Text Size largest larger medium (normal) smaller smallest Back number Vol.1 Vol.2 Vol.3 Vol.4 Vol.5 Vol.6 Vol.7 Vol.8 Vol.9 Vol.10 Vol.11 Vol.12 Vol.13 Vol.14 Vol.15 Vol.16 Vol.17 Vol.18 Vol.19 Vol.20 Vol.21 Vol.22 Vol.23 Vol.24 Autumn is the best season for delicious food. Rice, meat, fruits, tea—this time we came to Kitsuki looking for the richest food. Our guide is Joanne Tomooka, who lives Yamaga in the town of Kitsuki. I wonder what side of Kituski she’ll reveal to us. Joanne Tomooka I love everything about Kituski—its natural setting, kind people, long history… Mr. Honda retired from the Yamaga town hall four years ago. Now he works entirely in agriculture, cultivating rice and Easter lilies. Yamaga’s nationally renowned Easter lilies are distributed to markets within and outside of the prefecture. Kaze no Furusato Market Matai, Kuranari Aza Kitsuki City Tel/ 0977-75-1024 Hours: 8:00AM – 5:00PM open year-round Welcome to Kitsuki! I am your guide Joanne Tomooka. I am looking forward to rediscovering Kitsuki’s greatest charms with you. Kitsuki is the home of many delicious foods, but the first one I want to introduce is the rice in Yamaga where I live. When I first came to Japan, I thought, “Is there really a difference in the way rice tastes?” But when I tried Yamaga rice I realized how different it was from other rice. Yamaga rice is really good! I asked rice producer Honda Yoshito about the secrets behind that goodness. “Yamaga is a town with lots of farm animals. What to do with all their excrement has been a problem. That’s when I thought of the idea to use it as a compost fertilizer. That idea is now realized in the fertilizer center, “Yamaga Green Eco-land.” Since we started using the fertilizer made there the soil became richer, and the rice in Yamaga became even tastier.” Mr Honda is aiming for a future when rice is produced using absolutely no chemical inputs. “I am the happiest when I can harvest rice that I’ve raised with my own bare hands,” said Mr. Honda, smiling. I sensed in that smile the love that farmers here pour into their rice. It seems to be another reason behind Yamaga rice’s deliciousness. Yamaga’s organic rice “Hi no Hikari”(“Light of the sun”) is also very popular at the “Kaze no Sato Market,” where agricultural goods are sold directly to consumers. In New Zealand, red meat was the predominant meat, so I didn’t take a liking to the fatty meat that is so common in Japan. However, Japan’s tender beef is perfect it turns out that for things like sukiyaki, nikujaga, and yakiniku. Yamaga’s beef is on a different level of deliciousness than beef elsewhere. It’s tender and juicy, and above all, safe. I have learnd that cattle raising in Yamaga was started by the “six samurai,” one of whom was Mr. Masaru Abe, in 1975 with the help of subsidized monetary support. Mr. Abe and other cattle raisers studied independently with the hope of making beef even tastier. They were eventually able to sell their healthily fed cows at the coop, complete with pictures of their faces on the package. Having preceded “vegetables with a friendly face,” Yamaga beef has also established a reputation in and outside of the town for being not only delicious but safe, since you can see the beef producer’s face on the package. Yamaga beef is a true local product—the cattle are not only born and raised in Yamaga but also eaten by Yamaga’s citizens. Nowadays, consumers traveling to Yamaga with the single aim of buying Yamaga beef are increasing. I’m one of many big fans of Yamaga beef. If you ever come to Kitsuki City you should by all means try it out, and spread the word! Mr. Masaru Abe is one of a number of producers who researched fragrance and flavor, creating the delicious Yamaga beef. “We make safe reliable beef, keeping in mind the needs of our customers,” says Mr. Ryuichi Abe, successor of the business. Mr. Abe administers his farm and raises his 100 cows with his two sons. As the name suggests, this is a place where agriculture, culture, and recreation are brought together as one. You can find your own way to relax here by becoming intimate with nature, experience first-hand agricultural processes, or even camp out. There are restaurants and souvenir shops inside its facilities, so you can have fun all day. Also, many culture workshops and season events are held here, so make sure to check the home page first. Oita Agriculture and Culture Park 1 -1 Hisashi Yamaga Town, Kitsuki City Tel/0977-28-7111 Fax/0977-28-7119 Park Hours: • normal hours (March - June, October – November) 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM • summer hours (July – September) 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM • winter hours (December – February) 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Closed Dates: Tuesday, every week (closed the following day when Tuesdays coincide with national holidays), Janurary 1st. Special Open Days: Golden Week, and from July 21st to August 31, park is open on Tuesdays http://www.oita-agri-park.or.jp/ Kitsuki’s mikans (citrus fruits similar to mandarin oranges) and tea leaves are born from fertile land and a characteristic warm climate unique to the inland sea region. Kituski’s tea leaves are known to be safe and healthy, being the first leaves in the nation to be washed with water post-harvest. Kistuki’s house mikans are also popular due to their perfect blend of sweet and sourness. When you visit Kitsuki, help yourself to these perfect souvenir presents. The Shirahigetawara Shrine is the one and only shrine in Kyushu that has a sake-brewing permit. Conducted at the shrine every fall, the Doburoku Festival started in the western calendar year 710. It celebrates a bountiful harvest for the present year and prays for a bountiful harvest in the next year. The unrefined sake, made from newly harvested rice, is placed on the alter and then given to all the shrine’s visitors. It is said that when you drink the doburoku you can spend the following year free from sickness. Copyright(c) 2007 Oita Prefecture. All rights reserved.