The Origin of HANGOBEI Grocery Store

Ltd., located in Sanjo City, roughly in the center of Niigata Prefecture, began its business as a grocer dealing in malt, fruits and vegetables, and grains in 1811 (Bunka 8), during the Edo period (1603-1868). At that time, brewing malt and controlling temperature and bacteria required a high level of technology. It is said that the origin of this business started when the first generation, Hangobei, started a business using malt called “chinkouji,” in which he received one square of rice, brewed it, and exchanged it for one square of malt. They also began making miso and pickles by utilizing the techniques of controlling temperature and bacteria cultivated in the malt-making process, and started dealing in local special vegetables as well.

Making use of technology for “delicious food for everyone, anytime

As the times changed and households stopped making their own soy sauce and miso, miso and soy sauce began to replace them, and along with pickles, became the mainstay of sales. As food became more Westernized, sales of miso and soy sauce began to decline. Then, in 2011, the flooding of the Igarashi River damaged the miso and soy sauce warehouses at the time, and that was the end of miso and soy sauce production.

Currently, the company’s main business is processed foods such as pickles.

Today, pickles and other processed foods are the mainstay of the company’s sales, but it also continues to utilize its grocery store aspect as a wholesaler of fresh vegetables for restaurants and a middleman who wholesales cut vegetables to supermarkets.

In this snowy area, there is not much variation in the vegetables available in the winter, so the company has devised a way to make a wide variety of vegetables available even during the winter season by pickling fresh vegetables in salt. Through Nojima Shokuhin’s processing technology, even those vegetables that are not widely available in the market due to their short harvest season or freshness can now be enjoyed by anyone at any time of the year.

Niigata is Japan’s largest eggplant producer. Eggplant Processing: High Technological Strength

The know-how accumulated since the company’s establishment has enabled Nojima Foods to successfully commercialize “Juzen Eggplant,” which was considered difficult to commercialize due to its poor shelf life.

In fact, Niigata Prefecture is Japan’s largest eggplant producer. Juzen eggplants for pickles are smaller than most eggplants. They are also known as “nashi nasu” (pear eggplant), and are widely loved by local residents. Nojima Shokuhin is said to be the only company in the world that handles everything from cultivation to processing.

New Products Promoting Niigata’s Attractiveness

The fresh vegetable procurement routes and vegetable preservation and processing technologies that Nojima Shokuhin has cultivated over its history as a grocer are now being developed into new products that are being sold throughout Japan.

The “Grocery Store Dressing” series was developed as a new product for the next generation of Nojima Foods in the midst of the dwindling pickle consumption market.

In order to deliver fresh vegetables to consumers nationwide, the company had to solve the inevitable problem of freshness, such as transportation time, which could not be overcome. By choosing to make a dressing, the company was able to ensure the longevity of the product and expand its sales channels. The company also decided to take the plunge, believing that the convenience of the dressing would make it easier for people of all ages to accept the product and win over more fans. The company aims to expand nationwide under the brand “Yaoya Hangobei,” named after the first generation Hangobei.

Attention to making the best use of the taste of the ingredients themselves

The lineup consists of six kinds of vegetables and three kinds of fruits. The lineup consists of three kinds of vegetables, three kinds of fruits, “Carrots under snow” whose sweetness is enhanced by wintering under snow, “Uonuma Wasabi” cultivated in the subsoil water of Mt. Echigohime” strawberries are large, high in sugar content, have a gentle acidity, and a mellow aroma. We were particular about making the most of the characteristics of the ingredients themselves. In order to bring out the original taste, aroma, and color of the ingredients, no chemical seasonings, synthetic preservatives, or synthetic coloring agents are used, and a non-heating process is employed.

As can be seen from the lineup, the company is dedicated to making people aware of the deliciousness of Niigata’s unique vegetables and fruits.

Niigata’s delicious vegetables are not available outside of the prefecture

There are many delicious vegetables in Niigata, but most of them are consumed within the prefecture. That is why they are not famous throughout Japan,” says Yusuke Nojima of the company. Perhaps due to its low name recognition, the company struggled when it first began selling the dressing, but once it was used in the first-class in-flight meals of a major airline, inquiries came in from supermarkets in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and the product gradually gained recognition.

Koshihikari is not the only underlying strength of Niigata’s agricultural products.

Niigata has a strong image as a rice-producing region, with Koshihikari and other rice varieties often hidden from view, but the variety of crops harvested in Niigata is actually quite rich. In the Edo period (1603-1867), Niigata was a port of call for the Kitamae Ship, which brought in a variety of crops from both cold and warm regions, from east, west, south, and north. With cold winters and hot summers, abundant snowmelt, and fertile land on the lower reaches of the Shinano River, there were clear reasons for the development of agricultural technology, both in terms of weather and geography. In the past, people did not understand the preciousness of something they had taken for granted for so long. Our channels for purchasing local vegetables are one of the strengths of a company with such a long history.” That is why Mr. Nojima says he wants to take this opportunity to make the taste of Niigata Prefecture agricultural products more readily available to people all over Japan.

Dressing that enhances dishes

The “Grocery Store Dressing” series can be used not only as a simple dressing for salads and other vegetables, but also for meat and fish dishes. For example, after lightly salting fried meatballs and colorful vegetables such as bell peppers, use “strawberry” as a flavor enhancer to bring out the sweetness of the meat. Also, simply sprinkle “Uonuma Wasabi” on white fish carpaccio, etc. to complete the dish. It can also be used as a sauce for sweets, such as milk pudding, and can be used in a variety of dishes. Depending on your ingenuity, your dishes will be enhanced. The flavor of the dressing can also bring out the essence of the vegetable itself. For example, the dressing for carrots under the snow removes the off-taste of the carrots and their sweetness stands out more than if the carrots were eaten as they are. Furthermore, because the original color of the ingredients is preserved, the dressing is visually vibrant.

Aiming for Further Evolution

Now, even more new efforts are underway. This is the development of products utilizing “flash freezing” technology. By flash freezing at -30°C, the cells are not destroyed and the deliciousness of the ingredients is preserved. As long as the defrosting process is carefully followed, it is possible to reproduce the taste of the product as it was before freezing. By making full use of this technology, “Yaoyahan” is striving to let people all over Japan know the deliciousness of vegetables and fruits that are familiar to Niigata residents and that they cannot usually taste, and to continue to promote the appeal of Niigata through dressings so that Niigata producers will be more energetic. We hope that you will taste the world brewed by “Gobei”.

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Dashi” brings “umami” and “depth” to dishes

Dashi” is an indispensable ingredient in Japanese cuisine. The history of dashi dates back to the Nara period (710-794). The presence of high-quality, delicious dashi brings umami and depth to dishes. Futaba Corporation, founded in 1953 and headquartered in Sanjo City, located in the center of Niigata Prefecture, is a comprehensive dashi manufacturer for professional chefs, supplying dashi packets for commercial use to hotels, inns, and kappo restaurants nationwide. Its distinctive feature is its extract packs, which are packed with umami. At a time when dashi packs did not yet exist, Futaba took a hint from tea and black tea packs and developed a product in which crushed dried bonito flakes are coated with bonito extract and packed in a packet as a natural seasoning. With the creation of these dashi packs, restaurants that made dashi from multiple types of ingredients, such as vegetables and dried foods, only needed to use a set number of dashi packs, thus making the taste more uniform and efficient. Futaba’s dashi is especially appreciated by large hotels and inns with a large number of customers.

Beliefs of Futaba Corporation

Because dashi is something that is used every day, Futaba is committed to quality and safety with no chemical seasonings or preservatives. The main ingredient is dried bonito, but Futaba also carefully selects and purchases all other kinds of bonito, mackerel, sardine, tuna, horse mackerel, flying fish, kelp, shiitake mushrooms, etc. Sensory tests are conducted, and only products that meet various quality standards in terms of aroma, taste, dashi color, and clarity are shipped to kitchens in various regions. Professional chefs from all over Japan trust us not only because of our blending techniques and consistent quality that always delivers the same consistent taste, but also because of our belief that we do not use any chemical seasonings or food additives.

The Science of Dashi

Cutting-edge research continues to be conducted on the umami of dashi. Futaba’s concept is “the science of dashi. In addition to sensory testing by the human sense of taste, Futaba has established a laboratory and focuses on scientific analysis using analytical instruments. Nutritional components, protein, amino acids, and other parameters are quantified using state-of-the-art equipment, and the company is constantly thinking about what constitutes delicious dashi. To begin with, there are still many things we don’t know about the ingredients that are described as “umami.

In order to reach more people

Through repeated research, new ideas are created and many new products are born. Recently, vegetable dashi, which seals in the umami of onions, carrots, cabbage, and other vegetables, has been well received. The company has established an in-house “agriculture team” and has begun growing its own vegetables. Currently, the company uses a blend of vegetables purchased from suppliers and those harvested in-house, but in the future it intends to increase the ratio of vegetables grown in-house to ensure safety and quality stability, starting with the raw materials. In addition, since the products they offer vary depending on the person to whom the dashi is used, as a comprehensive manufacturer of dashi, they have developed a wide variety of dashi products to date. For example, the daily dining table of the average household requires a well-balanced and complete umami taste. On the other hand, for chefs and professional cooks, dashi that can be designed by the chef to have a unique umami taste that makes the most of the characteristics of the ingredients is needed.

We want to expand the possibilities of dashi so that more people can cook delicious and easy-to-prepare dishes,” says Akira Eguchi, president and representative director. To this end, the company has launched “ON THE UMAMI,” a lifestyle brand for general consumers, offering a lineup of various types of dashi for home use that can be used in Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisine. The company has begun selling products through its online store and in stores. Traditional Japanese bonito dashi and kelp dashi are popular for use not only in miso soup but also in onigiri (rice balls). Chicken dashi is also useful as a secret ingredient in egg soup and fried rice. Vegetable dashi, which can be used as a veggie broth, also demonstrates its flavor when used to elevate curry, pasta, and other dishes. There is also a wide variety of dashi for baby food, hand-drip dashi that can be drunk like coffee or soup, risotto and pasta sauce, and so on. The company proposes opportunities for people to notice and feel the delicate sensitivities and sensations in the food culture unique to the Japanese people in their daily lives.

Today, Japanese food has been registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and umami has become known as “MAMI” in the world as a common official language. We look forward to Futaba’s future product development as it continues to expand the possibilities of dashi.

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Aoki Sake Brewery, a sake brewery handed down in snow country

 Located in the southern part of Niigata Prefecture, the town of Shiozawa once prospered as a post town along the Mikuni Kaido Road connecting Edo and Echigo (present-day Niigata Prefecture). It is also known as one of the best rice-producing areas in Niigata Prefecture, where high quality rice can be obtained. When you visit this small mountain town, you will be greeted by a beautiful townscape with its quaint “gangi-zukuri” style, which is unique to the snow country. The scenery along the street, called “Shiozawa-juku Makino-dori,” has won the Urban Landscape Grand Prize and is highly regarded as a tourist attraction, attracting many tourists who come to take a look.

In one corner of the area, there is a sake brewery that has continued to make traditional sake since the Edo period. Aoki Shuzo brew s the nationally famous “Tsururei,” the brewery’s top-class “Bokushi,” and “Yukio,” a dry line of sake popular for its unique hairy creature label.

The Minamiuonuma area in southern Niigata Prefecture, where the Aoki Brewery is located, has long been known as one of the heaviest snowfall areas in Japan, with snow accumulating to over 2 meters even in urban areas. The book “Hokuetsu Setsuppu,” written in the mid-Edo period, describes the hardships and difficulties of people living in such a snowy region, their lifestyles, customs, and ways of utilizing the snow, and the wisdom of these people has been applied to the lives of people today. The author, Makiyuki Suzuki, is also an ancestor of the brewery, and it is said that he named the sake “Tsururei,” Aoki Shuzo’s signature sake. The brand name “Makino”, which is brewed for the annual National New Sake Competition, is also named after him.

The spirit of “Wago” is an important part of sake brewing

The Minamiuonuma area is known as a battleground for famous sake breweries, and Aoki Shuzo is the oldest sake brewery in the area. Founded in 1717, Aoki Sake Brewery has made the most of the benefits of the snow, from raw materials to brewing facilities, and has continued to brew sake while respecting the characteristics of the snow country and its relationship with the local community. The brewery is also committed to contributing to the local community by donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of “Yukio” to mountain rescue teams, as well as other efforts to create beautiful towns.

Taking advantage of the snow to make sake that suits the palates of the locals

The taste of sake also clearly expresses the characteristics of this region. The sake is characterized by its “umakuchi” taste, which maximizes the natural flavor of the rice, and is light but not dry, as is typical of Niigata. Our goal is to make a sake that goes well with meals and can be drunk as a mealtime sake,” said Muneyoshi Higuchi, toji (master brewer) of the brewery. Aoki Shuzo’s sake, of which about 40% is still consumed locally, is made with the belief that it must be enjoyed by the local people.

Aoki Sake Brewery uses Koshitanrei rice grown in Niigata Prefecture, which is grown in clean, melted snow, and water from the subsoil of Makihata Mountain, one of the 100 most famous mountains in Japan. The soft water, which is soft and tasty, is widely enjoyed by the local people. The facilities are thoroughly sanitized to produce clean koji mold over a long period of time. They are also particular about the balance of acid accents and aroma. In addition, they took the opportunity of the 300th anniversary of the company’s founding to build a new snow cellar storage facility. The entire cellar is cooled year-round by the power of natural snow, and the entire cellar can now be kept at a nearly constant temperature. All sake produced at the Aoki Brewery is stored in this cold storage facility, which utilizes natural clean energy, and is shipped fresh.

Since all alcoholic beverages in Japan are exempted from the labeling of expiration dates, sake is also not required to display an expiration date, and most sake is labeled with only the date of manufacture. However, temperature control is essential to preserve the sake’s aroma and flavor. The temperature in the snow cellar is kept at a constant level of approximately 4°C. The area dedicated to long-term storage can maintain a temperature of -5°C year-round with the help of electricity. The ability to store sake for 5, 10, or even longer periods of time allows Aoki Sake Brewery to explore the possibility of producing long-aged sake and other products. Aoki says that since the sake can be stored for five, ten, or even more years, the brewery would like to explore the possibility of producing long-aged sake. Aoki Brewery is also taking on the challenge of new brewing possibilities by further evolving the wisdom it has developed over the region’s history of working with snow.

Sake brewing for the future

Aoki Sake Brewery has a long history of 300 years since the Edo period, and its traditions have been handed down from generation to generation. Higuchi says it is important to continue this tradition in the future. We will continue to brew sake diligently, carefully, and honestly. Polishing politeness and taking on the challenge of brewing sake in line with the times are the motto of the current Aoki Sake Brewery. The ideal of sake brewing in the snow country will surely be steadily passed on to the future.

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Cast metal is manufactured by pouring molten metal into a mold. Cooking utensils made of cast metal inevitably have the image of being thick and heavy. Whether it is a frying pan or a pot, women in particular often find it difficult to handle due to its weight, and often feel stressed when washing it. Sanjo Special Foundry, located in Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture, is a foundry that specializes in the manufacture of thin and light products.

A Turning Point from Machine Parts Manufacturing

Sanjo City, located roughly in the center of Niigata Prefecture, along with the neighboring city of Tsubame, developed from the production of Japanese nails in the Edo period, and the skills of blacksmiths who smelt metals to create products have traditionally been cultivated. The area is known for its manufacturing of cutlery, metal, and Western tableware. Sanjo Special Foundry was established in 1961. Sanjo Special Foundry also inherited the local culture and began its factory history by manufacturing machine parts and other casting products. For many years, the company’s main business has been the manufacture of parts for various machines, including automobile parts, which require strength and precision, and its strength lies in manufacturing lightweight, easy-to-handle parts. In the world of castings, where prices are determined by weight, the reputation of lightweight parts was not very satisfactory. A turning point was needed.

New Light Found in Cooking Utensils

The turning point came in 2010. A kitchenware brand asked him to produce cast cooking utensils on an OEM basis. The company was asked to create a lightweight, durable, and ultra-thin frying pan, and it did so by combining the technological expertise and pride of its craftsmen. The result was a product that met expectations.

The frying pan turned out so well that we decided to try our own product, a light and easy-to-handle enameled cast iron frying pan,” said Teruyoshi Uchiyama, CEO of the company. We decided to try our hand at cast metal enameled pans, which are light and easy to handle,” said Teruyoshi Uchiyama, CEO of the company. In his own life, he has seen his family members using cast iron pots and pans struggling with their weight. That is what prompted him to take on the challenge.

A subcontractor company launching its own brand like this is a hurdle we will have to overcome someday in our own growth,” he said. The strength of this company is its technology for achieving thinness, the resulting lightness, and its ability to make products with good thermal conductivity.”

Utilizing this know-how, the company launched its own brand in 2014. The brand name is UNILLOY, a combination of “unique” and “alloy. The design team was led by Komin Yamada. Yamada is widely known for his product designs, which have won prestigious product design awards in Japan and abroad, and his work is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. For about two years until the completion of the product, the craftsmen took pride in their challenge to create the best product in the world. More than 200 prototypes were made, starting with the enameled cast iron pot. In 2015, they won the “Red Dot Award: Product Design 2015,” a design award held in Germany, from among about 5,000 entries from 56 countries around the world, In 2015, Uniloy cast iron enameled pots and pans won the top prize at the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2015, a design award held in Germany, from among some 5,000 entries from 56 countries around the world.

Craftsmanship that has created a lightness that defies common sense

In order to achieve lightness, it was necessary to create a thin design, which is unthinkable with ordinary cast metal. In the process of pouring liquid metal melted at high temperature into a mold (casting), the mold is narrow because of the thin design, and the speed of pouring is slowed down, resulting in rapid cooling of the metal in the process. This causes problems such as solidification before the material reaches the end of the mold. The biggest obstacle was to cast the entire mold while maintaining the thin structure, and the trial production was extremely difficult. However, the high technology and pride of the factory and craftsmen enabled them to meet the thinness requirement.

It is difficult to make thin products. At first, when we made 100 pieces, 80 of them were defective,” said Uchiyama.

For example, most frying pans on the market are 4 to 5 mm thick, but Uniloy’s frying pan is only 2.5 mm thick, which is the thickness with the best heat conductivity and high heat storage capacity. It is ideal for cooking meat and fish, with its savory surface and juicy interior.

Because they are thin and light, they are easy to handle and can be used every day. Enameled pots and pans take advantage of the one-piece molding process that is one of the features of cast metal, enabling a seamless and beautiful design from the pot body to the handle. The key point of this product is not only its durability, but also its ergonomics and ease of use, making it less stressful to use. The most popular product is the matte black enameled pot, and the frying pan is the best-selling one.

Never stopping the challenge of new products

Sanjo Tokushu Kogyosho’s “Uniroy,” which is packed with technical expertise, dares not to apply for a patent. This is because they are confident of their unrivaled technical capabilities without obtaining a patent. The company has no hesitation in developing new products that take advantage of this technological strength.

In addition to frying pans and enameled pans, the company currently offers a wide range of products characterized by lightness and ease of use, including cast iron gear for use in camping (camping tool brand “SSCamp! The recent camping boom has also helped to attract the attention of camping enthusiasts.

Mr. Uchiyama is enthusiastic, “I hope that the value of cast metal will be known around the world through the development of products that make the most of our technology. Mr. Uchiyama is enthusiastic.

Women are also active in the Sanjo Special Foundry factory. It is hot in summer and cold in winter. It can be said that it is a dangerous and harsh workplace where high-temperature metals are handled. Even so, each and every one of the craftsmen work hard every day with pride, believing that their mission is to enhance the value and attractiveness of cast metal and to spread the word about it. The pride in preserving local traditions and the joy of being a part of a new page in history are what make their work so rewarding.

The kitchen items, which are the crystallization of the casting technique born of tradition and innovation, are thin and light, but they are also filled with the passion of the craftsmen.

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History of Niigata Lacquerware

Located in the northern part of Niigata Prefecture and the largest city on the Sea of Japan side of Honshu with a population of 810,000, Niigata City has long flourished as a “port city” and was a port of call for “Kitamae Senpaku” (steamships sailing on the Sea of Japan) from the Edo Period to the Meiji Period. As a result, trade in goods flourished, and cultures from various parts of Japan came in one after another from the sea and land.

One of these cultures was that of lacquerware. It is said that the origin of this culture dates back to the early Edo period, about 400 years ago, when “Noshiro Shunkei,” one of the traditional crafts of present-day Akita Prefecture, was introduced to Japan. It is said that a special area for the sale of lacquerware, called wandana, was established in downtown Furumachi and a policy of protection was adopted, attracting a variety of techniques and craftsmen to this area. In the late Edo period (1603-1868), sales of lacquerware expanded not only to Edo and Osaka, but also to Hokkaido, where it evolved into Niigata lacquerware.

Characteristics of Niigata Lacquerware, a Treasure Trove of Henshi-nuri Lacquerware

Niigata lacquerware is characterized by its rich variety of lacquering techniques, which is called “a treasure house of Kawari-nuri” (variant lacquering). The craftsmen’s playful spirit and passion for expressing something by using only the lacquer technique have given birth to this variety of lacquerware.

For example, one of them is “Take-nuri,” in which the texture of bamboo is expressed not with actual bamboo but with lacquer. Originally developed in the Edo period (1603-1867), this technique became popular when it became fashionable for samurai to have their swords’ sheaths lacquered with bamboo, and the technique spread to other regions. It has since taken root in Niigata and some other regions, and is now a representative technique of Niigata lacquerware. The technique is unique in that it uses rusted lacquer mixed with abrasive powder to create bamboo joints and stripes, and Makomo (straw mat) powder to express a sooty texture.

Other techniques include “ishime-nuri,” which expresses the rough texture of stones, and “nishiki-nuri,” characterized by irregular speckled patterns created by layered lacquering.

Fascinated by the beauty of bamboo lacquerware, he became a Niigata lacquerware craftsman.

Momoko Sanada, an active Niigata lacquerware artisan, entered the world of bamboo lacquerware at the age of 24, fascinated by the beauty of bamboo lacquerware. Ms. Sanada, who had never been involved in the industry before, recalls her surprise at the fact that bamboo lacquerware was made entirely with lacquer, and her fascination with the beauty of what appeared to be made of bamboo.

He absorbed the techniques at a speed that surprised everyone around him, and he has continued to hone his skills under the tutelage of a lacquer craftsman who is said to be the best in Niigata. He also felt a sense of mission to connect the history of Niigata, the town where he was born and raised, to the future.

Expressing Modernity with Traditional Craftsmanship

Mr. Sanada’s works have a modernity that rewrites the Japanese image of “traditional crafts. The surfaces are often matte and scratch-resistant, another feature. There are also “Ruri Nuri” (lapis lazuli lacquerware), which resembles lapis lazuli gemstones, and “Beniseki Nuri” (red stone lacquerware), which resembles red stones, and they blend well not only with Japanese cuisine but also with Western cuisine such as Italian and French. They are cool and showcase the potential of the dishes at the table as well.

One of Mr. Sanada’s specialties is “Oborogin-nuri,” or “Oboro Gin-nuri.

This is a reproduction of the Hensen-nuri technique of Shibata Zeshin, a lacquer craftsman of the Edo period, and although it is a wooden product, it has the unique texture of a metal. Shibata Zeshin is widely known for his “Fuji-Tagoura maki-e maki-e frame,” which was exhibited at the Vienna World Exposition in 1873 and won a prize.

The dark atmosphere and subdued brass color have a cold, antique atmosphere, and the chic old-fashioned look creates a serene beauty. Of course, each piece is made by hand. The process of hardening the wood, dressing with cloth, applying rust, and applying the middle coat of lacquer lasts nearly two months. In the middle stage of the process, charcoal powder is sprinkled to give the piece an uneven appearance, as if it has decayed. Although it is a reissue, the finished product is truly modern and contemporary.

Making Niigata a Famous Lacquerware Production Center

Niigata lacquerware has evolved through the convergence of a wide variety of techniques and the individuality of each craftsman. The history of the association is still young, and the scale of Niigata as a lacquerware production center is not so large. In terms of the retail and wholesale markets, Niigata Lacquerware is not as big as other famous lacquerware production centers. Still, Mr. Sanada smiles and says proudly, “I do this work because I love it. Mr. Sanada’s job is to hone his skills as a craftsman and to thoroughly pursue his own unique line of “hen-nuri. He now offers his techniques on a completely custom-made basis, mainly to restaurants. He creates new items one after another based on the restaurant’s image of the food to be served and his imagination to make it stand out. He receives many orders from the Tokyo metropolitan area and overseas, and sometimes has to wait six months or more for delivery.

It has been about 10 years since Mr. Sanada entered the world of lacquerware. At first, he was selfless in his pursuit of “making beautiful things. Now, he continues to be motivated by new challenges.

I am a burly craftsman, a product-maker. Now I enjoy thinking of new coatings. From now on, for example, I want to use a 3D printer to try my hand at something resinous, or even something copper-like.” says Mr. Sanada.

The day may not be far off when Niigata Lacquerware will be talked about around the world as a famous lacquerware production area.

The post The abundance of expression and playfulness are appealing. Niigata Lacquer Ware” Momoko Sanada, known as a treasure house of Hen-nuri lacquerware / Niigata Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

FUKIDO” has a workshop in Tsubame City, Niigata Prefecture, a sacred place for metalworking, and produces simple copper products useful in daily life.
While preserving the traditional techniques of hammering and forging that have been handed down from generation to generation
, the company keeps abreast of current trends and continues to produce copper products with a high level of functional beauty suited to modern lifestyles.

Traditional Techniques Inherited in Niigata

Tsubame City, located roughly in the center of Niigata Prefecture, is where the manufacturing techniques of Tsubame hammered copperware, a traditional craft that is said to have begun in the Edo period, have been handed down from generation to generation. Copper is mined at the Mase Copper Mine, which was developed in the Yahiko Mountains to the northwest of Tsubame City, and the technique is said to have been originally introduced from Sendai. The basic process is to dull a sheet of copper by burning it and then hammering it with a hammer or mallet to form a shape. There are many types of hammers, and the tools are changed depending on where and how the hammer is used.

The workshop “FUKIDO” is run by a father and son.

A pleasant clanging sound echoes outside the workshop. It is the rhythmic sound of hammering metal. Hiroshi Fujii, the second generation owner of Tsubame Hammering Copperware FUKIDO, which was founded in 1945, has been listening to this sound since he was a child. Inside the workshop, huge kettles and old hammered copperware products are displayed. These were made by my predecessors,” he says. They are very important to keep.” It has been almost 50 years since he started working with his father. His son, Ken, is also hammering at the same time.

What are the tools of professional work?

Sometimes he uses tools inherited from his predecessors, and sometimes he makes new tools by himself. He hammers at the same pace on the tatami mats, feeling the fine vibrations. The distortion caused by the deformation of copper is utilized to raise, smooth, and adjust the surface. We tap to tighten the metal. Striking makes it harder by removing the molecules,” says Hiroshi in his own unique way, as only a craftsman can. He says that by pounding, the copper becomes more durable and can be used for a long time as a daily necessities.

Tools that develop a distinctive flavor the more they are used.

The more a piece of hammered copperware is used, the more its luster increases. The more they are used, the more they acquire a color that is unique to the person using them and the environment in which they are used. In other words, it is a tool that you can enjoy growing in your own way. Of course, it also has clear advantages as a cooking utensil. Copper’s excellent thermal conductivity is about twice that of aluminum, five times that of iron, and 25 times that of stainless steel. Heat passes easily throughout the entire cooking surface, making cooking smooth. It is also highly corrosion resistant and has sterilizing properties. The finished products are all simple, but the dull luster and sparkling shine created by the countless uneven surfaces that have been hammered into them are beautiful and exude an indescribable elegance. They are no longer just daily necessities, but also have value as arts and crafts.

What are popular items?

Especially popular items at FUKIDO are kettles, teapots, and pots. The good thermal conductivity of these items helps to improve the efficiency of cooking, and they are representative of items that should be included in the first place. Ken, the third generation of the company, has been working together to produce drip pots, servers, and other coffee-related products, and is also working to provide items that can be casually incorporated into everyday life. Even though they are traditional crafts, they also strive to create products that are easily accepted by people’s changing lifestyles over time.

Although they are father and son, they are both craftsmen, and their specialties differ from each other, but what their works have in common is that they are tools that can be used with love for a long time. Copper products have an image of being difficult to handle, but the tin coating on the surface makes them easy to care for and prevents discoloration. Even if they break or need maintenance after long use, they can be repaired by craftsmen according to their condition and can be used again. If one acquires a good tin, it is a wonderful tool that can be passed down to one’s children and grandchildren. In this sense, traditional craftsmanship may be the ultimate in sustainability.

What will be handed down to the next generation

The workshop is currently managed by the second generation, Hiroshi, and the third generation, Ken, but both Hiroshi and Ken had been working for outside companies for a while. Both the person who decides to take over as a traditional craftsman and the person who decides to pass on the craft to the next generation must be prepared to do the same.

At first I didn’t like the idea of taking over the family business,” he says. But now I’m enjoying it. I have my grandfather and my father, and I feel that I can make an effort to eat in this business for the rest of my life. That’s what I have now.” Ken says. It would certainly be nice to have a successor, but the world of craftsmanship is tough, and it takes a certain amount of determination on the part of the successor,” says Hiroshi.

We hope that you will try our copperware and feel the solidity and beauty of our craftsmen’s soulful work, as well as the spirit of craftsmanship that is passed down in the family.

We strive to create products that pursue the beauty of use as well as shapes that have been handed down from generation to generation. We hope you will enjoy the charm of our soft and simple shaped copperware that grows warmer with each use. We would be happy if you would use the products of “FUKIDO”, which are born from the skills of our artisans, as tools for your daily life.

The post The history of traditional crafts spun by parents and children, simple and beautiful Tsubame hammered copperware by “Fukido” / Tsubame City, Niigata City first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Abe Sake Brewery” Recovers from the Threat of Going Out of Business

In Kashiwazaki City, facing the Sea of Japan in the Chuetsu region of Niigata Prefecture, there is a small sake brewery with a history of over 200 years. It is the Abe Brewery, which has been producing “Koshino Otokoyama,” a local staple sake brewed with the soft water of Kashiwazaki. Founded in 1804, the brewery employs an “uchi-toji” system, in which the head of the brewery serves as toji (chief brewer) and also manages the business, and Yuta Abe, the sixth-generation head, is currently in charge of production.

Before the fifth generation took over the family business, however, Abe Sake Brewery was in danger of going out of business. At the time, the company produced only 40 koku of sake, or about 4,000 bottles. That is, about 4,000 bottles of sake. This was not a very large production volume. At the time, Abe was working for a Tokyo-based company that operated an Internet restaurant management website. If I had returned three years later, our brewery would have collapsed,” he says.

The Challenge of Brewing Sake

To get more people to drink our sake, we need to make more sake.” Abe learned the basics of sake brewing at the Brewery Experiment Station. He learned the basics of sake brewing in a short period of time, just six weeks, he says. After that, he gradually invested in equipment to increase production, receiving instruction from his father and other senior brewers in the area. Now, eight years after returning to the brewery, production has increased to 240-250 koku.

Because of Mr. Abe’s thoroughness down to the smallest detail, he increased the number of staff working at the brewery and accepted many trainees to create the sake brewing environment he sought. Many breweries in Niigata Prefecture are light and dry, and his predecessors favored dry sake. However, Mr. Abe wanted to try the exact opposite, and in the beginning he brewed sweet sake anyway.

After realizing that “if I don’t make sake that I think tastes good, I can’t do my best to market it,” he gradually shifted to making sake with a moderate sweetness and using acidity to give it a more defined flavor. He became thoroughly committed to the kind of sake brewing he was aiming for.

Competing in Tokyo, not in Niigata, a Sake Capital of Japan

Niigata is one of the largest sake-producing regions in Japan. There are four sake breweries in the city of Kashiwazaki. The local market will be left to other local breweries, as it has been in the past, and the company will venture out into the market. In other words, they decided to take a chance to increase their visibility in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

The goal was to make sake that would be chosen by restaurants. The first time I tasted sake was at a restaurant, and I thought it would be the perfect place to first get people to know about it.
In the first year, he took the sake he had made to sake stores in Tokyo, but the response was not positive. Some rejected Abe Shuzo’s original brand name, “Koshino Otokoyama,” because it was a combination of common sake brand names, and some even refused to buy it at all. It was not the smooth start he had envisioned. When he heard good news from his friends at Akatake Brewery and Kamonishiki Brewery, who were trying to make their first sake at the same time, he felt frustrated.

The time had finally come for the sales activities that had been so frustrating to him to be recognized. A local liquor store in Niigata agreed with Mr. Abe’s passion for sake brewing. They said, “We don’t care if it tastes good or not, we will support you anyway,” and began to sell to liquor stores they knew in Tokyo and to do business in Niigata and Tokyo. He encouraged us to sell the sake and use it as a war chest to make even better sake. The hardships he had experienced up to that point made the encounter all the more poignant, Abe says.

Thus, Abe Shuzo now produces the largest number of “Abe” series, which started in 2015. The series was created to create a signature product under a brand other than “Koshino-Oyama. The series emphasizes the balance between rice flavor and acidity, and offers a rich lineup of both standard and seasonal sake.

What is “Abe Shuzo” sake?

The clean label with two hiragana characters is also impressive. All of the rice used for the sake is 100% Niigata Prefecture rice, including Gohyakumangoku, Koshitanrei, Takananishiki, Ipponshime, and Koshikagura, all of which are suitable for sake brewing. Currently, 70% of the rice is locally grown in Kashiwazaki.

The sake is fired at a low temperature. The sake is sterilized while keeping the freshness in mind. However, the aroma is not lost. In addition, all sake is made with a lot of time and care. It should also be noted that all sake is squeezed in a traditional “tub” (fune), a device that slowly squeezes the sake by placing the mash in a sake bag. The process takes four days instead of the usual one day. This process softens the sake and gives it the softness that Mr. Abe is aiming for.

Kashiwazaki has both ocean and mountains, and rice paddies are just a stone’s throw away. We want to make sake that is uniquely Niigata,” he said, and so he has started a series of sake breweries that feature different rice paddies.

The sake is brewed using rice harvested in specific fields, such as the “Kaminarashinden area,” which features Niigata’s unique environment surrounded by the sea and mountains, and the “Noda area,” located inland from Kashiwazaki, allowing sake brewers to enjoy the differences in taste depending on the field.

A portion of the proceeds from the sales of this series is used to help contract farmers maintain their fields and to protect the landscape of Kashiwazaki. This is a sake to be enjoyed while envisioning a typical Niigata rural landscape of beautiful rice paddies.

We want to increase opportunities for people to experience sake.

As he continues to take on new challenges, Mr. Abe says his desire to “continue to make good sake in a straightforward manner” grows stronger. I am now able to aggressively take on new challenges with the basic premise that I myself enjoy sake brewing and am willing to accept failure.” Abe says, “I am now aggressively taking on challenges with the mindset that it is okay to make mistakes. He is particularly focused on sake brewing with an emphasis on acidity. Instead of using multi-acidic yeast, he uses a common yeast used in the prefecture to produce acidity, and is conscious of bringing out the flavor of the rice and the acidity.

He says, “More than being recognized in the industry, I want to increase the number of general consumers who drink sake. I want to create opportunities for people to come into contact with sake. He is determined to continue to grow and develop. To achieve this, Mr. Abe continues to grow and take on new challenges.

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Murayusyu Brewery” Breathing New Life into the Market

Located in central to northern Niigata Prefecture, the Echigo Plain is a beautiful expanse of rice paddies, and in a small town along the Shinano River, which flows through the center of the plain, lies the Murayusyu Brewery. The company was founded in 1943, starting with the production of wine during the war. The company uses 100% Niigata rice and draws soft spring water from a side well dug in the mountains about 2 km away. The brewery produces about 300 koku (1 koku = 180 liters). Although not a large brewery, it has many strong fans both within and outside of Niigata Prefecture, including the long-loved “Hanakoshiji” series and the “Murayuke” series of limited distribution sake.

A major topic when discussing the Murayuke Sake Brewery is the fact that it dared to try a sweet sake, bringing a breath of fresh air to the market during the local sake boom, when “light and dry” was the norm for Niigata sake. The “Murayu” series, brewed with the image of the fine, clear, elegant sweetness of wasanbon sugar used in high-class Japanese confectionaries, was well received for its sweetness and crisp taste, and greatly changed the image of Niigata sake, which at the time was all about light, dry sake. The series is also a popular brand among locals at izakayas (Japanese-style pubs) in Niigata Prefecture.

We want people to enjoy sake freely.

Kensuke Murayama, the third generation toji (master brewer) of the brewery, has been working at the brewery for one year since he graduated from school. At the age of 22, his first brew, “Hanakoshiji,” won a gold medal at the National New Sake Competition and attracted a lot of attention at a young age. However, not everything was smooth sailing after that. There were times when he almost lost confidence in his sake brewing skills because of the lack of success. At one point, however, Mr. Murayama decided to stop focusing on the sake’s reputation at sake competitions. He realized that the quality of sake is not determined by the judges, but by the customers. He also questioned the tendency to judge the value of sake by looking at the specifications on the label. When people drink sake based on their knowledge and preconceived notions, they tend to look for rough edges, no matter how good the sake is. He believes that sake should be enjoyed more freely and happily, and has decided to follow his own path of sake brewing with confidence, keeping everything but the alcohol content private.

Sake made by his own hands is the only sake he sends out.

With the exception of shipping, Mr. Murayama is directly involved in all aspects of sake brewing. Since the retirement of the previous toji, Mr. Murayama has taken over the role of toji and is in charge of the brewery. Therefore, no matter how popular a product may be, the amount that can be produced is limited. This is because they want to send out only sake that has been carefully and deliberately brewed under the watchful eye of Mr. Murayama. There are times when he is unable to meet delivery deadlines, causing liquor stores to wait. However, Mr. Murayama is not interested in mass production. He does not seek a uniform taste like that of industrial products. Even if customers always want the same taste, he says, the taste of sake will change slightly when the tanks are changed, even if the sake is brewed the same way on the same day. He wants his customers to accept this. Instead, Mr. Murayama never cuts corners. He sharpens his own senses and is dedicated to producing high quality sake in small quantities. This is the Murayu Sake Brewery’s way of making sake. When asked about his future as a sake brewer, Mr. Murayama smiles calmly and says, “I want to live a quiet life from now on, and I’m getting a little tired of making sake. He says he doesn’t like to fly and doesn’t travel far for business. He is aloof, happy to live in the moment, and friendly. His personality is the same as that of the sake he makes.

The “good sake” that Mr. Murayama makes

The most important thing is how you feel when you drink the sake, whether it is sweet or spicy,” says Murayama. I value the softness on the palate, the sharpness, and the clean feeling when you drink it because it is something you put into your body,” says Murayama.

The sweetness of the “Murayu” series differs depending on the label. The balance between sugar and alcohol is adjusted by controlling the fermentation speed. The more sugar in the same amount of alcohol, the higher the cost, a difference that is easy for drinkers to understand.

Hanakoshiji,” which has been a local favorite since its establishment, is a little less sweet than the Murayu series. Aiming for what is considered “good sake” in the traditional sense, it is characterized by its clean, soft, and refreshing aftertaste. It is like a treasured child that Mr. Murayama has been brewing with great care since the time he started sake brewing.

What is the true way to enjoy sake?

Not to worry about some kind of evaluation, and moreover, not to rank sake or to drink it as if you were trying to determine the quality of the product. It is to enjoy the food you eat together and the conversations you have with the people you spend time with. Instead, it is about letting the time go by while feeling the joy of drinking sake, purely, freely, and in accordance with the atmosphere of the moment. Enjoying such a natural and exquisite time is the secret to enjoying Murayu’s sake. We hope that you will once enjoy the space created by such unpretentious sake.

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~Woodworking born in snowy Niigata

Oguni Town in Nagaoka City, located in the south-central part of Niigata Prefecture, has abundant natural forests and deep snow in winter. Although the scenery is beautiful in all four seasons, the town is buried in snow until early spring, making it impossible to make a living unless the town’s residents are diligent in snow removal.

Mr. Tomii spent his childhood in Ojiya City, also in Niigata Prefecture, and studied abroad at a high school in Oregon, U.S.A., when he was a student at a technical college. In that land of abundant nature, he came into contact with a lifestyle that lived with trees. After attending a university in Japan and working on surface physics research at a graduate school, he was lured by the allure of wood into the world of woodworking.

He learned basic woodworking techniques at a workshop in Gifu Prefecture that trains woodworkers, and in 2008 he set up his own business in Kyoto. Then, in 2015, he put down roots in this snowy town. His reason for returning to his hometown of Niigata is simple. I want to make my work where there is snow.

~Unraveling the roots of his work

Tomii’s works are mainly tableware for daily use, such as plates and stacked boxes. The friendly and gentle expression of wood and the elegant and delicate appearance of his work have won him many fans. The reason for making his tableware is also simple.

Mr. Tomii has always loved to eat. When he lived alone as a student, he got hooked on cooking and began collecting cooking utensils for professional cooks. Eventually, he became particular about the dishes on which he served his food, and began collecting pottery made by artists. He likes the smooth surfaces of Scandinavian pottery, as well as heavy earthenware. He also likes wooden works from long ago, and he is a true lover of tableware, he says.

Tomii says that his interest in making things naturally led him to pottery making. The concept that forms the basis of his work is “to make things that become beautiful through continuous use” and “to make things that I want to use. I think the ideal relationship between the three elements of ‘material,’ ‘artist,’ and ‘user’ comes closer together as the user continues to use the vessel, and then they are condensed into a single piece, and that is beauty. I think that is beauty. When working with his hands, he is conscious of the “beautiful changes over time” that occur with daily use.

～The more you use it, the more it tastes good. Wooden vessels that blend in with everyday life.

Flat plates are especially popular among his works. They are easy to use and easy to serve food on. He often uses chestnut wood to make his dishes, which have a beautiful harmony of wood and lacquer. Considering actual use in daily life, plain wood has more flavor and charm when used. He likes the moderate feeling of chestnut wood. Indeed, chestnut wood is said to be popular among forest insects. He often finds insect bites on the wood, and he uses them as a part of the flavor of his works.

On the other hand, lacquer on the surface of a vessel has a characteristic that it does not change easily. The lacquer on the surface of the vessel can be colored to accentuate the tabletop. Wood itself is very beautiful,” he says. Of course, you can also enjoy playing with colors with colored lacquerware. I would like to convey the charm of such wooden vessels to people. I want to convey that kind of charm to people.

～I want to master beauty rather than efficiency.

At first glance, Mr. Tomii’s workshop looks like a furniture workshop. Mr. Tomii smiles, saying that it is a remnant of the time when he learned the basics of woodworking. Every piece is carefully made by hand. Instead of using a machine to make a large number of products at one time, he devotes himself to the steady, physical creation of his pieces and cherishes the products that result. This is Tomii’s way. He says, “If you adopt an efficient method, you may be able to finish your work quickly and beautifully, but I don’t think you should seek efficiency or beauty when you are doing this kind of work. Even if it takes longer, if I want the joy and happiness of making something, I’ll take that.”

～Individuality born of beauty guided by theory

Mr. Tomii’s creations have a unique worldview. When I was in graduate school, I was a physics major who studied the surfaces of materials. The beauty of the microscopic world he saw through a microscope at the time was indescribable. In my atelier, using a carving knife, I sometimes think about such a microscopic world, the arrangement of atoms, diversity, and various ideological worlds while carving detailed patterns on stacked boxes all day long. Perhaps it is in the process of immersing oneself in these worlds that the “individuality” that attracts people, which we call authorship, resides in the work.

Mr. Tomii aims to create products that become more beautiful when they are used with love and care. The touch of wood, the modesty that accompanies daily life, and the delicate and gentle appearance. We hope you will take a look and feel the splendor of his works, which are born from the rich natural environment and his unique world of contemplation.

The post Wooden tableware by Takashi Tomii from snow country that becomes more beautiful with continued use / Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Murakami City in Niigata Prefecture is a salmon town that has lived together with salmon. The “Sennen Salmon Kikkawa” has been making salmon dishes that have been passed down through the generations in Murakami.
There are more than 100 salmon dishes that have been created over the millennium of Murakami’s salmon history.
We are passing on the culinary culture of Murakami to the present day through salmon dishes made with fermentation and aging techniques that take full advantage of the climate of Murakami City and the time and effort that goes into making them.

Salmon Culture Preserved by Murakami’s “Sennen Salmon Kikkawa

 Murakami City, located in the northernmost part of Niigata Prefecture and facing the Sea of Japan, has a history of delivering salmon as tax to the Imperial Court in Kyoto during the Heian period. Salmon were often caught and during the Edo period, salmon fishing was an important source of income for the Murakami clan. In the latter part of the Edo period, the fishing season gradually became poor, and the clan’s finances began to run out. Then, Buheiji Aoto, a samurai of the clan, noticed the “recurring nature” of salmon and created an environment for propagation, which led to the world’s first successful natural hatching and propagation of salmon. The town once again became prosperous, and even in years when the rice harvest was poor, a good catch of salmon helped the people. This is why the people of Murakami still respect salmon and treat it with great care. In Murakami, salmon is the only fish, not any other fish.

Even today, salmon runs up the Miomotegawa River that runs through the center of town, and the salmon culture has been carefully passed down through the millennia. The first company in Murakami to commercialize this traditional salmon dish was Sennen Salmon Kikkawa, which was founded in 1626 as a rice wholesaler. In the postwar period of the 1950s, when Murakami’s salmon cuisine was in decline, the company decided that it must not let Murakami’s salmon culture die out, and began producing and selling salmon dishes.

Product creation focusing on “natural” products

More than 1,000 salted salmon are hung from the ceiling beams in the machiya-style store built in the Meiji period. The sight is breathtaking. The process is simple: salt the fish and then dry it. This simple method has never changed. No food additives such as preservatives, chemical seasonings, or yeast extracts are used.

The “Shinmaki Salmon,” a similarly well-known salted salmon, is made to preserve the flavor of freshly caught salmon for a long period of time, while Murakami’s salted salmon is subjected to the cold northwest wind for one month to allow the enzymes in the salmon to break down the proteins and produce amino acids as a catalyst with the salt, giving it a special flavor unique to Murakami. This gives the salmon a special flavor unique to Murakami. The people of Murakami have always cherished and savored salmon. Looking up at the hanging salmon, it is clear that salmon is at the center of people’s lives. In this family, the salmon, not the people, are the most important,” says 15th generation owner Masatsugu Yoshikawa. Everyone in town makes it in their own homes, and each father brags to the other about how good it is. In Kikkawa, preparation begins in mid-November when a cold northwesterly wind blows and the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius. When you feel the clean, dignified wind on your skin, that’s when it’s time to start.

The first thing I do is to bow my palms in gratitude to the salmon in front of me. The salmon is carefully selected and wild-caught domestic male salmon. After about five days, the salmon are washed under running water and dried for three to four weeks. The Murakami style is to hang the salmon with the head down by attaching a string to the base of the tail fin, as it would be unbearable to put a string on the head of the salmon, which is a precious gift from Murakami. Mr. Yoshikawa is particular about the shape of the dried fish, even the fins are held up to give it a “manly” appearance. The enzymes work to produce a unique flavor. It is a deep flavor that can only be expressed by the wind that blows in Murakami. While drying the salmon, the artisans watch over the salmon as if they were their own children.

Appreciate everything about salmon and eat it.

The most popular recipe that everyone imagines using salmon is grilled salmon served with hot white rice. Salt-baked salmon is also a great accompaniment to rice, and of course, if you lightly grill the fillet, you can enjoy the skin as well. It is delicious freshly grilled, but the charm of salted salmon is that it can be enjoyed even after it has cooled down.

But that is not all there is to Murakami’s salmon cuisine. Because of their respect for the salmon, they carefully eat every part of the salmon, from the entrails and bones to the head and gills. As a result, more than a hundred different salmon dishes have been created. Inside Kikkawa’s restaurant, you will find a wide variety of salmon dishes. In addition to salted salmon fillets, grilled salmon marinated in secret broth and soy sauce, cured salmon ham cured slowly at low temperature, and harako (roe) marinated in soy sauce using the best large roe are all regular favorites. Salmon with sake is a great snack to accompany alcoholic drinks. There is a unique culture of celebrating a boy turning 5 years old by preparing a salmon dish at home when he wears his hakama. It is said that this is a way of saying, “Come back strong and strong,” just like the salmon. In Murakami, ” Salmon rice sushi” is an important New Year’s dish, and Kikkawa has been making its own koji since the Edo period. The pride of Kikkawa, which used to be a sake brewer, is also reflected in its desire to preserve Murakami’s important food culture.

Murakami’s respect for salmon has led to the development of an unparalleled salmon food culture. Mr. Yoshikawa says, ” The important thing is to put love into it. It is made by fermentation and ripening, so by watching over the changes in nature, and taking the time and effort to make it with love, you can create a delicious product, ” he says, looking up at the hanging salted salmon and narrowing his eyes. The supreme taste passed down through a thousand years of history will continue to be passed down as a part of the town’s living food culture for years to come.

First, we choose the best. We do not use any food additives, but rather we use human hands and spend a lot of time in nature to produce the “real thing”. We will continue to pursue the “one and only best taste” that only we can make.

The post Traditional culture of Echigo Murakami, lovingly produced “Sennen Salmon Kikkawa” salted salmon / Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.