and grapes in autumn, and apples in early winter. Located in a basin surrounded by the Azuma Mountain Range and the Abukuma Highlands, the area enjoys a blessed climate that allows for the cultivation of both cold-climate and warm-climate fruits. Through continuous breeding improvements and technological innovations, a wide variety of fruits thrive here.

Located along the so-called “Fruit Line,” a stretch lined with such orchards, is “Yotsuba no Clover FARMERS GARDEN,” the direct sales shop and café of Momiyama Orchard. The pure white building, blending gently into the idyllic landscape, is particularly striking.

Matsuyama Orchard, a long-established orchard with a history spanning over 100 years since the 1890s, is located in Iizaka Town, Fukushima City, where dozens of orchards are scattered. They cultivate cherries, peaches, and apples, and Kazuhiro, the fourth-generation owner and son of the founder, has even received the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award.“Since I grew up hearing my father repeatedly say, ‘Farming is great,’ I had no hesitation whatsoever about taking over the family business,” Kazuhiro says with a smile. After graduating from university, he spent a year training as an intern at the Fukushima Prefectural Agricultural Comprehensive Center’s Fruit Tree Research Institute, and took over the family business at the age of 23.

Premium fruit nurtured by the temperature fluctuations unique to the basin

Fukushima is widely recognized as the “Fruit Kingdom.” Fukushima peaches are characterized by their bright red color, the result of abundant sunlight, and their high sugar content. Due to the significant temperature difference between day and night, sugar accumulates well in the fruit, making it easy to grow peaches with a strong sweetness. While Fukushima ranks second in the nation for peach production, it is by far the top consumer of peaches nationwide. In fact, residents of Fukushima Prefecture consume more than seven times the national average.

In Fukushima City, a wide variety of peaches are grown from late June to late September, and at Momoyama Orchard, we cultivate over a dozen different varieties in succession.Starting with the early-ripening “Hatsuhime,” followed by “Gyosei,” “Akatsuki,” and “Madoka,” and ending with the late-ripening “Yuzora” and “Sakura Hakuto,” this relay of diverse peach cultivation delivers the delicious flavors of the season.

Fukushima’s signature peach, “Akatsuki”

In the past, while many prefectures gave up on cultivating “Akatsuki” because they couldn’t overcome a single flaw during trial cultivation, only Fukushima Prefecture persisted without giving up and successfully overcame that flaw. Today, it has become a nationally recognized variety that represents Fukushima peaches.

“Thanks to the perseverance of the people of Fukushima, it has grown to its current size, and ‘Akatsuki’ is now synonymous with Fukushima,” Kazuhiro says with a smile. With its vibrant color, juiciness, and superb balance of sweetness and acidity, “Akatsuki” is popular as a mid-summer gift and for other occasions. We aim to harvest it every year just before Obon (late July to early August).

Rich in Minerals: Naturally Derived Soil Management

Kazuhiro, who tends to the fruit with love alongside his father, Kazuhiro, and with the help of part-time workers, speaks calmly: “I firmly believe in never compromising on our work.” He also focuses on natural soil cultivation, spreading crushed oyster shells from the Sanriku region—rich in minerals—onto the soil to harness the power of microorganisms, creating an eco-friendly approach.

Spring work begins with “bud thinning,” which involves reducing the number of buds before they bloom, cutting the total down from 100% to about 30%. This is followed by “fruit thinning,” where unwanted fruit is removed while the fruit is still small. Fruit thinning—removing fruit while it is young—is an essential step for producing high-quality fruit. Furthermore, he places great importance on maintaining healthy trees through winter pruning.

Delivering the Season’s Freshest Flavors Through a Variety of Peaches

You may have seen fruit in orchards covered with bags (or “skirts”). These are placed by hand, one by one, to protect the fruit from “rain burn”—a condition where the fruit splits open when heavy rain falls suddenly after a prolonged period of dry weather that has left the soil overly dry. By the time the fruit begins to color, the bags (skirts) are removed to allow sunlight to reach the fruit and promote coloring.Since the fruit won’t turn red all over unless it receives even light, a light-reflecting sheet is placed underneath. “The parts covered by leaves are particularly slow to color, so if you cut the leaves in half occasionally, they’ll start to color in about two days,” he explained.

Peaches turn red starting from the tip, and each variety reaches peak ripeness in about 10 days to two weeks.

Apparently, the ones with a vivid red color are sweeter and tastier. By performing these tasks in sequence, the relay of cultivating multiple peach varieties is completed. One of the real pleasures is savoring and comparing the various peach varieties harvested in season.

“My personal recommendation is ‘Yuzora.’ Compared to other varieties, it’s difficult to grow because it experiences a lot of physiological drop—where the fruit falls off naturally—but the flesh is dense, juicy, and smooth, making it incredibly delicious,” says Kazuhiro. He also recommends it for those who prefer firmer peaches.

Growing Delicious Fruit and Passing Agriculture on to the Future

Kazuhiro’s current challenges include taking on new challenges in fruit tree cultivation with an eye toward the future, and addressing labor shortages caused by the aging workforce in the orchard. “Since determining the optimal harvest time requires extensive experience, I handle the harvesting myself, except when my father helps out.” He is acutely aware of the difficulties in implementing IoT technology in an orchard, where years of experience and skilled techniques are essential.

“I’m thinking of reducing the cultivation area slightly in the future so I can focus more on each individual tree,” he shared honestly. “At the same time, I have a strong desire to preserve this region as a fruit-growing area, and I’m torn because I don’t want to create abandoned land while others around me are retiring due to old age.”

Although abnormal weather patterns have persisted in recent years, Kazuhiro says, “Striving daily amidst the harshness of nature to produce delicious fruit is what makes fruit farming interesting and is the pride of a professional orchardist.” While devoting himself to research and producing better fruit, he also considers the development and sustainability of agriculture in Fukushima.

Turning Freshly Picked Fruit into Exquisite Sweets and Processed Goods

Driven by the desire to “share the delicious fruit Kazuhiro has grown with such love with as many people as possible,” his wife, Tomomi, opened “Yotsuba no Clover FARMERS GARDEN,” a farm stand and café, in November 2019. Located along the “Fruit Line”—a prefectural road lined with tourist orchards—it operates only during the fruit harvest season, yet attracts many visitors from both within and outside the prefecture every year.

“My parents also ran a fruit farm, but even though they worked from early morning until late at night, they never got to hear directly from the customers who bought their produce, so I always wanted to open a farm stand someday,” Tomomi says with a smile. At the farm stand that fulfilled her long-held dream, they sell seasonal cherries, peaches, and apples that Kazuhiro has carefully cultivated, as well as handmade processed goods like jams and juices that highlight the natural flavor of the fruit.In the attached café space, desserts made with generous amounts of freshly picked fruit are a big hit. The “Luxurious! Whole Morning-Picked Peach Parfait,” which is both adorable and visually striking, is also a huge hit. On sunny days, you can enjoy desserts and drinks on the terrace while admiring the views of the surrounding mountains.

We want to share the appeal of Fukushima’s fruit with children and younger generations

One of the unique advantages of a direct sales shop is the ability to sell “B-grade” items—such as fruit with minor blemishes or smaller-than-average pieces—directly to customers. “These items are well-received by our customers, and when they return, they often buy jams made from the same fruit as souvenirs,” says Tomomi. It has been six years since she opened the direct sales shop and café she had long dreamed of.“I feel joy in sharing Kazuhiro’s delicious peaches with so many people, and in passing on the appeal of Fukushima’s agriculture and peaches to my own children,” she says with a beaming smile. “It also makes me happy to see the younger generation taking an interest in Fukushima’s fruit and agriculture through the café,” adds Kazuhiro, his face also lighting up with a smile.

Drawing energy from customers’ comments like “That was delicious,” the Momiyama couple work hand in hand to promote the appeal of Fukushima’s fruit. They continue to protect the precious orchard inherited from their ancestors with pride.

The post Kazuhiro and Tomomi Momiyama of Momiyama Orchard, who carefully cultivate Fukushima’s prized peaches using natural soil-building methods / Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Pure clarity and a first taste of deliciousness. The craft saké brewed by haccoba-Craft Sake Brewery in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, instantly captivates you. The representative of the brewery, Taisuke Sato, lightly enjoys the experimental and free brewing of sake in the area he has moved to. The young brewer has a big dream to go global with craft saké and a passion for the region’s reconstruction after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Sake brewing from scratch in Minamisoma, where reconstruction efforts are underway

haccoba-Craft Sake Brewery” (haccoba) was established in February 2021 under the concept of “a sake brewery that grows together. The brewery, which was renovated from a 50-year-old house, is located in Odakaku, Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, an area where all residents were temporarily evacuated due to the nuclear power plant accident after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.

In fact, my birthday is March 11. I was living in Saitama at the time of the disaster, and every year on my birthday, I feel frustrated that I have done nothing to help the affected areas, and I wanted to someday engage in activities that would help the recovery of the region,” he says.

Enthralled by the Beauty of Fermentation Culture, Entered the Sake Brewing Business

After getting hooked on sake as a university student, Mr. Sato worked for an IT company after graduation, and later found a “sake start-up” at a company he changed jobs at. There, he learned that he, too, could create a new sake brewery, and he set his sights on opening a sake brewery where he could make his living from the sake he loves. The reason for this, he says, “was because I was impressed by the beauty and depth of fermentation culture through my favorite sake.

In opening the business, he was once again impressed by the “world’s best tasting sake” after drinking it at an izakaya. He visited Abe Shuzo (Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture), the brewer of REGULUS sake, which is known for the Koshino-Oyama and Abe series of sake, and learned sake brewing techniques. After one year of training, he established his own sake brewery at his current location at the age of 27.

Sato was positive about starting from scratch as a local sake brewery, and his encounter with Tomoyuki Wada, the head of Odaka Workers Base, who had been working to create a business in Odaka Ward, Minamisoma City since 2014, also helped accelerate the launch of haccoba. Mr. Wada introduced us to this house when we were struggling to find a good property for a sake brewery,” said Mr. Wada.

He met many people who were sincerely involved in the regional development and reconstruction of the areas affected by the nuclear power plant disaster, and the fact that there were many people who supported him was also a deciding factor in his decision to choose this location. The support for starting a business from the local government also brought a sense of security. In addition, his wife, Mizuki, is from Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, which made him feel more familiar with the area.

Today, in Minamisoma’s Odaka Ward, in addition to residents who have lived there for a long time, young entrepreneurs from all over the country have come to start their own businesses, and new business and community development efforts are underway.

Craft saké,” in which the maker’s individuality shines through, is also appealing in its range.

Under the Sake Tax Law, the craft saké produced by haccoba is classified as “other brewed sake” rather than “sake,” and thus cannot be called “sake. In addition, currently, sake production licenses are rarely issued to new brewers, so the younger generation of sake brewers is finding a way to make their dreams come true in the craft saké business. Mr. Sato is one of them.

However, the Sake Tax Law will be revised in 2020, and new sake production licenses will be issued only for brewing sake to be sold for export, not for domestic distribution in Japan. We expect that these trends will lead to changes in laws and regulations in the future,” he said.

Craft Sake, a New Genre of Sake Growing in Popularity

Sake (sake) is made from strained “moromi,” a fermented mixture of rice, rice malt, and water, and there are limits to what other ingredients can be used, such as brewer’s alcohol and sugar. The process of making sake is different from that of sake.

According to the Craft Sake Brewery Association, “craft saké” is a new genre of rice-based sake that is based on sake (seishu) production technology and incorporates processes that cannot legally be employed in conventional sake. The number of sake breweries producing craft saké has been increasing in recent years, and the quality of the sake has improved dramatically, steadily expanding its popularity and power.

The strength of craft saké is the freedom to take on new challenges. Our brewery focuses on direct sales, so we can be adventurous with sake that would normally be considered difficult to sell, and we can make it fruity, dry, or smoky depending on the secondary ingredients we add, such as herbs, hops, and fruit.

A Modern Take on Folk Sake Making

There was once a time in Japan when each household enjoyed “dobrok” (the original form of sake) made from a variety of ingredients. However, since sake brewing became licensed in the Meiji era (1868-1912), it has become difficult to freely make sake. One of the purposes of haccoba’s sake brewing was to express such a folkloric way of sake making in a modern way.

One of the books that Sato loves to read and cherishes as a reference for his recipes is “The Do Brokk Treasured Book of Countries. I was intrigued by the unique and free ways of making it, such as using calahanasaw, which grows in the mountains of Tohoku, and using fruits such as millet, Japanese millet, and mountain grapes, in addition to rice,” he says. The idea of starting a sake brewery in a private home was also an extension of the home brewing process, he says.

A Small Brewery Enjoying Evolution and Change

Located in Odaka-ku, Minamisoma, is a small, 40-square-meter glass-fronted brewery, an adjoining pub (open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday by reservation only), and a store with a wide variety of products. The brewery has three 300L thermal tanks, one for brewing and one for storage, from preparation to completion.

Due to the steady increase in orders for new products since its establishment, the company is building a brewery in the neighboring town of Namie in 2023 and making sake at two locations. The standard time from preparation to completion is about one month. As soon as the tanks are empty, they begin the next round of brewing, releasing new products and collaborative products as they go along.

This year, we are trying our hand at old sake for the first time,” says Sato, smiling happily, “by keeping a close eye on the fermentation process and letting the sake mature. Always remembering to evolve and change, he takes on the challenge of sake brewing.

Passing on the baton from the producers to create safe sake with organic rice

The rice used as a raw material is one of the specialties of the company. The rice used includes “Omachi” from Nemoto Organic Farm in Minamisoma City, “Amanotsubu” from Toyoda Farm, and “Sasashigure” from Tsuchiya Farm in Inawashiro Town, all of which are contract farmers.

Beautiful ears of rice were waving in the wind in the rice paddies of Nemoto Organic Farm in Odaka-ku, Minamisoma City. Koichi Nemoto, the owner of the farm, is currently working on organic farming with his son, Gomi.

Nemoto’s rice is so delicious that I feel it naturally makes sake taste good as well,” he said. I want to pass on the baton by expressing the precious rice that is grown organically and deliciously to the maximum extent possible in the form of sake without wasting it,” says Sato.

Koichi says calmly, “It’s been 70 years since I started growing rice, but every year I treat it as if I were a first grader. Mr. Sato moved to the area and started a sake brewery, which uses the rice we grow, and also employs young local people, which helps to revitalize the community. As a sake brewery rooted in the community, haccoba is already happily connected to a multicultural and multigenerational community.

Beautiful Sake Brewed with Originality Enriches and Adds Color to Everyday Life

Starting with “Hananuta Hops,” a standard sake since its establishment, haccoba has released a succession of unique flavors and collaborative products such as “kasu [sansho lemonade],” “haccoba coffee shop,” and “Shokolashu,” which have been attracting attention.

Most of the products are 500 ml in size. The unique and cute labels have many fans and are also appreciated as gifts. The alcohol setting is set at 10-13℃ because they want even wine lovers to enjoy their wines casually. We base our wines on taste and quantity so that they can be enjoyed with meals. He often collaborates with people from other industries, sharing ideas and creating recipe designs, ultimately aiming to create an enjoyable experience through alcohol.

A taste with depth combined with native plants and trees of Fukushima

haccoba has steadily grown into a sake brewery whose name is always mentioned when “craft saké” or “botanical sake” is mentioned. haccoba’s deep flavor, which combines native plants and trees of Fukushima, is attracting attention both in Japan and abroad.

The standard sake “Hananuta Hops” is a bottle that combines the refreshing citrus aroma and clear sweetness of rice by crossing “hanamoto,” a fantastic production method handed down in Tohoku, and “dry hops,” a beer technique that extracts a gorgeous aroma. In addition to aroma hops, the brewery is particular about the use of calahanaso, a type of vine grass also known as oriental hops. The hops are boiled from a dried state, and the boiled juice is added to the brewing water to make the malt. The hops are also soaked in the tank during the latter stages of fermentation, leaving a strong aroma in the finished product. The style is a unique flavor that has been perfected by combining craft beer production methods with an awareness of reproducing the “Hana-Hashiro” style.

In 2024, the company will introduce a new series of standard sake called “zairai (indigenous). Brewed with a variety of native ingredients, the sake is made with local herbs encountered with mountain owners in the mountains of Fukushima Prefecture. For example, kaya leaves, cedar bokkuri, aburachan branches, and mugwort flowers are fermented together with rice. The finished product has a gentle aroma, a good balance of coolness and astringency, and a pleasant lingering taste.

More than 6 to 10 varieties are always available at haccoba’s store and online store, and can also be purchased and enjoyed at stores in Tokyo.

From Fukushima to the world. Challenge to open a brewery in Belgium

The next goal of haccoba, which expresses craft saké through free brewing, is to expand into Belgium. We have been working on a plan to establish a brewery in Belgium since the very beginning. Belgium is a region where each region has its own recipe for beer, and they have built a culture similar to the Japanese dobrok, so I would like to take on the challenge of creating a sake that is a fusion of our drinks,” he says enthusiastically.

With a free spirit that is reminiscent of the folkloric dobrok of the past, haccoba is aiming for the world, and we can’t wait to see what kind of delicious sake they will produce.

The post From Fukushima to the world. Taisuke Sato of “haccoba,” a company that delivers surprise and excitement with its freely conceived “craft salmon” / Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Shinobu Kanda of “Aizu Inawashiro Kanda Farm” is striving to grow the best rice in Japan in Inawashiro Town, Fukushima Prefecture, where beautiful rice paddies spread out. After repeated trial and error, in 2024, he was awarded the highest prize, the “Gold Prize in the International Comprehensive Category,” at the 26th International Rice and Food Taste Analysis Contest. What is Mr. Kanda’s rice cultivation that made his dream of becoming the best in Japan come true?

The Last Paradise for Rice

Inawashiro Town, where Aizu Inawashiro Kanda Farm (hereafter, Kanda Farm) is located, is one of the most scenic areas in Japan, surrounded by Mt. Despite its elevation of more than 500 m, vast rice paddies are spread all over the area, blessed with abundant melted snow from the Bandai Mountains and dotted with rice fields with organic soil. It is also known as a heavy snowfall area with ski resorts, and since the statistics began, they have not observed a single extremely hot day. Kanda says with a smile, “This area, with its extreme temperature differences, may be the “last paradise” for rice now that global warming is advancing.

From Salesman to Farmer and from Wholesale to Direct Sales

After graduating from university, Mr. Kanda built a career as a salaried worker, but the turning point for him was the sudden death of his brother, who had taken over the family business. Following in his brother’s footsteps, he started farming in 2011 at the age of 30 to support his parents, who ran a farm and a guest house, but one month later the Great East Japan Earthquake struck. The earthquake caused extensive damage to agriculture, and the price of rice plummeted due to harmful rumors. In his search for a way to overcome the current situation, Mr. Kanda decided to switch to direct sales, taking advantage of his experience as a salesman. He began by thinking that the time would come when he would have to sell rice himself, since prices to JA and other wholesalers had dropped so dramatically that sales had plummeted. However, sales were low at first, and we realized that we needed to build up our quality and brand to be chosen by consumers,” he recalls. So he set a goal: to win an award at a rice competition by the age of 40, 10 years from now. This is where his challenge to become the best in Japan began.

Incidentally, the “International Rice Taste Analysis Competition,” for which Mr. Kanda won the gold medal, is a “rice competition” sponsored by the Association of Rice and Taste Analysts. In 2000, when the only mainstream method of testing rice was the “grading test,” the competition was launched to focus on the taste of the rice and to encourage the “revival of rural areas, agriculture, and rice farming,” which was in decline. The first competition started with less than 400 entries, but it has now grown into the world’s largest rice competition with a total of 5,000 entries and co-sponsorship with numerous local governments. Since the 10th edition, the competition has become an international event, and the rice of the winners of the competition has been highly acclaimed both in Japan and abroad.

Accumulating data through test cultivation of more than 10 patterns each year

In order to promote self-taught research, the first step is to conduct 10 patterns of test cultivation each year. He worked to improve the quality of the rice by changing the variety, cultivation method, amount of fertilizer, timing of harvesting, and other factors. The reaction from those around him was mixed, with some saying, “The ears haven’t appeared yet in Mr. Kanda’s rice fields. The test rice was then tested for eating quality, and the results were compared to the rice that had been harvested. The best lots of test rice were selected by measuring the taste with a taste meter and eating the rice, and in the following year, more than 10 more test cultivation patterns were tried. They continued to accumulate data through this unique test cultivation and established a cultivation method that they were satisfied with.

He is grateful for the encounters he has had. Making dreams come true by carving out your own path.

The people he has met through rice cultivation have also had a great influence on him and given him good fortune. In Minami Uonuma, the largest rice-producing region in Japan, I have a rice-growing mentor. After meeting him at the competition, I visited him every year and he taught me every detail about fertilizer, rice planting, and harvesting time. I have also continued my training visits to farmers who have won the top prize in Japan and exchanges with rice farmers from all over the country throughout the years,” he said happily. One of Mr. Kanda’s great strengths is his ability to use the communication skills he developed as a salesman and actively go out to learn and absorb good rice farming practices.

Premium rice “Yudai 21” gracing dining tables

The premium rice “Yudai 21” has been carefully cultivated through more than 10 patterns of trial cultivation. This “miracle rice” variety, which was developed as part of a development project at Utsunomiya University, is characterized by its stickiness, strong umami, and sweetness. Mr. Kanda has been working on this variety, which is recognized by rice farmers who have won the top prize in Japan in a competition, and has been aiming to become the best in Japan. In Inawashiro, where the altitude is high and the temperatures are low, we mainly grew Hitomebore, which is resistant to cold damage, but through trial and error, we succeeded in designing a fertilizer and cultivation method that suited the land. Yudai 21″ has the texture, graininess, feel, and presence as rice that I value.

Kanda Farm’s rice harvest began with glutinous rice, followed by Hitomebore and Yudai 21. Direct sales were low when they first started, and sales continued to be difficult, but the rice was well received by those who purchased it, and repeat business increased. Furthermore, the company became widely recognized for its award-winning products and began to achieve its sales goals. The product’s delicious taste, which remains unchanged not only after cooking but also over time, has gained a reputation for popularity, and the product is sold out every year.

Farming is a creative job. His goal is to be number one in Japan for five consecutive years!

(7998)

Kanda Farm’s “Yudai 21” won the highest award, the “Gold Prize in the International General Category,” at the 26th International Rice and Food Taste Analysis Competition held in 2024, which boasts the largest number of entries in Japan. Mr. Kanda was 44 years old. Having finally achieved the top prize in Japan, Mr. Kanda’s next goal is to win the top prize in Japan for five consecutive years. I believe that if you stop after winning an award, there is no progress,” he said. It is important that I am satisfied with my work, so I will continue to challenge myself every year and aim to win the award for five consecutive years. The reason why five consecutive years is so important is that this competition will be held in Fukushima Prefecture for three consecutive years starting in 2026. For that reason, I want to always be a challenger. Agriculture may seem like a simple job, but when you have a clear goal, it is very creative, and there is no other job so interesting,” he says, finding great satisfaction in the work.

The strict settings of rice milling machines are also the secret of good taste.

Mr. Kanda is currently conducting as many as 30 test cultivation patterns and is very particular about rice milling. He says that normally, rice would be cleaned by passing it through a color sorter multiple times, but because he does not want to damage the rice, he only passes it through the machine once to judge it strictly. By setting the machine’s line strictly, he is able to remove “cloudy white,” which is a milky white color among normally clear rice grains, and “belly white,” which is a cloudy white color on the belly of the grains, resulting in delicious rice with no cloying taste. Cloudy white and white belly grains do not cause taste problems when eaten, but they are caused by weather conditions (high temperatures, lack of sunlight, etc.) during growth, which are considered insufficient starch in the rice and cause the rice to become soft.

He states clearly, “What we had set strictly for entering in competitions has been adapted for regular sales, resulting in ideal, tasty rice.”

Rice that aims to be the best in Japan” and “the ultimate everyday food” are the two pillars of the company’s business.

He says that weed control is important in challenging the potential of “Yudai 21” through organic cultivation. In order to promote photosynthesis, he has to plant fewer seedlings than in “conventional” farming, where chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used to increase yield and prevent pests and weeds, and he has to take extra measures against weeds. Farming is my calling, so I don’t consider it a hardship,” he says. I think I shine brighter than when I was a salesman, and it is a job I can be proud of for my children,” says Kanda, who gazes out at the rice paddies with his beloved family.

Since taking over as the fifth generation, he has been cultivating rice with two pillars, one of which is “aiming to be the best in Japan. The other is “the ultimate everyday food” that is reasonably priced and fills the stomachs of even children in their prime. While aiming to be the best in Japan, the company is sure to continue to bring happiness to everyday dining tables.

The post Pursuing delicious rice to eat, Shinobu Kanda of “Aizu Inawashiro Kanda Farm” shines as Japan’s best／Inawashiro Town, Fukushima Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

A 250-year project to create a village of cherry trees as far as the eye can see

Let’s fill our hometown with 99,000 cherry trees and leave them to our children. An incredibly grand project is currently underway in Iwaki City. The project is called the ” Iwaki Mambonzakura Project. We visited the stage of the project, which has attracted the participation of world-renowned artists.

The “Iwaki Manbonzakura Project” was launched two months after the Great East Japan Earthquake, with the sincere wishes of the people of Iwaki gathered together. Mr. Tadashige Shiga plays a central role in the project. In the book “The Giant Who Walks in the Sky” by Kawauchi Ario, who won the Ken Kaiko Nonfiction Prize this year, he appears as “Iwaki’s amazing old man.

The place we were aiming for was on a hill overlooking rice paddies. The wooden corridor, 160 meters long, stretches upward like a dragon from there. The sign at the entrance read “Iwaki Corridor Art Museum. Hidetoshi Nakata, who was looking at the exhibits on the wall, stopped in front of a photo.
Is this another of Mr. Tsai’s works?” Mr. Shiga nodded yes.
It is a work called “Gift from Iwaki,” which has been exhibited around the world. For every exhibition, we, the Iwaki team, go there to help assemble it. Mr. Tsai may just want to play along, though.
With a mischievous smile, Mr. Shiga told us how he and his ally, Cai Guo-Qiang, created the museum here.

Cai Guo-Qiang is a contemporary artist from Fujian, China. He describes Iwaki as his second hometown, and is currently based in New York and continues his creative activities around the world. Thirty years ago. As a student at Tsukuba University and a fledgling artist, Cai had a chance to hold a solo exhibition at an art gallery in Iwaki. At that time, Mr. Shiga purchased a painting, and the two became friends. Their friendship continued even after Ms. Tsai left for the world.
When the earthquake struck seven years ago, Mr. Tsai immediately rushed to Iwaki. Hearing about the “10,000 Cherry Blossoms Project,” he suggested that we create an art museum

Painting the Cherry Blossom Landscape of the Future.

Before the earthquake, the original trees had to be cut down to plant cherry trees. Before the earthquake, thinned wood sold for 50,000-60,000 yen per hectare, but after the earthquake, the price collapsed. When I told them that we were in the red, they said, “Then let’s build with the timber. I told them it would be easy to maintain, so we decided on a corridor style.
Based on Mr. Tsai’s sketches, a total of 400 volunteers worked for six months to construct the building. Currently, four of Tsai’s works are on display on the site, surrounded by an outdoor stage, tree house, swings, and other structures built by Shiga and other volunteers. A café space, library, and other facilities are currently under construction.

They plant 400 to 500 cherry trees a year, and have reached a total of 4,000 trees to date. At this rate, it will take about 200 to 250 years to reach the goal, Shiga says with a laugh.
In the future,” he says with a laugh. In the future, I would like to fill the rice paddies in front of us with cherry trees.
Looking where Shiga-san is pointing, Nakata-san says, “It’s a great view.
It would be interesting to have a museum that is constantly evolving, and since so many people have put so much thought into this place, why don’t we come up with a system to make it known to even more people?”
The rice fields are beautiful here, so why not hold a harvest festival in the fall?
Their strategy meeting around the hearth continued until the sun went down.

Reference links

Iwaki Corridor Museum of Art
7 Sosaku, Taira Nakagamiyaji, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture

Iwaki Manbonsakura Project
https://www.mansaku99.com/home

Iwaki Manbonzakura info (X: former twitter)
https://twitter.com/99000_sakura

The post Cherry blossom village as far as the eye can see “Iwaki Manbonsakura Project” by Mr. Tadashige Shiga / Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

“At the time, we had very few clients and our survival depended on one company, making us vulnerable to possible bankruptcy if they didn’t do well. We wanted to expand our potential so we began participating in exhibitions and trade opportunities, and even exporting to the US and Europe.” They also began development of a product unique to their company, ultimately creating “the world’s thinnest and lightest pre-dyed silk fabric”. The product is a combination of the unique characteristics of Kawamata Silk and the pre-dyeing process that Saiei is known for.

The post Hidetoshi Nakata travels around Fukushima ＜#09＞　Arriving in Fukushima – “Traditional Kogei” first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Adatara-yama’s Great Nature Nurtures High-Quality Fukushima Beef

In recent years, Fukushima beef has gained a reputation for its high quality. In Otama Village at the foot of Mt. Adatara, there is a man known as the driving force behind this trend. Otama Village, at the foot of Mt. Hironao Suzuki, who has won numerous awards at cattle fairs and is known as one of the leading producers in the prefecture, says, “Water, air, and high-quality rice straw are the conditions for raising delicious cows.

Mt. Adatara, which was described as “the real sky” in Kotaro Takamura’s “Chieko Sho” (Chieko’s Book of Poems). The gently sloping ridgeline landed at the end of the mountain, where a countryside spread out. Hironao Suzuki and his wife run a livestock business in a corner of the rice paddies. Hidetoshi Nakata was invited into the guest room of Mr. Suzuki’s house, looked at the bundles of ears of rice on the wall, and asked, “What is so special about these rice straws? Does this straw have any special meaning?” It is 50 years’ worth of rice ears that Mr. Suzuki has harvested since he started farming at the age of 20. It was about the same time I started raising cattle, so it’s been half a century.”

There are two types of beef cattle farmers: breeding farmers, who raise calves until they are about 9 to 10 months old, and fattening farmers, who raise them for about 20 months. Mr. Suzuki is a fattening farmer of the latter type and is known as a representative producer in Fukushima Prefecture. 2017, he won the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Award at the Beef Cattle Carcass Kyoreikai organized by the National Beef Cattle Promotion Fund Association. In the same year, he also won the highest honorary award at the 19th Zenno-Nohshi Eda Nikkyo Reikai, as well as numerous other awards.
The aroma is good, and the fat is not too greasy, which is a characteristic of Fukushima beef,” said Mr. Suzuki, who is modest about his own achievements.
Although Mr. Suzuki is modest about his own achievements, he is proud to say that the quality of the beef he has raised with great care is something he can boast of to the world.

Taking on the Challenge of Spreading Wagyu Beef Overseas

It is often said that bloodlines determine the breed of cattle,” Mr. Suzuki replied immediately to Mr. Nakata’s question, “but how do you bring about the unique characteristics common to the Fukushima region?
Originally, each farmer devised his own feed, but because of this, there was a large variation in meat quality. Then, after listening to everyone’s opinions, we standardized the feed. As a result, we were able to improve the quality of the entire region.”
He continues, “Rice straw is one of the most important ingredients in the feed. If you compare it to a human meal, rice straw is the rice, and formula feed is the side dish. No matter how sumptuous the side dish is, it is important to eat a good staple food. The hardness of rice straw varies depending on the variety, but I believe that Koshihikari is the most suitable for cattle ruminating.

While the reputation of Fukushima beef has been growing in recent years, the price of moto-ushi, which could be purchased for 500,000 yen before the earthquake, has skyrocketed to nearly double that. Mr. Suzuki’s sense of crisis was heightened by the fact that farmers are closing their businesses one after another due to the aging of the population. However, when asked how he is responding to the trend toward trade liberalization, with the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) coming into effect at the end of last year and the Japan-Europe EPA (Economic Partnership Agreement) in February, he looks forward, saying that as a producer he has no choice but to continue producing good cattle.
He replied, “If cheap beef from other countries enters the market, the competition will become even tougher. But I am sure that there will be consumers who will choose good quality and delicious meat.
Nodding his head in agreement, Mr. Nakata encourages producers to see trade liberalization not only as a challenge but also as an opportunity.
When I go abroad, I am asked about Wagyu beef by many people. That’s how interested they are in Japanese beef. This is an opportunity to expand our sales channels overseas, and I think we should go out there more and more.
I don’t think I will be able to retire anytime soon. Mr. Suzuki’s smile is radiant.

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Reviving Kawamata Silk through Innovation

Kawamata Town in Fukushima Prefecture, a silk textile production center with a long history, is now the focus of international attention . The company has continued to innovate Kawamata silk.

When it comes to silk fabrics in Tohoku, we often hear the names of Sendaihira and Yonezawaori, but there is also a silk production area in Fukushima Prefecture, isn’t there?
Hidetoshi Nakata walks through the factory and observes the work being done. Next to him, Saito Eita, managing director of Saiei Orimono, explained that at a time when raw silk was extremely expensive, Kawamata developed the “Karume Habutae” technique, in which a small amount of yarn is used to produce a high value.
Today, there are about 20 textile companies in Kawamata. Kawamata has inherited the production of this thin, high-quality silk.
In the textile industry in Europe and the United States, “kawamata” is also used to refer to light-weight habutae,” says Mr. Saito, whose grandfather founded the company.
It was 17 years ago that Mr. Saito joined the company founded by his grandfather. At the time, the company’s performance was at rock bottom,” he recalls.

We had a limited number of business partners and were highly dependent on one company. If any of our clients were to suffer a slump in performance, we were in danger of collapsing together. We wanted to broaden our base, so we actively participated in exhibitions and business meetings, and began developing sales channels not only in the U.S. but also in Europe.
At the same time, the company began to develop a flagship product that would become its strength. The concept they arrived at was “the world’s thinnest and lightest yarn-dyed silk fabric. The reason for this was to pinpoint the characteristics of Kawamata silk and to fuse them with the yarn-dyed textile technology in which Saiei Orimono excels.

Attitude toward manufacturing

First, they made a prototype using the thinnest raw silk available in the market, but the response from their customers was weak. Then, they reexamined the raw material of raw silk. Normally, silkworms molt four times to form cocoons, but the company developed an ultrafine thread about one-sixth the thickness of a human hair by using the thread of the “sanmin-san” silkworm, which molted only three times. The threads are so delicate that if they were not taut, they could not be felt even when squeezed with the tip of a finger. It took more than two years of trial-and-error to improve the weaving machine to mass-produce the yarn.

It was exactly one year after the Great East Japan Earthquake that the product, named “Fairy Feathers,” went on sale to the general public. When the product was featured on TV, the e-mail system was flooded with inquiries. Telephone inquiries amounted to two files in one day. In the same year, the company won the Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Award and the Good Design Award. Mr. Saito says he was overjoyed when his company’s products appeared on store shelves and were adopted one after another by famous European brands. In the future, he is eager to develop a 100% silk material that is washable at home, wrinkle-resistant, and stretchable.

While praising this new approach to manufacturing, Mr. Nakata hopes that the culture of kimono will be preserved.
We once held an event with a dress code of yuzen for women and hakama for men, and it was very well received by the participants. Many people started buying kimonos as a result of participating in this event, and I have started buying one a year myself. It is important to create opportunities as well as to make things. I think it will be important in the future to have a good balance of these activities in the production areas.

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Fukushima’s proud confectionery that will not fade away even 100 years from now

Melting in the mouth with a pleasant aftertaste of gentle flavor. A fresh caramel from Fukushima swept the Salon du Chocolat, one of the world’s largest chocolate festivals, held in Paris.
The product was developed by MukaiyamaSeisakusho, an electronic parts manufacturer based in Otama-mura, Fukushima Prefecture. We visited the birthplace of the “Miracle Caramel,” which overcame the disaster and harmful rumors.

Hidetoshi Nakata is known as a confectionery lover and has been involved in the development and supervision of numerous products. President Kinya Oda smiled when he heard that Mr. Nakata had known about Mukoyama Seisakusho for some time.
The company’s main business is the machining of precision equipment parts. Since its founding, the company has weathered many waves of boom and bust, but in 2008, it lost 80% of its business due to the Lehman Shock. We have to do something on our own. …… After much thought, the idea came to him to start a sweets business, making use of the commercial gas stove in the hot water supply room.

The president had always loved cooking and was interested in the food business. He persuaded employees who were opposed to the idea and worked with a female employee who was a certified nutritionist to create recipes from scratch. She was not a professional at baking sweets. Instead, he measured temperature, time, weight, and other detailed data. With the help of a calculator, they spent a year developing a recipe for raw caramel.
Then, they began to develop a sales network, groping in the dark. First, they began selling at highway service areas on weekends. Then he was approached about direct sales. Eventually, they were invited to participate in department store events, and their products became popular in Tokyo as well. Finally, a major airline company wanted to use them as tea snacks in the first class of their international flights.

Decision to make pastries in France

March 1, 2011. The first plane carrying Mukaiyama Seisakusho’s dream took off. However, the situation changed drastically when the Great East Japan Earthquake struck 10 days later. Logistics was paralyzed and shipments of dairy products from the prefecture were restricted.
In a desperate move, the company decided to procure raw materials from all over Japan. Two months after the disaster, sales resumed at a department store in Tokyo.
People’s reactions were not all warm. He had to endure unjustified rumors and heartbreaking rhetoric for days on end. The deficit was ballooning, and the prospect of “withdrawal” became more realistic by the day. In fact, he reveals that the real purpose of his participation in the “Salon du Chocolat” was to give himself a reason to give up.

He said, “I believed in myself, and my employees followed me. Even if I quit, I wanted to be proud that I had done everything I could.
Contrary to expectations, however, Mukaiyama Seisakusho was greeted with thunderous applause from the French people.
France is the place that gave me back my confidence. I can only be thankful.”
As the results in Paris spread to Japan, sales gradually recovered. In recent years, the company’s performance has been steadily increasing.

When asked by Mr. Nakata, “Did expanding the scope of material procurement nationwide result in the opening of new possibilities? While acknowledging that this is one aspect of the company’s business, President Oda also spoke of his strong desire to preserve the taste of Fukushima.
Some of the products were difficult to produce due to the earthquake, but we have been able to ensure their safety, and some have resumed production, while others have been newly created. We will revive all Fukushima-made sweets with them. That is the wish of all our employees.

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