Oita Prefecture, rich in nature, is blessed with abundant agricultural products such as Seki mackerel and Seki sardines, which benefit from the bounty of the sea, and shiitake mushrooms, a treasure of the mountains. Among these, the existence of “nori” (seaweed), which is now preserved by only a few remaining fishermen, is little known. “Tsuru Kame Foods,” which continues to produce this rare nori using traditional methods in the northern part of Oita Prefecture, where it can only be harvested there, shares their desire to pass on this tradition to future generations.

What is seaweed farming in Oita Prefecture?

Nori, an indispensable part of Japanese food culture, is often referred to as “a companion to the dinner table.”

Currently, approximately 30-40% of Japan’s domestic nori production comes from the inner sea of the Ariake Sea in Kyushu, surrounded by four prefectures including Saga Prefecture. In Oita Prefecture, which faces the Suo Nada (Suo Strait) and is considered the outer sea from the perspective of the Ariake Sea, nori cultivation is carried out in the northern region. In Oita Prefecture, seaweed farming was so prosperous during the Meiji and Showa periods that farmers were even hired from Hiroshima Prefecture. Additionally, according to the local history book “Bungo Kokshi,” seaweed has been a famous souvenir of Oita for over 200 years, and seaweed farming was once thriving with hundreds of farms and hundreds of fishermen. However, today only five farms remain in Usa City and Nakatsu City. One of the main reasons for this decline is the aging of the fishing population. Except for a few young fishermen, most are in their 70s and 80s. Considering their age, it is clear how challenging seaweed farming in Oita has become.

Preserving the original flavor through traditional methods with modern innovations

For over 70 years, Tsuru Kame Foods, headquartered in Oita City, has been engaged in the processing and sales of seaweed from Oita Prefecture. The company traces its roots back to its predecessor, “Tsuru Kame Nori,” founded by the grandfather of the current third-generation president, Koji Yukino. Since its inception, the company has remained committed to using seaweed from Oita Prefecture and has continuously refined its flavor. Since seaweed harvests are heavily dependent on natural conditions, the company once considered sourcing from other regions. However, they prioritized the principle of “producing products where the faces of the producers are visible,” and their commitment to using Oita-produced seaweed remains unwavering to this day. One of the company’s signature products is not the typical flat sheet of seaweed commonly seen, but rather “picked seaweed,” which is flaked like “aosa” seaweed.

Also known as “bara-hiki nori,” this seaweed has a fluffy appearance, but when you put it in your mouth, it has a firm texture and a rich seaweed flavor. It can be added to soups or rice dishes such as tamagokake gohan (rice with raw egg) to transform everyday dishes into something special. In restaurants in Oita City, it is also served as a condiment at eel restaurants and soba noodle shops.

“Picked Seaweed,” created to capture the true flavor of seaweed.

The inspiration for “Tsumi Nori” originated over 30 years ago. During the 1950s and 1960s, the mechanization of nori production advanced, leading to increased production and a surplus in supply. As a result, unsold nori was being incinerated. Against this backdrop, the idea emerged to not only address food waste but also to create a new form and flavor of nori that differed from traditional sheet-shaped nori. This led to the development of “Tsumi Nori.” While traditional sheet-shaped seaweed is said to have originated in the late Edo period using the techniques of Asakusa washi paper, “Picked Seaweed” draws inspiration from an older method from the mid-Edo period. This method involves harvesting fresh seaweed from the sea, drying it in the sun on rocks, and then roasting it over a brazier. “This is the perfect way to enjoy seaweed that feels both nostalgic and new,” thought Tsuru Kame Foods. After years of trial and error and product updates, it took approximately 30 years to finally achieve the desired taste. The traditional method used to make this ‘old yet new’ seaweed involves many steps that cannot be done by machine, with most of the process done by hand. Though time-consuming and labor-intensive, the flavor and texture that emerge are truly unique. Additionally, it not only allows you to enjoy the rich, authentic taste of seaweed but also provides the nutritional benefits of high-quality protein and folate, among other nutrients naturally found in seaweed.

Pursuing the ultimate seaweed, returning to the roots.

Since its founding, Tsuru Kame Foods has been committed to delivering delicious food to the table. Several years ago, the company returned to its roots and began sourcing seaweed from Matsumoto Yasuhide, a fisherman in Usa City who cultivates seaweed, in pursuit of the ultimate flavor inherent in seaweed. Even though they had been using seaweed from Usa and Nakatsu, after collecting and comparing data and taste, they noticed that the seaweed harvested by Mr. Matsumoto stood out. “Normally, diatoms attach to freshly harvested seaweed, but Mr. Matsumoto’s seaweed is carefully maintained, so there are very few diatoms. That’s why we started sourcing only the seaweed he harvests,” explains Yukino. Additionally, while Tsuru-Kame Foods had previously frozen the harvested seaweed before use, switching to using it fresh significantly improved the flavor and taste, giving them absolute confidence in the quality.

The “Oita seaweed” born from fishing passed down by young fishermen

Following in his father’s footsteps, Matsumoto became a seaweed fisherman at a young age, having grown up in a family that operated a seaweed farm. From a young age, he spent most of his time working alongside his parents in their factory. In his 20s, he worked outside the prefecture for a while, but returned home due to his parents’ poor health. Despite understanding that fishing was a tough job, he gradually came to appreciate it as a good profession and decided to dedicate his life to it. The farming method Matsumoto uses is called “pillar-style.” This method involves fishermen driving stakes into the sea and stretching seaweed nets between them, mimicking the natural growth of seaweed. By utilizing the tides, the seaweed absorbs nutrients from the water during high tide and is exposed to sunlight during low tide, making it resistant to disease and concentrating its flavor. “We must constantly manage the balance to ensure the seaweed doesn’t dry out too much or become too saturated with water,” says Matsumoto, who repeats this process daily, adjusting the height of the nets while monitoring the tides, and then travels four hours round-trip to deliver the freshly harvested seaweed to Tsuru-Kame Foods in Oita City.

Continuously moving forward, preserving Oita’s seaweed culture.

Such harsh, physically demanding work in the seaweed fishing industry is indeed a significant issue for the aging fishing community, but it is not limited to seaweed farming alone, according to Yukino. “In agriculture, fishing, and small-scale production areas, aging and succession issues are unavoidable challenges. That’s why we are committed to promoting the charm and deliciousness of Oita’s seaweed, raising its value, and hoping that this will contribute to solving these issues.” Creating high-quality products becomes an attraction that attracts successors. To transform the declining seaweed farming industry, it is essential to continue evolving and innovating.

While it is undeniable that sales declined during the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020, Tsuru Kame Foods turned adversity into opportunity by entering its signature product, “Tsuru Kame Nori Picking Seaweed,” into various contests. As a result, in 2022, it won the Excellence Award in the “Cooking Kingdom 100 Selection” and the Runner-Up Grand Prize in the “Eat Japan Delicious Award 2023.” The national-level awards have changed the speed at which customers accept their products. “While it is important to convey our dedication to our craft, winning these awards has significantly accelerated the pace at which customers take an interest in our products.” Though they have confidence in the taste cultivated over their long history, the awards have provided them with a tool to communicate their value to the world, thereby increasing their recognition.

“When Oita’s seaweed farming was at its peak, our history began. That’s why we feel a sense of mission to preserve this culture and continue Oita’s seaweed tradition as a company, and we want to incorporate that into our future product development,” says Yukino.

Born and raised in Oita, Tsuru Kame Foods’ seaweed, which is deeply rooted in the local flavor, is now spreading to dining tables across the country.

The post Tsuru Kame Foods: Connecting Oita’s seaweed and Japan’s seaweed culture to the future / Oita City, Oita Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Usa City in Oita Prefecture is famous for Usa Jingu Shrine, the head temple of Hachimangu Shrine. Yotsuya Shuzo, a sake brewery, is located in a good old fishing town surrounded by a rich natural environment of mountains, basins, and plains. How was “Kanehachi,” one of the most difficult shochu to obtain in Japan, born? We visited Mr. Takaaki Yotsuya, the fifth generation of the brewery, to learn about the roots of the shochu and his passion for it.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

History of Yotsuya Brewery

Yotsuya Brewery was founded in 1919. The founder “Yotsuya Kanehachi,” who was originally a fish market merchant, could not forget the taste of shochu he drank while running several private fish markets and touring various prefectures in Kyushu, and obtained a license for shochu as a side business. Today, Mr. Takeaki Yotsuya, the fifth generation to inherit the sake brewery, which has been in operation for over 100 years. His grandfather, the third generation, was killed in the war, and his father, the fourth generation, joined the brewery as soon as he graduated from high school.

From an aspiring businessman to a warehouseman

Takeaki grew up as the son of a sake brewer, but at the time he had no interest in the family business and went to university in the mathematics department of the Faculty of Science. He recalls that in the fishing town where he was born and raised, he had a yearning to be a businessman, something he rarely saw in his hometown. When he graduated, the world was at the height of the bubble economy. He started his life as a smooth sailing businessman as a system engineer at Matsushita Electric (now Panasonic). A few years later, he was put in charge of overseas operations and spent his days traveling back and forth between Singapore and Malaysia. He originally enjoyed drinking alcohol, but instead of the Japanese sake he was used to drinking, he became addicted to Western liquors such as bourbon, scotch, and wine, and enjoyed drinking alcoholic beverages from many different countries.

The turning point was “Iichiko

It was a smooth life as a salaried worker, but he was not finding satisfaction in his work. I found Iichiko, a barley shochu made by Sanwa Shushuizu, a sake brewer in my hometown of Usa, where I was born and raised, in the liquor section of a small Wal-Mart in front of the hotel where I was staying overseas.” I had a selfish thought in my mind that 30 was a turning point in my life, and the sight of Iichiko reminded me of my family’s shochu brewery. I thought to myself, “This is it, let’s go home! Mr. Takeaki says he had a sense of inspiration. That was the moment he decided to return home.

Homecoming and harsh reality

Although he returned home, Yotsuya Sake Brewery was barely keeping up with business. The number of employees and the number of stones produced were minimal. He recalls that he was concerned about whether he would be able to make it as a novice sake brewer, but he was more anxious to learn how to make sake first. His father, who had learned on the job rather than in theory, was the type who told him to learn his work on the job without any specific guidance. On the other hand, Takeaki, who was a system engineer with a science background, was a theoretical person who learned everything by logic. It was difficult for him to understand the “craftsman’s sense,” so he had to learn by himself from scratch. Although he did not know what was right and what was left every day, Takeaki showed the true nature of what he had learned from his science background. With a stopwatch in hand, he calculated the numerical values of all the processes involved in sake brewing, taking averages as he went along. He learned the basics of sake brewing from a book titled “Authentic Shochu Manufacturing Technology.”

“I want to make sake that I think tastes good.”

At that time, they were following the major manufacturers in the industry in terms of taste and pricing, so prices were uniform. There was also a tendency to sell only the lighter-mouthed types made with the same reduced-pressure distillation as the major players. In addition, the domestic self-sufficiency rate for barley, the raw material for shochu, was only a few percent, and more than 90 percent was imported. It was only 2-row barley, and “Usa Mugi,” Yotsuya Shuzo’s main product at the time, also used 2-row barley. Although sales were stable to a certain extent, about a year after returning home, Takeaki began to think about the flavor he wanted, saying, “I want to make sake that I like, not what we have now.

What made him realize this was the time he spent with his father over sake after work. As they discussed not only sake brewing, but also various other things, he decided to make not the easy-to-drink shochu that was the mainstream at the time, but a savory, deep-flavored shochu that he liked. His father’s message to him was, “It’s fine to make shochu, but you have to take responsibility for what you make,” and he began making it on a trial basis, which was the beginning of the shochu that would become Kakehachi.

Determination to use local barley to arrive at “Kanehachi”

That is how he started brewing sake in 2000. In his search for the flavor he wanted, Takeaki turned his attention to hadakamugi, or six-row barley, which had been planted in some rice paddies in the Usa Plain as part of a policy of reducing the amount of land devoted to rice cultivation. This barley, which is rare and rich in nutrients among barleys, is an ancient Japanese variety, and the company wanted to support local farmers by using this barley anyway. We decided to use locally grown Rokujo barley because we wanted to tell people that this barley makes a delicious shochu. Compared to 2-row barley, 6-row barley has smaller grains and lower starch content. This means that less saccharification takes place, and less alcohol is obtained. Therefore, it has been frowned upon in sake brewing, but in order to pursue the strong aroma that Takeaki wanted to produce, he began using it on a trial basis.

Because of his desire to value each grain of barley and his insistence on flavor, he also built an atmospheric distillation machine to his original specifications. After about two years of repeated trial and error, the sake was completed with a unique flavor that had never been tasted before. Takeaki says, “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t anxious. He gave up on the idea that he had no taste for sake brewing if this did not sell well, and out of his determination to change jobs, he named the sake Kanehachi, after Yotsuya Kanehachi, the founder of the Yotsuya Sake Brewery. This determination was the proof that he was not influenced by the trends of the times, and that he was committed to “making shochu that is not in the mainstream.

Newspaper article that led to the name “Phantom Shochu”

In 2002, Yotsuya Shuzo experienced a major turning point. Even though “Usa Mugi” was still selling better at the time, Kenpachi was ranked 10th in the “Shochu Recommended by Experts” section of the Nikkei newspaper. This was a bolt out of the blue for Takeaki, who knew nothing about it. Some of the respondents were not happy with the taste, saying that it tasted different from regular shochu, but those who preferred the taste greatly outweighed those who did not, and it became the talk of the town. This led to a jump in popularity for Kenpachi, and orders began pouring in from all over the country. Some drinkers think that “savory” means “burnt smell,” so most breweries tend to suppress this peculiarity, but Takeaki is different. I wanted to go all out with the savory flavor. I just prefer it this way. The result of his pursuit of this belief-like persistence has been well-received by the world, and the popularity of Kanehachi has been unwavering.

Development of “Toyonohoshi” barley for shochu

Even after “Kanehachi” became a hit, Takeaki’s challenges did not end there. As the chairman of the production technology committee of the Oita Prefecture Sake Brewers Association, Takeaki was also involved in the development of barley for use in shochu. In the past, imported 2-row barley was commonly known as “beer barley.” Because it was used under the leadership of beer brewers, there was an image in the industry that shochu was made from the same barley used in beer, and he felt frustrated by this. With this in mind, he launched a project with local breweries, and the result was a new variety of barley called Toyonohoshi. The city of Usa, rich in nature, has a mild climate with little rainfall, making it an ideal place to grow barley. Grown from scratch in Usa, TOYONOHOSHI is highly nutritious due to the soil, and has a sweeter and richer flavor than ordinary 2-row barley. Sake made with TOYONOHOSHI, which took about 10 years to develop, is branded with the name TOYONOHOSHI in the product name, regardless of which brewery it is made from. Naturally, Kenpachi also has a “Kanehachi Toyonohoshi” made with Toyonohoshi, and the yeast used is Oita Prefecture’s proprietary yeast for shochu, Oita Yeast, extracted from Oita Prefecture’s famous “kabosu” . It has a barley aroma with a tart kabosu flavor that lingers on the palate.

Yotsuya Shuzo, which aims to create “innovative and traditional shochu,” is not content to rest on its laurels with hit products, and is constantly developing new products. Takeaki smiles as he explains that the only thing keeping him going is his desire to “pursue the art of making shochu.

Sake, the pride of Japan and Oita, to the world

The word “SAKE” now means Japanese sake in foreign countries, and with the global boom in Japanese food, sake exports are also increasing. Shochu, however, is still on the decline. Shochu is a distilled liquor, and there is no custom overseas to drink distilled liquor as a food alcohol. The challenge for the future, says Takeaki, is how to convey the concept to Europe and the United States. When I was living in Singapore and told my friends that I was going back to Japan to make shochu, they didn’t understand the word “shochu.”
He also hopes to plant seeds that will make it easier for the next generation to express themselves in the future. By researching raw materials, barrels, and yeast, Takeaki hopes to create an environment where young juniors can be creative.

“I don’t need to be the final expression.”

With the confidence and accomplishments of the man who created Kanehachi, Yotsuya Sake Brewery is paving the way for the future of the next generation of sake brewers.

The post “Yotsuya Sake Brewery” continues to pursue the taste it believes in, valuing the spirit of creation and challenge / Usa City, Oita Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Hita City in Oita Prefecture, known as “Suikyo Hita,” is rich in water resources. The large temperature difference unique to the basin and abundant water resources flowing from the surrounding mountains make the area ideal for watermelon cultivation, as well as many other crops. Furiya Shigeishi Farm, which runs a watermelon farm in this area, is dedicated to quality and continues to pursue high sugar content and a crisp texture.

Making me love watermelon, which I don’t like.

Kimiaki Shigeishi runs Furiya Shigeishi Farm in Hita City, Oita Prefecture. He is a hope of watermelon farmers in Hita City, focusing on watermelons with high sugar content and good texture, and in recent years he has been making efforts to grow various varieties of watermelons.

His grandfather had a farm and grew watermelons there, so he was familiar with them, but no matter how many times he tried them, he never found them tasty. Therefore, when he took over the farm, he had no interest in watermelon cultivation and did not even think about trying it.

However, he happened to receive a seedling of watermelon from an acquaintance, and when he tried growing it, it was well received by everyone around him. This made him somewhat happy, and before he knew it, he had fallen in love with watermelon cultivation.

However, when Mr. Shigeishi started growing watermelons, his grandfather had passed away, and he had no idea what he was doing in this field. As an amateur, he was self-taught, reading reference materials and repeating trial-and-error.

Hita City itself is not as well known, shipped as much, or planted as many watermelons as other famous watermelon-producing areas in Japan. Therefore, he began to cultivate watermelons with the desire to deliver “delicious watermelons” and compete on the basis of quality.

Taste consisting of Chinese cabbage, soil and water

Furiya Shigeishi Farm has been growing watermelons for more than 20 years. It has become clear that “backcropping” is important for growing high-quality watermelons with high sugar content. Backcropping” means that after the main crop is harvested, a different crop is grown until the next planting. This process is done to prevent “row crop failure,” in which the same crop is grown continuously, causing the roots to become dense and the leaves and vines to wither. Here, Chinese cabbage is grown as a back crop for watermelon, which is a good match for watermelon. Planting Chinese cabbage in winter after watermelons have been grown in summer and fall has a positive effect on nutrition and maintains the balance of the soil. Another feature of Hita’s soil is that it is red soil that is highly fertilizable and drains well. While taking advantage of this, the farmers do not rely on chemical fertilizers as much as possible, but instead use cattle manure or green manure, which is grass used as fodder for cattle, to make the soil more fertile. The soil is improved by rotating the location of each field between watermelon, Chinese cabbage, and green manure, which leads to the creation of soil suitable for watermelons.

Agriculture possible in a town of water

Water is just as important as soil preparation. Not only watermelons, but all crops need to be well watered and irrigated at the right time, and Hita has long thrived on water. Hita Tenryosui, natural water pumped up from deep underground in Hita and rich in minerals, is synonymous with water.

The reason for this is that Hita is a basin surrounded by mountains such as Mt. Yufudake and the Kuju Mountain range, and there are many virgin forests remaining in the area. This is one of the reasons why the area has an abundance of clean, high-quality water.

This is a great ally for agriculture. However, in order to increase the sugar content of watermelons, it is important to cut off the water before harvesting. Cultivating watermelons in the open fields is not only difficult because of the need to control the amount of water, but also because of the weather conditions. It is also very difficult to control how the leaves and vines are formed,” says Shigeishi. Vine production is a major factor in producing high-quality watermelons, and the condition of the vines during the mating season will affect the harvest. If the vine is too weak, the vigor of the plant will be weak and the growth of the watermelons will be small. If the vine is too strong, the female flowers will not be full and fruit set will be poor. Mr. Shigeishi faces watermelons 365 days a year, battling the weather and smiling, saying, “The charm of farming is that you can’t make it perfectly.

To create a particular sugar content and crispiness

There are many varieties of watermelons, but the main variety handled at Furiya Shigeishi Farm is the Raoh brand, which was created as a new variety around 2016. The farm uses the “one plant, one fruit” cultivation method, in which only one seedling is harvested per plant to ensure that each seedling receives sufficient nutrients and sweetness. Although the number of shipments is not yet large, it has attracted attention for its delicious taste, and over the past few years it has been spreading across the country, becoming a hot commodity in the watermelon industry. The “Rao the Sweet,” with its high sugar content and crunchy texture, and the “Konjikirao,” with its high sugar content that changed the concept of yellow watermelons, are now the face of the farm. Watermelons found in supermarkets usually have a sugar content of 9 to 11 degrees, but Furiya’s watermelons have a sugar content of less than 12 degrees. They are known for their rich taste and sweetness right down to the rind.

Although there are individual differences, last year the highest sugar content was recorded at 17 degrees, which is comparable to that of high-end melons. The secret to this sweetness lies in the foundation of the grafted seedlings, called the rootstock. Normally, a rootstock is made to grow watermelons that are resistant to disease and pests. However, in order to maximize the rich flavor of the watermelon, the garden uses the rootstock of the watermelon itself for the crossbreeding process. This is extremely difficult and requires advanced cultivation techniques and a lot of time and effort, but the result is a richer taste and a mellower sweetness. In order to improve the quality of each individual watermelon, production is purposely reduced, and records are kept to keep track of which watermelons were planted when and how many days have passed. These meticulous efforts lead to the cultivation of high-quality watermelons.

In addition to the Luo Huang series, the company also produces the “Red Peacock” variety. Compared to the Rao Emperor, it is softer in texture and has a refreshing sweetness. Mr. Shigeishi says that the main reason for sticking to the Rao Kou variety is that it tastes good to him. In the past, soft texture was popular, but now more and more customers want a slightly firmer texture. We will keep an eye on the taste and texture favored by the times, but above all, we want to offer watermelons that we, the producers, like.” Mr. Shigeishi’s words are overflowing with his unsparing love for watermelons, as he says that the beauty of Rao’s watermelons is in the corners when they are cut due to their firmness.

The Dilemma of Shipping to Market

After much trial and error, “Furiya” watermelons finally achieved satisfactory quality. Today, Furiya is highly popular as a brand name watermelon, but he recalls that when he first started growing watermelons, his feelings were so strong that he almost broke down many times.

When shipping to the market, sugar content and other qualities are evaluated to some extent, but in the end, it is the price per kilo that counts. No matter how much attention we paid to quality and how satisfactory our products were, there were times when we questioned the fact that every farmer’s watermelons were put on the same footing. Even though we were particular about quality and worked hard, we were not rewarded. Such worries weighed heavily on Shigeishi’s mind.

Furiya’s watermelons are now ready to be chosen by customers.

Nevertheless, Furiya did not give up and continued to cultivate watermelons with persistence, and the results finally bore fruit more than 10 years later. Word of mouth spread from people who had tasted Furiya’s watermelons, and the company’s watermelons began selling one after another on its Internet site and at direct sales outlets, with people saying, “Their watermelons taste great.

The favorable sales on the Internet also enabled the company to hear directly from consumers about their recommendations and requests, creating a virtuous cycle that could be reflected in the cultivation of watermelons. Finally, the reputation spread nationwide, and Furiya Watermelon became the brand of choice.

This is how Mr. Shigeishi established his watermelon cultivation business. He has had a hard time getting people to understand his passion and commitment, but now that more and more people are demanding quality over quantity, and more people are finding his watermelons delicious, he feels that he has been able to brand his business. He is determined to try more varieties in the future and to convey the appeal of watermelons to as many people as possible. To achieve this goal, he said, it will be important to create an organization to nurture successors, including the incorporation of a corporation.

He hopes that one day, watermelons will be loved as the name of the variety, just like the Shine Muscat, for which demand continues to grow all over the world. And I want to increase the number of scenes of people eating watermelons with smiles on their faces all over Japan.”

Furiya Shigeishi Farm will continue to take on the challenge of growing watermelons that will be the choice of many people, and will continue to work toward the future that they have envisioned.

The post From Hita to Nationwide. Furiya Shigeishi Farm” brings smiles to people’s faces with watermelons. first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Oita Prefecture accounts for 95% of all kabosu production in Japan. People in Oita Prefecture use kabosu not only with meat and fish, but also in miso soup, alcohol, and noodles. Kabosu, which plays a supporting role in enhancing the flavor of various ingredients, is an indispensable seasoning for the Oita dining table. The “Oita Organic Kabosu Farm,” located in Usuki City on the eastern edge of Oita Prefecture, continues to grow this specialty fruit tree organically, without using chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

To make people more aware of kabosu

Kabosu has a long history in Oita Prefecture. It is said that a doctor named Sogen brought back seedlings from Kyoto. Today, kabosu is cultivated throughout the prefecture, and in Usuki City, a famous production center, there is a 300-year-old kabosu tree. Even today, there are old trees around 200 years old scattered throughout the prefecture, which are not found in other prefectures.

Compared to other citrus fruits, kabosu is still not well known. That was the starting point of my business. This was the starting point for me to start my own business,” says Tsuyoshi Kunieda, who runs an organic kabosu farm in Oita.

Mr. Kunieda was a salaryman in Tokyo, but when he was 35 years old, he made a U-turn to his parents’ hometown in Oita. At first, he lived as a part-time farmer while helping his parents run a kabosu garden, but when he turned 50, he decided to take over his family’s farm when the department of the company he worked for closed down. At this turning point in his life, he wondered what he could do now, and what came to mind was kabosu, which had been close to him since he was a child.

The organic world where I had the courage to step into.

When Mr. Kunieda started his farm, he gradually expanded his farmland by renting land that had been abandoned for various reasons, including the aging of the farmers. Although kabosu cultivation had always been popular in Oita Prefecture, he was faced with the reality that it was not enough to make a living. He then turned his attention to “organic cultivation,” a method of growing kabosu. Since he had been involved in organic farming for some time, he thought it would be a good idea to ship the resulting kabosu to the Kanto region. The fact that there were no other organic growers in the area was also a big trigger for him.

“If no one else is doing it, let’s do it.”

Some people around him thought that it would be difficult to grow organic produce without pesticides, but he believed in himself and took on the challenge.

“JAS Organic” Certification. Efforts to Make the Impossible Possible

Normal cultivation also uses herbicides and synthetic fertilizers. In human terms, it is like putting an intravenous drip into your body. It took a long time and a lot of determination to suddenly switch to organic cultivation after having grown trees that way before.” The challenge of going organic was not easy. He started by feeding the trees with organic fertilizer and letting the soil bacteria in the soil absorb the decomposition to create strong, immune trees. He did not cut all the weeds in the field, but instead nurtured the soil bacteria, and by making the soil soft, the trees absorbed the nutrients and grew leaves and fruit. Mr. Kunieda repeats this cycle, cutting weeds regularly, feeding compost, and letting nature take care of the rest, and the organic farming method is completed. The trees that were so fragile when he first started organic farming are now, 15 years later, growing freely and spontaneously. Some of the trees are over 40 years old. Mr. Kunieda hopes that the trees will live as long as possible, repeating the process of pruning them every year to stimulate their metabolism and produce new buds. He visits the fields every day with great love and hope for the kabosu.

Mr. Kunieda arrived at the path of organic farming through repeated trial and error. Since organic cultivation requires more time and effort than conventional cultivation, including field management, and there was no precedent in the industry, Kunieda went through many days of trial-and-error. His efforts were recognized in 2011 when he was certified as “JAS Organic,” a national standard set by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. This certification is given to foods produced by the power of nature without relying on chemical substances such as pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and Oita Organic Kabosu Farm is the only farm in Japan that is JAS certified for kabosu cultivation. Kunieda’s efforts to “do what no one else is doing” have borne fruit.

Difficulties in making a living from agriculture

For a while after he started organic farming, he had to struggle financially, but he paved the way with various innovations and ideas. With the recent increase in the number of organic-oriented people, the company has expanded its sales channels nationwide, including online sales, but things were not smooth from the beginning. Although the company has been expanding its sales channels nationwide through Internet sales, it was not smooth from the beginning,” said Mr. Kabosu. In addition, while agricultural cooperatives and markets set standards for the size of fruit and vegetables, many organic kabosu do not meet those standards because they do not use pesticides, so the company had to establish its own sales channels to make it viable.

He said, “It is not enough to make a living only by making products, but also by selling them. If you can’t make that mechanism work, you can’t make a living. I guess I was lucky. Mr. Kunieda smiles, but he is here today because of his efforts to develop sales channels while facing the Kabosu in the fields, rain or shine.

Both green and yellow. Love Kabosu in all its fullness.

Kabosu is in season twice a year,” says Mr. Kunieda.

The green kabosu, as it is commonly known, blooms in May and comes into season after the Bon festival in August. The green kabosu has a refreshing aroma, but from the end of October, it begins to turn yellow a little at a time, and is in season again around December. Commonly called “yellow kabosu,” it has more juice than summer kabosu, and its sweetness combined with moderate acidity makes it a perfect seasoning for winter nabe dishes and other dishes. Until about 15 years ago, yellow kabosu was thrown away because it was not attractive enough to sell. But we, the creators, knew how good it tasted, so we ate it ourselves.”

Oita Organic Kabosu Farm sells all of its kabosu, including yellow kabosu, as fruit and juice. Since the beginning of his farming career, Mr. Kunieda has been trying to change the current situation in which it is considered impossible to survive only by growing kabosu, so he decided to sell not only fruits and vegetables from August to December, but also fruit juice that can be sold year-round. He introduced a squeezer to produce a volume of juice that could not be achieved by manual labor up to that point. Bottles of 100% organic kabosu fruit juice are now being delivered throughout Japan.

Challenging the future with the potential of young people

With the aging of farmers in Oita Prefecture, the shortage of labor is a serious problem.

They also have to grow shiitake mushrooms, tobacco, and rice,” he said. Demand is there, but supply is not balanced, so it will continue to be important to secure the right staff.”

With young staff on board, the young people should be able to enjoy working and living in line with the times. Kunieda also hopes to create an environment where they can do what they love both publicly and privately. He also wants to create an organization that maximizes the talents and potential of young people, and is moving forward with an eye on the future. Mowing in the summer is very hard work, but I think it is good if there is joy in it,” he says. Cutting the grass gives us results and a tangible sense of satisfaction. I would be happy if all the staff could enjoy working together while cherishing that emotion.”

Most of the customers who seek Mr. Kunieda’s organic kabosu are repeat customers.

First of all, we have to let people know about our products. If they know how delicious it is, they will definitely come back.

Organic kabosu grown in Oita’s rich nature and with the love of Mr. Kunieda. The possibilities of organic kabosu, which is not only delicious but also safe and secure, are endlessly expanding.

The post Mr. Tsuyoshi Kunieda of “Oita Organic Kabosu Farm,” the only organic kabosu farm in Japan that continues to produce kabosu. first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Located in the northwest of Oita Prefecture, Hita City is rich in nature. Ceramic artist Osamu Mitoma uses the ash and soil of Hita to create glazes, crafting vessels that accompany people’s lives. Pursuing and expressing the “beautiful” and “charming” things born in everyday life, Mitoma continues to create.

Encounter with pottery

n 2007, Osamu Mitoma built a kiln in his hometown of Hita. He spent his high school years in Hita and, driven by a desire to study design, he enrolled in the Faculty of Education at Tokyo Gakugei University, majoring in art. At the time, he was interested in industrial design, such as cars, but during his university years, he encountered pottery in a class when he was struggling with his future, inspired by talented individuals. He became increasingly fascinated and immersed in its appeal. Kyushu, where he was born and raised, is also renowned for pottery. In Hita, there is the inherited tradition of “Ko-Onta Ware” and the internationally popular “Arita Ware” from Saga Prefecture nearby. Although the style of Mitoma’s work differs, pottery has always been familiar to him since childhood. The encounter between Mitoma and pottery, leading him to return to his hometown and establish a studio, may not have been entirely coincidental.

The fluctuations expressed in “Mold Making”

Mitoma’s primary technique is “mold making.” He creates vessels solely through molding or hand-building techniques, without using a potter’s wheel. Although he experienced using a potter’s wheel during university classes, he found it unsuitable because it takes several years to master the technique and there is often a significant gap between the ideal image in one’s mind and the actual outcome. To find his own style, he read various magazines and visited exhibitions, eventually discovering “mold making.” Around the same time, he had the opportunity to see the works of Living National Treasure Munemaro Ishiguro in Kyoto. Among his works were those made using molds, and Mitoma intuitively felt that “this is it,” which became the deciding factor. He then became an apprentice to a mold-making master in Kyoto and began to earnestly learn the craft.

“The nuances created by hand”

Mitoma’s process of creating pottery begins with sketching out his ideas and designing them. He shapes the clay into a prototype while comparing it to the three-dimensional image he has in mind, then takes a mold with plaster. By assembling and pressing the molds together by hand, he smoothens out each piece, particularly thinning out the mouth of the vessel significantly, which is one of his distinctive features. Moreover, he intentionally makes the base thicker to ensure a better feel when holding the vessel, with the center of gravity lower for a more comfortable grip. While this method is time-consuming due to its manual nature, he persists in it because it allows him to express the unique “fluctuations” inherent in mold making. Mold making involves tapping the material onto the mold, causing particles to scatter and irregularities to form, resulting in unpredictable movements after firing. While fluctuations can also occur when using a potter’s wheel, Mitoma believes that the relaxed rhythm, finger pressure, and time spent on mold making contribute to the distinctiveness of his work. The soft undulations and beautiful distortions that characterize the allure of Mitoma’s vessels are all born from the process of crafting everything by hand.

Committing to not being committed.

“Committing to the absence of commitment” is a key aspect of Mitoma’s creations, where no two pieces are ever the same.

During the mold-making stage, he consciously strives for precise and sharp forms, but as they undergo firing, they acquire a unique distortion and fluctuation, according to Mitoma. He smiles, noting how even the slightest pressure from his fingers can greatly influence the final outcome. “The unpredictability, the lack of control – that’s part of the joy of pottery. If everything turned out exactly as planned, from 1 to 100, it wouldn’t be as interesting,” he says. Initially, he aimed to create pieces exactly according to his designs, but over time, he began to appreciate the charm of things not going as planned. Moreover, while it’s said that vessels grow according to the person who uses them, Mitoma doesn’t adhere to strict rules about how ceramics should be. However, he does have one strong commitment: to glazes. Glazes, covering the surface of ceramics, produce various expressions during firing. Mitoma aims to create modest vessels using local natural materials, prioritizing simplicity.

“What I want to convey through glazes made from nature”

In the early days of his independence, Mitoma felt a strong urge to express his individuality through his work. He experimented with unconventional shapes and colors, even deliberately creating vessels that were impractical to use. During this time, he used commercially available glazes. However, an acquaintance requested a kyo-dzutsu (scroll case) to be made, and when Mitoma used natural ash he had received, he created vessels with a very gentle hue. The acquaintance remarked, “That glaze is the most ‘you,'” prompting Mitoma to shift towards natural materials such as natural ash. Even within the same type of wood, the color can vary between the trunk and branches. Additionally, different regions yield different nutrients in the materials. Furthermore, even with the same glaze, the firing method—whether reduction firing or oxidation firing—can greatly alter the outcome. The ever-changing expressions seen in pottery are its greatest allure, embodying Mitoma’s uniqueness.

Mitoma’s glazes are made by hand-crushing materials collected from local mountains, requiring a significant amount of time. As he handles every step of the process alone, his production is limited, earning him the reputation of being a “hard-to-find artist.” The meticulously crafted pieces, with their hues, gradients, expressions derived from glazes, distortions and fluctuations after firing, all become singular entities. They emit a unique aura that sets them apart and are beloved by those who seek individuality within simplicity, appreciating the delicate edges refined by omitting the unnecessary.

“Connecting and binding the emotions of the user.”

About 15 years ago, Mitoma began crafting Chinese tea utensils after meeting a tea master from Taiwan. He also traveled to China and Taiwan, where he was shown and allowed to use utensils from the Song and Ming dynasties by his teacher, an experience he found invaluable. “Viewing as many pottery pieces and artworks as possible contributes to experience and cultivates one’s eye. Utensils and teapots grow with use. One example is Japan’s unique cultural practice of ‘kintsugi,’ where rather than aging, items gain character through the act of mending,” he explains. Mitoma expresses a preference for genuine items, whether it be pottery, poetry, or sculpture. His creations, inspired by ancient artworks from China, Korea, Europe, and beyond, possess an originality that transcends any single pottery culture in Japan.

For Mitoma, moments of joy come from seeing something he finds beautiful, focusing on work during everyday life, and unexpected outcomes. “Encountering beauty or serendipitous creations amidst the monotony of daily life brings contentment. Maybe there’s no need for an artist’s assertion there,” he muses with a smile.

He aims not only to express his own feelings but also to create items that can reflect the emotions of those who use or view them. While saying this, Mitoma continues to craft beloved pieces that accompany people’s lives in his modest 5-tatami studio, day after day.

The post “Vessels grow according to the person who uses them.” – Ceramic artist Osamu Misugi, who continues to create unique works. first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Located in the southeastern part of Oita Prefecture, Usuki is a town with a cultural atmosphere, with the Usuki Stone Buddha, the first Buddha sculpture in Japan and the first sculpture in Kyushu to be designated a national treasure, and a castle town with a rich history. Fascinated by the pottery culture preserved in the unique atmosphere of Usuki, we visited Hiroyuki Usami, who has carved a new history for the town.

Culture of the town “Usuki

Usuki City in Oita Prefecture is a town with a rich natural environment and a variety of history and culture, including a castle town represented by the Niouza Historical Road. Among other things, it is widely known as a “food town” with products from the sea and the mountains. Typical examples are the miso, soy sauce, and sake brewing industries, in which people have preserved and improved on traditions. In 2021, the town was recognized as a member of the Food Culture Division of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for 2021 in recognition of the food culture that has been preserved. In 2021, Usuki was certified as a member of the Food Culture Division of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.　

About 200 years ago, in the late Edo period, potters from Shimabara (Nagasaki), Koishiwara (Fukuoka), and Komine (Miyazaki) were invited to Usuki to make ceramics and porcelain for the Usuki clan. Hiroyuki Usami, president of the “USUKIYAKI Laboratory,” has focused his attention on this mysterious ceramic culture.

The path to the establishment of the USUKIYAKI Research Institute

Mr. Usami first encountered pottery when he was in art school. He always wanted to combine art and pottery, which was his major since he was still a student, and work with them. After graduation, he returned to his hometown of Usuki, where he took over his family’s restaurant serving local cuisine, while at the same time working in tourism. While dealing with dishes, he came to know that there was pottery in his hometown that was dying out, and he thought, “I would like to combine my pottery skills with it and make Usuki’s unique brand even one step forward. At the same time, he also wanted to revive Usuki’s ceramic culture that had ceased to exist, so he established the “USUKIYAKI Laboratory” in 2015 with his friends who had been making pottery in Oita. The institute was born out of the desire to renew the pottery culture of Usuki that once existed, and to create it from scratch.

Neat and beautiful white porcelain ring flower

The pottery of Usuki, which ceased to exist after only a dozen years, was locally called “Suehiro-yaki” or “Sarayama-yaki” because the kiln at that time was located in the Suehiro Zempoji area (commonly known as Sarayama). The first “Suehiro (Sarayama) Pottery” Usami encountered was a small bowl just right for ice cream. The moment he saw the chrysanthemum-shaped white porcelain rinka, he was drawn to it. The culture of Usuki, where the spirit of “frugality and thrift” has been nurtured since ancient times, and the simple but elegant white porcelain rinka were intuitively suited to the image of the bowls they wanted to produce. Mr. Usami named the series “Usukiyaki” with his desire to develop a series of white porcelain ring and ridge flowers with traditional motifs of chrysanthemums and lotuses, and his wish for the revitalization of the local community of Usuki.

We want to create products that can be used and cherished for a long time.

The motif of “Usuki Pottery” is the rich nature in the town of Usuki. The inspiration comes from various things such as flowers and grass, wind, and landscapes consisting of the sea and mountains. The matte white color with beautiful shadows and shadows, and designs with modern arrangements of traditional motifs such as chrysanthemums and lotuses, which have taken root in Usuki since ancient times, are the characteristics of this pottery. Based on the few remaining materials and existing works, the pieces are made by a combination of katauchi molding, in which a mold is made by placing a raw clay sheet on a plaster mold and transferring it to the mold, and rokuro (a wheel) grinding. Since most of the work is done by hand, Usukine-yaki vessels are completed with a handmade texture. The use of a matte glaze gives the vessels a soft and comfortable feel when you hold them in your hands. Although it takes time to complete, the “USUKIYAKI Laboratory” uses limited resources with great care and spares no effort, aiming to create products that people will use for a long time. The products unique to this region, born from the abundance of nature, are only completed when both “makers” and “users” carefully nurture them.

A group of professionals who share the vision of “Usukine-yaki

The people behind “USUKIYAKI” are a group of professionals not only in ceramics but also in various other fields. The studio started with a small number of people, but now the number of staff has increased to two locations: “USUKIYAKI Laboratory” and “Atelier Sarayama”. The work is completed by a division of labor between locals, immigrants, and members of different generations, genders, and nationalities. If we made the work too difficult, we would not be able to increase the number of craftsmen, so we looked for a way to divide the labor, and we settled on the current method of “katauchi” (mold making). Mr. Usami, who started the institute with the desire to create pottery work in Usuki, is expanding the base of craftsmen’s activities by dividing the workload.

​​​​​​「うつわは料理の額縁」という信念

Usukine-yaki is a simple yet elegant dishware that adds color to dishes.

We are happy if Usukine-yaki is useful as a tool for spreading awareness of Usuki’s food,” says Usami. Usuki is a town that has established a soil cultivation center and produces compost for organic vegetables, which is rare in Japan. For this reason, many young farmers from all over Japan have moved to Usuki, saying they want to farm in Usuki. In order to promote such local efforts, Mr. Usami is introducing the taste of Usuki to people through “USAMI,” a local cuisine restaurant that offers creative dishes using locally grown organic vegetables, and “Sarayama Tea Room,” where seasonal sweets and authentic Chinese tea can be enjoyed.

He says, “A vessel comes alive only when it is used to serve food. The institute’s belief is that “a vessel is a frame for a dish. Usuki ware is born from people’s daily life and is used in their daily life. Usukine-yaki” is not only white and beautiful, but also has multifaceted charms such as its simplicity and usability that can be blended into any lifestyle.

Beyond “Usuki Ware

Mr. Usami says, “The most important thing I want to convey through ‘Usuki Pottery’ is to make people interested in the town of Usuki and visit there. What he wants to convey most through “Usuki Pottery” is that he wants people to be interested in the town of Usuki and to visit the place called Usuki.

While the number of visitors to Usuki decreased during the Corona Disaster after 2020, online orders for vessels increased. Although the timing was just right for them to consider overseas expansion, they found that they could display and ship their products and communicate with customers online without having to visit. On the other hand, they were so busy making orders that they were unable to fulfill their original wish of having people come to their hometowns and actually touch and see the vessels while they were selling them. This experience led him to seek a place not only for a store, but also for a place where people can have a relaxing experience of eating, drinking, and enjoying tea, and he completed “USUKI SARAYAMA,” a space for experiencing food and tableware. The space consists of a gallery where Usuki ware is exhibited and sold, an atelier where visitors can experience molding and metal-joining and observe the production process, a coffee shop, and a baked sweets studio, where visitors can experience “making, seeing, and touching”. Various events are held throughout the year where visitors can enjoy dishes and seasonal meals, creating a warm and welcoming place for new communication with customers.

Usami’s heart is always filled with the desire to “promote Usuki, a small town, to the whole country and to the world. The origin of his activities is the encouragement he received from people from Oita and Usuki all over the world when he started “Usuki Pottery”, and he wants to give back to them.

Usukine-yaki, which carries the feelings of people who love and live with Usuki, will continue to be connected to the world.

The post From the Town of Usuki to the World. The “USUKIYAKI Research Institute” to bring the fantastic pottery to the present day. first appeared on NIHONMONO.

The Saganoseki district in Oita City, Oita Prefecture, has long been a town with a thriving fishing industry. The area faces the Bungo Channel between Oita and Ehime prefectures, and the horse mackerel and mackerel caught there are named “Seki horse mackerel” and “Seki mackerel,” respectively, and are widely known as one of the best brand fish in Japan. What are the roots of “Sekiaji” horse mackerel and “Sekisaba” mackerel, which are born after passing a certain strict control process, and what are the thoughts of the people involved?

Brand-name fish from the Bungo Channel

The Bungo Channel, known as one of the best fishing grounds in Japan, is a sea area famous for catching a wide variety of high quality fish. Many fish and shellfish gather here in search of plankton generated by the collision of the nutrient-rich cold water of the Seto Inland Sea and the warm water of the Kuroshio Current from the Pacific Ocean. The area between the Saganoseki Peninsula and Cape Sada in Ehime Prefecture is called “Hayayasu no Seto,” where the tides are particularly swift.

One of the characteristics of horse mackerels and mackerels living there is that they do not mix well with fish from other areas of the sea and form independent schools. Because they grow strong in the swift tides, horse mackerels, for example, grow up to have small heads and fat bodies. Mackerel also have little interaction with other fish, so they contain almost no anisakis, a parasitic worm, and can be eaten raw. This is the origin of the name “Sekiaji” (horse mackerel) and “Sekisaba” (mackerel), which were regarded as exceptional by fishermen.

Rules for becoming a Sekiaji or Sekisaba

What makes Seki horse mackerel and mackerel different from ordinary fish? It begins with the requirement that the fish be caught only in the “Hayatsuki Seto,” and also with a series of rules that the Saganoseki Branch of the Oita Prefecture Fisheries Cooperative Association has adopted to ensure that the quality and freshness of the fish are maintained. This is true even when it comes to fishing methods. For example, net fishing, which is considered appropriate from the standpoint of efficiency, is not suitable in this region, where the tides are swift. The use of nets causes fish to rub against each other and against the nets, which results in damage to the fish and prevents them from maintaining their quality.

The reason for using “ipponzuri” is not only to ensure the quality of the fish, but also to protect the natural environment of the fishing grounds. The “Hayatsuki Seto” is not a large area, so fishermen do not catch large numbers of fish, but instead share the limited resources among themselves, thereby helping to protect the fishing grounds.

In addition, the fish that have just been caught are in a state of excitement, and if they are placed in the same tank as other fish, they will be harmed. While many people have the common image that “freshly caught fish tastes the best,” the fish are allowed to settle in order to eliminate lactic acid and stress substances, thereby increasing their umami content before being shipped out. Although this involves time-consuming and risky management, it is a process that has been followed for a long time in order to ensure thorough quality control, to maintain freshness, and above all, to deliver delicious fish.

We spare no pains to preserve freshness

The first step after returning to the fishing port is a process called “Tsurugai,” which is performed only by this fishermen’s cooperative in Japan. In this method, the fish caught by the fishermen are visually identified by the staff of the cooperative as soon as they are scooped into the boat’s fish tank with a ladle, and the fish are counted and priced in 100g increments. The fish are then weighed and purchased from the fishermen. This is a divine technique that can only be performed by staff members who are skilled in the art through their many years of experience. If the same process were to be done by machine, the fish would be severely damaged, and since the number of boats returning to the fishermen’s cooperative at the same time would be concentrated, the waiting time would be longer, further increasing the burden on the fish. All of this is done with the fish’s freshness in mind. After that, the fish must undergo a number of processes to maintain freshness, such as “kikkeshime,” which removes blood from the fish, and “neratori,” which delays rigor mortis for up to 12 hours. The fact that the entire process, from purchase to processing and shipping, is handled by employees of the fishermen’s cooperative, rather than fishermen, is also extremely rare in this industry.

Thus, the fishing grounds, fishing methods, fishermen’s affiliations, and processing methods are all regulated. Behind this was the desire to “stabilize the fishermen’s livelihood” as well as to maintain the quality of the fish.

A brand that continues to protect the fishermen for their livelihood

It was around 1990, between the Showa and Heisei eras, that Seki horse mackerel and mackerel were registered as trademarks and branded. The primary reason for the Saganoseki Branch of the Oita Prefecture Fishermen’s Association to go into full-scale business was to protect the livelihood of the fishermen. At that time, fishermen traded directly with local brokers, but prices varied depending on the timing of transactions. This also created problems for the fishermen’s income. They began to feel a sense of crisis that their catch was not being valued fairly, and set about establishing centralized rules to protect the fishermen’s livelihoods and the taste of the fish, as well as to maintain quality. The Sekiaji horse mackerel and Sekisaba mackerel branded in this way became the pioneers of branded fish in the Japanese fishing industry, not to mention their quality and taste.

The Sekiaji and Sekisaba brands were created by our predecessors. Now it is our mission to continue to protect them, and at the same time we are acutely aware of the difficulties involved.” Daisuke Takase of the Saganoseki Branch of the Oita Prefecture Fisheries Cooperative Association says. The introduction of a system that did not exist when the branding was first started has enabled the data to be converted from catch to wholesale, and the quality of the fish has improved dramatically, he says.

Passing on the culture of eating fish raw and connecting it to new successors.

On the other hand, the inevitable and serious issues are poor fishing due to climate change and the aging of the fishermen. Currently, there are approximately 400 fishermen belonging to this fishermen’s cooperative. The average age of the fishermen is 70 years old. Although this is an occupation that allows people to remain active in the sea throughout their lives, we cannot hide our surprise at the high age of the fishermen.

The aging of the population and the lack of successors are major issues not only in the fishing industry in Japan today, but also in agriculture and various other fields. In Japan, the culture of eating fish raw is deeply rooted, and we want people to eat fish raw anywhere in the country. To do so, we must insist on freshness. That should be the case not only for us, but for all fishing villages in Japan, but perhaps it is not being communicated well.” Mr. Takase says it is important to communicate more about the process of creating such brand-name fish, including the feelings of the producers. Simply by delivering tasty fish and increasing the number of people eating fish, we can give back to the producers. He went on to say that if the culture of eating fish in Japan could be rekindled, it would help solve the shortage of successors.

The taste produced by risking life and limb to fish, and the desire to deliver it

When you taste Seki horse mackerel or mackerel, there is none of the fish’s inherent odor, but rather a clear flavor with firm flesh elasticity and sweetness. This may sound exaggerated, but many people may overturn their previous concepts of horse mackerel and mackerel. This delicious taste is the result of efforts produced through thorough quality control and unique rules. Behind the scenes, Mr. Takase says, one must not forget the fishermen who put their lives on the line to protect this flavor. Ippon fishing is a one-man operation. Although there are many risks involved, the fishermen and everyone who works for the cooperative has a sense of mission to “deliver the best possible product to the customer” engraved in their hearts.

“It tastes best when eaten raw.”

Although it is difficult to make a general statement depending on the region and fishing method, the price of Seki horse mackerel and mackerel is two to five times higher than that of commonly available horse mackerel and mackerel. The delicious taste that cannot be replaced by the price, the reliable quality, and the pride of the fishermen are the reasons why they have been loved by many people for more than 30 years since their birth.

The possibilities of Oita’s pride, Sekiaji and Seki Saba, will continue to expand endlessly while preserving and evolving its history.

The post Oita’s Sekiaji horse mackerel and Seki mackerel “Oita Prefecture Fishery Cooperative Association”, Saganoseki Branch first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Sanwa Shuyu produces many products, including its flagship barley shochu “Iichiko”, sake “Waka Botan”, and “Ajimu Wine”. Sanwa Shuzo aims to create higher quality products while paying close attention to raw materials and production methods. What are the new challenges they are tackling at the place where they started and where they are aiming to go as a company?

Sanwa Sake Brewery’s origins in sake

Iichiko” is so famous that it is no exaggeration to say that it represents barley shochu in Japan. Everyone has probably seen or heard of it at least once. The headquarters of Sanwa Shuyu, which manufactures the shochu, is located in Usa City in the northern part of Oita Prefecture. With a population of approximately 50,000, it is not a large town in Oita Prefecture, but it is surrounded by lush green mountains and has the largest area of rice and wheat paddies in the prefecture, which are actively farmed.
The town is surrounded by lush green mountains and has the largest area of rice and wheat paddies in the prefecture, making it a thriving agricultural area. However, it is probably not widely known that Sanwa Shuzo also produces sake and wine.
Sanwa Shuzui’s first product was not shochu, but sake, and the company’s second product after sake was wine. After sake, Sanwa Shuzui then began producing wine. Even today, the company is said to refer to Waka Botan as the father, Ajimuin Wine as the mother, and Iichiko as the son.

As a means for Usa Hirano breweries to compete with major brands.

The company was started in 1958. The history of the company dates back to 1958, when three breweries in the Usa Plain, where there were many sake breweries, Akamatsu Honke Brewery, Kumano Midou Brewery, and Wada Brewery, each of which brewed sake, collaborated to improve their business situation, which had deteriorated due to the spread of major brands such as Nada and Fushimi. The three companies joined forces to improve their business situation, which had deteriorated due to the spread of major sake brands such as Nada and Fushimi. The following year, Nishi Shuzojo was added, but the management strategy was to focus on brands that were well known in the local market, rather than developing multiple brands in the dark.
However, it was difficult for the four companies to produce sake with the same taste, aroma, and quality. Therefore, at that time, each of the four breweries blended their own sake and bottled it to be sold under the Waka Botan label. However, it was still difficult to make a living only by brewing sake, so in addition to growing mandarin oranges, which were also thriving in Usa City at the time, in 1966, a national pilot project to develop farmland led to the growth of grape growing in Ajimuin Town, adjacent to Usa City, and the company decided to use its idle breweries and create year-round jobs. In 1971, the company obtained a license to produce fruit wine with a view to utilizing its idle warehouses and creating year-round jobs. The company also began producing wine. Of course, none of his businesses was an immediate success, but he never gave up and continued to take on new challenges.

Background of the birth of “Iichiko,” the company’s most important product

Thus, about 20 years after its founding, the company added wine brewing to its sake business, and the barley shochu “Iichiko” was born. As a sake brewer, the company had already been producing rice shochu and sake lees shochu, but had not yet begun work on barley shochu. However, Nikaido Shuzo, also located in Oita Prefecture, created an authentic 100% barley shochu, which became a big hit, and all the companies in the prefecture began to pay attention to shochu made with barley. Of course, the company followed this trend and began to develop its own barley shochu.

Incidentally, since Oita Prefecture is characterized by a two-crop Seto Inland Sea climate, barley has long been cultivated in Usa City as well. The city also has a food culture that uses barley miso, and has a unique technique for making koji with barley instead of rice, so barley is a familiar ingredient. However, compared to sake brewing, shochu production has not been a major focus, so it was necessary to update the production technology.
Sanwa Shuzui therefore hired Masahiko Shimoda, who had extensive knowledge as a sake brewing engineer, as the production manager in order to build a technological foundation, including research. Under Mr. Shimoda’s direction, the company began full-scale shochu production utilizing koji making and fermentation techniques. Shimoda’s shochu was well received because of his focus on koji and his pursuit of a clean, easy-to-drink taste, but it was not easy to produce it in a stable and reproducible manner, so he spent many years conducting research on stabilizing and equalizing the taste.

Aiming for distilled spirits unique to Japan, with a focus on koji

The company believes that it is important to determine the suitability of koji for the distillation method of shochu. The company takes pride in the fact that it has been making sake since before it was founded, and it is very particular about the use of koji. For example, there are two types of distillation methods: reduced-pressure distillation, in which distillation is carried out at low pressure to retain a high level of flavor and aroma, and normal-pressure distillation, in which the flavors of the ingredients are brought out through a traditional method. Mr. Shimoda has blended the two to bring out the best flavor. He has mastered barley koji in order to maximize the fermentation technique using koji for both reduced-pressure and normal-pressure distillation, and has refined his techniques with the belief that he must “be even one millimeter better than the competition.
The culmination of their efforts was “Iichiko,” which was born in 1978. The shochu boom at the time of its release helped, and Shimoda’s insistence on a clean, refreshing taste was widely supported by the public, making it an instant hit. Mr. Shimoda, who contributed greatly to the development of the product, is currently the chairman of the company.
Having continued to refine the quality of its products, the company’s next goal was to create branding for consumers. To this end, the company asked art director Hideya Kawakita, also from Fukuoka, Kyushu, to do everything related to PR, from bottle design and sales promotion posters to catch copy and commercials. This worked well, and Iichiko’s visuals and copy remained in the minds and memories of those who saw them.
The “Flask Bottle” and “Special,” both of which he designed, won the Good Design Award. The combination of the quality-oriented contents and sophisticated design made Iichiko’s popularity unshakable.

Karashima Kyokunokura” from Usa City, the nation’s first “special sake zone”.

The new base of operations for Sanwa Sake Brewery is “Karashima Kuukunokura”.
Since Usa City was the first city in Japan to be designated as a “Sake Special Zone,” the company opened this facility in 2022 with the desire to “convey the culture of koji and fermentation from Usa to the world,” which it has cherished since its establishment. The facility is a place where visitors can experience the fun of sake brewing, koji and fermentation culture, and enjoy hands-on programs such as brewery tours and sake tasting. Sanwa Shuzo is not just about ‘Iichiko. We want many people to enjoy this place where they can have various conversations with the brewers. I want people to feel that Sanwa Sake Brewery is interesting.” Mr. Shimoda says that he has put everything he wants to do into the Karashima Kukunokura.

The location is the site of the former head office, not far from the head office. The land is filled with the thoughts and feelings of the founder and all those who have been involved with Sanwa Shuzo. It is an expression of the company’s challenge to build a new history on the foundation of the traditions and thoughts of the brewers and producers that have been preserved since the company’s establishment in 1958.

Returning to the starting point and proposing new values for sake

The facility includes a “barley brewery” that makes happoshu (sparkling wine) and a brewery that is considered a “rice brewery” that handles sake. Both are surprisingly small, but Koji Furuya, the head of the brewery, says that they were all created for the sake of the customers. Koji Furuya, the head of the brewery, says, “It is important for people who come here to see and touch the actual process of making sake, and to become interested in it. There are not many places where you can talk with the sake brewers, so we want to propose sake from a variety of perspectives that only we can offer. The new restaurant will return to Sanwa Sake Brewery’s origins in sake, and at the same time, it will be a place where the company can express its gratitude to its customers.

With this in mind, the company plans to offer sake made to order. They are also considering having users actually participate in the sake brewing process by shaking the koji, or even better, by making koji together. This is a bold challenge for a company to take on, even if it is to increase the number of new sake fans. There is no end to the ideas that only a small brewery can come up with. However, this is where their own skills are needed. In order to realize a complete order, Mr. Furuya hopes that people will first come into contact with sake, which has a strong image of being sacred, and become familiar with it, even though every day will be a continuous learning process. He also expressed his gratitude for the fact that the brewery is located in Usa City and for the local spring water and rice, and his hope that the sake brewing process will make the most of the local flavors and appeal to many people.

Challenges as a complex alcoholic beverage manufacturer continue.

The catchphrase is “Iichiko, it’s a gentle intoxication.
Since 1993, Sanwa Shuzui has been advocating through its advertisements the enjoyment of pleasantly tasting alcoholic beverages and moderate drinking that suits one’s needs. These days, the amount of alcohol consumed is decreasing around the world. Sanwa Shuzo respects the individual’s way of enjoying alcoholic beverages, and would like to offer customers a moderate way to enjoy alcoholic beverages, rather than a quantity. Mr. Shimoda says, “Our mission is to provide our customers with a sense of satisfaction that cannot be compensated for by quantity. The clear, full, delicate flavor of Iichiko is inspired by the brewing of sake, which the company has been making since before it was founded, and is ideal as a conversation-stimulating food sake. Sanwa Shuzu will continue to take on new challenges while respecting the spirit and regional characteristics of each product, its diversity and tastes, and above all, its “people.

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Oita Prefecture is one of the top producers of shiitake mushrooms in Japan. While 90% of shiitake mushrooms sold in supermarkets are artificially cultivated and harvested in stable amounts, Kawai-gumi Co. What is the background of their efforts and their hopes for the future of shiitake cultivation?

The Roots and History of “Oita Prefecture x Shiitake Mushrooms”

Its history dates back about 400 years from now. It began in the Edo period, when Oita Prefecture was called “Bungo no Kuni,” when a man called Genbei discovered shiitake mushrooms that originated from naturally fallen trees. The fact that the process was studied and started artificially and has been handed down to the present, and the fact that sawtooth oak trees, which are indispensable for shiitake cultivation, are abundant in Oita Prefecture, is one of the reasons why the prefecture is a major producer of shiitake mushrooms. In particular, Oita Prefecture accounts for about half of the nation’s production of dried shiitake mushrooms, ranking first in terms of production in Japan. Not only in terms of production volume, but also in terms of quality, Oita has won the group championship for 24 consecutive years (as of August 2023) at the National Dried Shiitake Mushroom Fair, in which shiitake mushroom producers from all over Japan exhibit their products.

Among the shiitake producers in Oita Prefecture, Kawai-gumi Corporation, which also operates as a construction company, is one of the most highly regarded shiitake producers in the prefecture and beyond for its commitment to producing high quality shiitake mushrooms.

What is the background of a construction company that started shiitake mushroom cultivation?

Today, the company also operates a construction business and an industrial waste disposal business. There were various reasons behind the company’s decision to start shiitake mushroom cultivation. Kiyoshi Kawai, chairman of the board, is now 75 years old. He started growing shiitake mushrooms about 15 years ago when he retired. He recalls that at first it was just a hobby, but he was born and raised as a shiitake mushroom farmer. He grew up with parents who were shiitake mushroom growers, and he has witnessed their way of life. Although he had to take a detour to work for a construction company he started on his own, he felt that he must not lose his parents’ love for shiitake mushrooms, which had nurtured him, so he decided to start growing shiitake mushrooms in 2008. As one would expect from a shiitake farmer with such a strong bloodline, the actual process is quite deep once you get into it. However, the more he got into it, the more he felt that he could no longer do it as a hobby. Thus, the production scale of shiitake mushroom cultivation, which he had been engaged in as an individual, expanded unexpectedly, and about three years after the start, he formed a cooperative with his friends who were engaged in log shiitake mushroom cultivation and made it a full-fledged business. They began shipping fresh shiitake mushrooms to the Kyoto market, an activity they continue to this day. Dried shiitake mushrooms, which had been a hobby at the time of its establishment, began to win prizes at product fairs only three years later. Perhaps it is the nature of the construction industry, but he has not skipped a single detail of the shiitake cultivation process, from the construction of the hodgepodge to the harvesting of the shiitake mushrooms, and he is a late-blooming rookie who is growing remarkably, winning the highest award at the National Dried Shiitake Mushroom Fair, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Award.

Why we insist on log cultivation

Kawai-gumi’s “log cultivation” is a time-consuming and labor-intensive cultivation method. The process begins with cutting down sawtooth oak trees that are suitable for shiitake cultivation in terms of bark thickness, quality, and production volume, and it takes about two years until the actual harvest. The key is the “hodagi,” which is made by planting the fungus that will become the source of shiitake mushrooms in the cut down sawtooth oak trees. The wood is then placed in a well-ventilated place for about one and a half years, covered with dead leaves and other materials to prevent it from being exposed to too much sunlight. In shiitake cultivation, which requires moderate humidity, direct sunlight is the biggest enemy, as it also causes dryness. Temperature control is also an important part of the process, as growing shiitake mushrooms at the proper temperature (15 to 25 degrees Celsius) is the key to producing fine shiitake mushrooms, but this is a rather high hurdle for natural log cultivation. The main management method is to cover the hodagoki with branches and leaves to avoid direct sunlight, and to ventilate the area by cutting weeds around it. He is especially careful during the high temperatures of summer, but he says that sometimes this does not work out well when dealing with nature. If you can produce good hodagaki, you can produce good shiitake mushrooms,” says Kawai. Until the harvest is complete, he says, he is in a constant battle with the natural world, paying close attention to the climate and temperature day and night.

In recent years, due to the effects of global warming, they are often plagued by the growth of bacteria stronger than the shiitake mushroom fungus. Even on the same mountain, shiitake mushrooms are produced differently depending on the location and environment, so it is a constant process of trial and error as he changes the suitable location from time to time, but Kawai says with a smile that this is also the fun part of shiitake mushroom production.

In this way, the natural temperature and humidity must be controlled for optimum growth. It is a time-consuming and labor-intensive production method. This method also makes it impossible to be careless about high temperatures in the summer due to recent climate changes. Because of the influence of the climate, it is impossible to promise stable shipments throughout the year, as is the case with shiitake mushrooms grown in the mycorrhizal beds, but the log shiitake mushrooms grown in the wild have such high rarity value and produce an outstanding taste. The time spent on shiitake mushrooms produces densely packed shiitake mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms harvested in the middle of winter are said to be like abalones. On the other hand, shiitake mushrooms are grown indoors in an air-conditioned shiitake mushroom bed, which takes about six months to harvest. Because they are easy to grow and can maintain a stable harvest, most of the shiitake mushrooms we usually see in supermarkets are mycorrhizal shiitake mushrooms. They have a good texture and do not have a strong taste or aroma, making them easy to eat even for those who do not like them, and they can be easily incorporated into dishes. Although there are differences depending on the cultivation method, the greatest appeal of log shiitake mushrooms comes from their taste, texture, and aroma. The difference is obvious when you taste them. The thick and resilient shiitake mushrooms can be used in a variety of dishes depending on the cooking method. The possibilities are endless, not only in Japanese cuisine, but also in Italian and French cuisine.

Sustainable, recycling-oriented cultivation that grows with nature

Since the beginning of his business of growing log shiitake mushrooms, Mr. Kawai has had one belief in mind. This belief stems from the environment in which he was born and raised.

He says, “The reason we have sawtooth oak trees and are able to grow shiitake mushrooms now is because of our predecessors. That is why we want to do the same for the next generation, and that is what we are doing now.”

With this desire in mind since the beginning of shiitake mushroom cultivation, the company began by improving the environment of the satoyama. Taking advantage of their strength as a construction company, they used state-of-the-art construction equipment to cut down the trees. In addition to environmental improvement, the company is also committed to environmental protection. For example, instead of discarding old hodagaki trees, the company crushes them and composts them for reuse. The naturally fermented compost, which is made from bamboo and wood, is all data-controlled and used by local farmers, and the vegetables grown with the compost are shipped as products. The compost is also used to prevent damage to the forests by wild boars and other animals.

This recycling-oriented cultivation is a unique cultivation method that is not practiced anywhere else in Oita Prefecture. Kawai-gumi’s approach to this sustainable cyclical cycle is to “return everything to the natural world. In 2020, Kawai-gumi received the Prime Minister’s Award at the 59th Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Festival in recognition of the quality of its shiitake mushrooms as well as its efforts to preserve the satoyama, with an eye toward the future of shiitake mushroom producers.

Shiitake Mushroom Culture’s Challenge for a New 100 Years

Mr. Kawai says he not only wants to continue to protect Oita’s dried shiitake mushroom culture, which has continued for more than 100 years since the establishment of the Oita Prefecture Shiitake Mushroom Farmers Association, but also to create a new 100 years. He has expanded his network to the extent that he now ships fresh shiitake mushrooms to Nagoya, Kagoshima, and Kumamoto as well, but there is a fear of mold in the fresh state. After much trial and error, he came up with the idea of “frozen shiitake mushrooms. The idea of frozen shiitake mushrooms was born out of a trial-and-error process to find a way to deliver them in good condition to a large number of people. The best part is that the shiitake itself is said to have a much more concentrated flavor. The frozen shiitake mushrooms are now being served at “Zarai Oita,” Oita Prefecture’s antenna store in Tokyo’s Yurakucho district, and have been well received. The company is currently making the mushrooms in an in-house freezer about 3.5 square meters in size, but they are planning to expand it this year and next.

Mr. Kawai says that the freezing method is something he realized only because he entered the industry from a different field. Mr. Kawai says he hopes that the freezing method will help farmers reduce various risks in the management of their business, which is said to be difficult for shiitake mushroom cultivation alone. What do the young people of today want and need? Actively incorporating the opinions of people of different ages will lead to the next 100 years of shiitake culture in Oita Prefecture.

Toward a New Shiitake Mushroom Production Future

Currently, the average age of shiitake mushroom producers in Oita Prefecture is said to be 75. The aging of the farming population is causing concerns about a decline in production, but the Kawai-gumi’s challenge is not over. The Kawai-gumi is always thinking of new ways to make shiitake mushrooms, and is taking on new challenges. At the same time, the company is always looking to the future while preparing its personnel structure by actively accepting young trainees who will become successors to the shiitake industry.

Mr. Kawai hopes that many people will try and appreciate his shiitake mushrooms. The ideal situation would be for the shiitake mushrooms to be recognized not only in Oita Prefecture, but throughout Japan by a wide range of people of all ages, which would naturally lead to profits. Based on the knowledge and wisdom of shiitake production passed down from their ancestors, the Kawai group is creating a new form of shiitake production that has never existed in Oita Prefecture before. They will continue to face shiitake production with their own beliefs while protecting the earth and its natural ecosystem.

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Taking advantage of micro-organisms in soil

Enzyme farming is a method which utilizes the catalytic action of naturally existing enzymes. It is the latest in organic farming, in which the activity of billions of micro-organisms in the soil are affected by the enzymes they produce themselves, enhancing their function in the ecosystem and vitalizing various enzymes. In other words, crops are given enzymes, liquid manure and water infused with micro-organisms, to reduce the need for agrochemicals and chemical fertilizers. This method is not widely known in Japan, but it is already an established method commonly implemented in Europe and America. Crops grown using the enzyme method are said to grow stress free and remain healthy.

Onion that is the apple of his eye?

Nakata visited Fumimasa Nishi’s farm in Ogata, Oita in order to learn his technique. Nishi uses compost rich with nutrients for the microbes to feed on. By allowing the soil and compost to ferment together, he is able to grow safe and delicious vegetables. He grows tomatoes and eggplants in greenhouses, eggplants and onions outdoors, and also grows rice and breeds cattle.
Nishi’s vegetables are very well known by the locals for their delicious taste. Nakata tasted a tomato and raw eggplant. Both were very sweet and absolutely delicious. While there are factors such as the soil and environment that may or may not be suitable for enzyme farming, it would be great if more farmers practiced this type of farming.
Nishi handed Nakata a slice of onion and told him that it would not make his eyes water, even if it touched his eyes directly. Nakata was skeptical, but found that it really didn’t sting.
Nishi told us he valued the importance of ”giving water, nutrients and oxygen to the crops when they needed it and in the amount that was needed, to keep the microbes active. This would prevent the growth of harmful pathogens, and the power of the soil would naturally nurture sturdy crops.” This method grows safe, nutrient-rich, and delicious produce.

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