Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association 20th Anniversary Celebration 2025 - With gratitude for the enormous power of the small Kurosengoku, which can be said to be a microcosm!

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

A celebration to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Kurosengoku Business Cooperative was held at Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen from 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, 2025.

Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association 20th Anniversary Celebration

A total of 63 people, including Kurosengoku producers and traders from all over Hokkaido, Aomori, and Tochigi prefectures, looked back on the 20-year history of the product and shared their great gratitude and excitement with everyone.

Moderator: Kimura Mitsue (Miyan)

The event will be hosted by Kimura Mitsue (nickname: Mi-yan).
Mi-yan is in charge of the food corner of HBC Radio, "DJ Dosanko Food Hunter." He is active all over Hokkaido as a Hokkaido food master, cooking instructor, and rural cuisine researcher!

Miiyan and Kurosengoku first met over 10 years ago!

Mi-yan was an excellent host, smoothly managing the event and even interviewing participants along the way to liven up the atmosphere!

This time, he not only acted as the host, but also produced the Kurosengoku soybean course meal.

Commemorative photo before the opening

Opening remarks: Masaaki Tsuji, Executive Director

Executive Director Masaaki Tsuji gave the opening address at the 20th Anniversary Ceremony.

Certificate of commendation presented by the Hokkaido Federation of Small and Medium Enterprise Associations

The certificate of commendation was presented by Kenichi Taguchi, Section Chief of the Hokkaido Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises Associations (read by Chairman Hideki Takahashi).

Excellent Association Award: Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association

The certificates were presented in recognition of the Kurosengoku Business Cooperative's achievements in strengthening the unity of its members, strengthening the organization, and developing its business.

Union Achievement Award: Yukio Takada, Hiroki Matsumoto, Katsuhiro Nagai, Kazuo Kimura, Masaaki Tsuji, Hiroaki Ito

Hiroki Matsumoto accepted the certificate on behalf of the six award recipients.

Greetings from Chairman Yukio Takada

"I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone. Twenty years have passed quickly, and it is thanks to all of you that we are here today. Looking at the faces of those who participated, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you.

We would also like to thank today's host, Mi-yan, also known as Kimura Mitsue, for her wisdom and assistance in creating today's Kurosengoku series menu.

The fact that we are able to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association today is thanks to the powerful words of our late former chairman, Nobuo Murai, who said, "Grow beans that people will eat and buy," and to the fact that we have been able to produce Kurosengoku soybeans together with everyone for 20 years. We are truly grateful. Thank you very much.

We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Sambuichi for his many years of hard work and dedication to improving the varieties.

Furthermore, we are truly grateful to our wholesalers, Azuma Foods' natto, and other processors' tea and soybean flour, which have provided us with delicious products that consumers enjoy, allowing us to continue for 20 years.

The most memorable experience to date was being selected as an excellent example at the 5th Discover Treasures of Rural Areas event hosted by the Cabinet Secretariat and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2018.

The ceremony to receive the certificate of selection was held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence, and I will never forget the photo I took with then Prime Minister Abe and the handshake I had with him during the exchange and banquet. The warmth of his hand at that time comes back to my mind.

As for the future, the baked goods offered as souvenirs today are made with Nanatsuboshi rice flour from Hokuryu Town and Kurosengoku bean paste. They were originally intended to be sunflower-shaped, but they couldn't make it in time, so they ended up with heart-shaped baked goods. They plan to sell them from a food truck in the future. In addition, they have also released a new product, "Kinako-bushi Furikake," in collaboration with Togashi Masao Shoten Co., Ltd.

We will continue to make efforts and ask for your advice in the future, so we appreciate your continued support.

"Finally, I would like to wish all participants good health and happiness. Thank you very much," said Chairman Takada.

Congratulatory message

Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki of Hokuryu Town

"Congratulations on the 20th anniversary of the Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association today.

Earlier, President Takada expressed his gratitude to all those involved in building the organization over the past 20 years. In the history of these 20 years, the first 10 years, the founding period, were led by former President Murai Nobuo, and the following 10 years up to the present day have been the decade in which the organization has blossomed greatly, centered around President Takada.

The Kurosengoku Business Cooperative has received various awards and high praise from across Japan, including being selected as an excellent example of a good example of a good organization out of 32 organizations nationwide at the 5th Discover the Treasures of Rural Areas Awards.

Hokuryu Town prides itself on being the number one town in Japan for producing safe, reliable, and high-quality rice. Kurosengoku soybeans have inherited Hokuryu's tradition of safe and reliable agriculture, and I believe it is extremely difficult to commercialize them and put them into manufacturing. Manufacturing plays a very important role in Hokuryu Town, and in that sense, the Kurosengoku business has made a significant contribution to the town.

Chairman Takada is also active as the chairman of the Hokuryu Town Sunflower Tourism Association, and we would like to express our gratitude for his role as the top sales force for tourism in Hokuryu Town.

I hope that you will aim to become a 30, 40, 50, and even 100-year-old company. I believe that your two sons will be a great force in continuing the business in the future. I sincerely hope that the continuation of the business by young people will create great value for the future.

Hokuryu Town will also support and encourage you to the best of our ability, so we appreciate your continued support.

"Today marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association, so congratulations!" said Mayor Sasaki.

Masahiro Kadono, General Manager, Purchasing Department, Azuma Foods Co., Ltd.

"Today marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association, so I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations.

Azuma Foods is headquartered in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture. This August marks our 75th anniversary. We have been making only natto ever since, and sell it nationwide, from Hokkaido to Kyushu and Okinawa.

Azuma Foods and Kurosengoku first encountered each other in 1997. The company president expressed his desire to "make black bean natto taste even better, and especially to use black beans with smaller grains," and the following year, in 1998, the company began planning to use Kurosengoku soybeans. I joined Azuma Foods in 1997 and have been working with Kurosengoku soybeans ever since.

At first, growing Kurosengoku soybeans in Hokkaido was extremely difficult and risky due to the weather, which can sometimes cause snowfall. However, after overcoming various difficulties, the yield increased, and in 2004, Kurosengoku natto was sold for the first time.

Kurosengoku soybeans could not be made into natto at all using the usual soybean fermentation method. Yellow soybeans will become stringy after 20 hours of fermentation, but Kurosengoku soybeans do not become stringy at all even after 24 hours of fermentation. What's more, the black color of the beans fades.

After repeated trial and error to find out how to make and ferment it, we finally started selling it as natto in 2004. However, sales were slow at first due to low customer recognition. Sales in Iwate Prefecture were also difficult, so we returned to Hokkaido and, with the cooperation of the Kurosengoku Business Cooperative, have continued to this day.

Its popularity began when it was featured on television four or five years ago, highlighting Kurosengoku natto as a healthy bean. Currently, we sell around 200 tons of natto per year, mainly in Honshu. We receive inquiries from customers saying things like, "This is the first time I've come across such delicious natto," and "Where can I buy it?"

In the future, we would like to further expand sales of Kurosengoku soybeans in order to provide our customers with even more delicious natto. With the support of everyone gathered here today, we will continue to produce delicious natto, so we appreciate your continued support.

"We sincerely hope that the delicious Kurosengoku soybeans will continue to grow. Thank you very much," said Director Kadono.

Keiichi Taguchi, Section Chief, Hokkaido Federation of Small and Medium Enterprise Associations

"I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations on the successful holding of the Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association's 20th anniversary ceremony, which is being held on such a grand scale with the participation of so many people. I would also like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the award recipients. I would like to express my deepest gratitude once again for your many years of service, and I look forward to your continued success in the future.

For our members, Kurosengoku is a rare soybean that was difficult to cultivate and production ceased for a time in the 1970s. Currently, over 400 tons are produced, which has made a significant contribution to raising awareness of Kurosengoku soybeans, which are highly nutritious and have a rich flavor.

In addition, in 2021, the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency highly praised our association for its utilization of local resources, selecting us as one of the "300 Emerging Small and Medium-sized Enterprises" and making us a model association among the 27,700 business cooperatives nationwide.

The members of the association have been jointly processing and selling the Kurosengoku rice that they have carefully cultivated, and through the development of new products and the active expansion of sales channels, the association has now expanded not only domestically but also overseas. This is all thanks to the enthusiasm and tireless efforts of Chairman Takada and all the past and present executive members, for whom I express my deepest respect.

The environment surrounding small and medium-sized enterprises remains uncertain, with rising raw material prices, increased business costs due to the weak yen, and labor shortages and the need to secure funds for wage increases.

We believe that now is the time for business cooperatives, which are based on the spirit of mutual assistance, to demonstrate their strength in order to ensure the sustainable development of small and medium-sized enterprises and small business operators whose business activities are rooted in the local community. As a specialized support organization for small and medium-sized enterprise collaboration organizations, we at the Central Federation of Small Businesses will be happy to assist you, and we look forward to your continued support.

In closing, I would like to take this commemorative milestone year of the 20th anniversary of the Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association as an opportunity to further strengthen the bonds between its members and achieve further development. I would also like to conclude my remarks by wishing good health to all those in attendance today. "Congratulations today," said Section Chief Taguchi.

Hokuryu Town Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chairman Masahito Fujii (represented by Vice Chairman Manabu Okino)

"Today marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association, so I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations. I, Okino, Vice Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, would like to offer a few congratulatory remarks on behalf of Chairman Fujii Masahito.

The Kurosengoku Business Cooperative was established 20 years ago with the aim of developing the region and promoting local specialties. Since then, all members have worked together to produce a variety of wonderful local products and widely disseminate the appeal of the region.

As Chairman Takada mentioned earlier, the results of this work were highly praised with the "Discover Treasures of Rural Areas" award, and today the company has attracted attention nationwide. I believe that the efforts made to grow the small amount of Kurosengoku into such a large product and to bring it into distribution truly symbolize the spirit of a cooperative.

Kurosengoku soybeans, once a staple of the region's food culture, were on the verge of disappearing with the changing times, but you all rediscovered their value and began the challenge of reviving them. As a result of overcoming numerous difficulties and persistent efforts, the producers' association members have succeeded in reviving the soybeans as a local specialty that the region can be proud of. I have the utmost respect for their enthusiasm and drive.

The cooperative's journey is not limited to mere product development, but also to protecting the traditions and culture of the region and continuing to create new value. Two years ago, Managing Director Yuji Takada was appointed, and since then he has again formed new partnerships with various companies. Even in times of rapid change, he has stuck to his vision and continued to take on challenges for the future, which is a great encouragement to the entire local industry.

As an aside, Kurosengoku kinako soft serve ice cream is also sold at Sunfuller Park Hokuryu Onsen. We also set up a snack booth at the Himawari Tourist Center during the Sunflower Festival, held in July and August. We use rice cakes from Himawari Nosan, which grows and processes glutinous rice in Hokuryu Town, and fill them with Kurosengoku Don to create and sell mochi waffles called "Kurosengoku Moffles."

We also offer a shake called "Kurosengoku Shake," which is ice cream mixed with Kurosengoku soybean flour. This has a lot of repeat customers, especially the young people in the neighborhood. The Kurosengoku soybeans are very easy to use, and we believe we have developed a very popular product.

It is my sincere hope that the Kurosengoku Business Cooperative will continue to grow over the next 10 to 20 years and contribute even more to the local community.

"In closing, I would like to wish good health, success, and happiness to all members of the union and to everyone gathered here. This will be my very short congratulatory speech. Congratulations to all of you today," said Vice President Okino.

Guest introduction

Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki of Hokuryu Town, Honorary Citizen of Hokuryu Town Ryoichi Kikura, Chairman of the Hokuryu Town Council Shoichi Nakamura, Section Chief Keiichi Taguchi of the Hokkaido Federation of Small and Medium Enterprise Associations, Branch Manager Kimitoshi Washio of the Kitasorachi Agricultural Cooperative Hokuryu Branch, Representative Director Minoru Nagai of the Kitasorachi Agricultural Cooperative Hokuryu District, Branch Manager Takamori Okada of the Kitasorachi Shinkin Bank Hokuryu Branch, Vice President Manabu Okino of the Hokuryu Town Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Secretary General Yuji Oka of the Hokuryu Town Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Section Chief Keiko Tsuzuki of the Hokuryu Town Office Industry Division, Section Chief Yuji Arata of the Kitasorachi Agricultural Cooperative Hokuryu Branch Agricultural Management Division

Video screening: Congratulatory video messages from vendors

We have received congratulatory video messages from companies that handle Kurosengoku.

1. Chiropractic Moiti (Sapporo City)
2. Daifuku store, Sasaya Daifuku (Sapporo)
3. Umeya Co., Ltd. (Asahikawa City)

Toast: Hokuryu Town Council Chairman Nakamura Shoichi

"Congratulations on the 20th anniversary of the Kurosengoku Business Cooperative!

Over the past 20 years, I have seen the Kurosengoku business struggle with repeated trial and error and groping in the dark. In years when snow fell early, harvests were difficult, but the producers did not give up and continued to plant, developing products in various ways. I believe they were able to create the right conditions with the help of many different people.

I believe that we have been able to reach this point today thanks to the passion of Chairman Takada, who overcame many difficulties and never gave up until the very end, and all of you.

I pray for the continued success and development of the Kurosengoku Business Cooperation Association, and for the good health of all of you, and I would like to propose a toast with Kurosengoku tea.

Please join us in singing along. Congratulations on the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Kurosengoku Business Cooperative. Cheers! Thank you very much," said Chairman Nakamura.

Video screening looking back on the last 10 years of the Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association

Kurosengoku cuisine course menu:
Produced by Mi-yan, also known as Kimura Mitsue!

This is a masterpiece prepared by Chef Tomokazu Maeda of Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen, using Kurosengoku soybeans.

Kurosengoku soy meat fresh spring rolls

• Kurosengoku soy meat wrapped in seven kinds of vegetables
• The dipping sauce is Kurosengoku mayonnaise dressing.

Assorted seasonal sashimi

From Kurosengoku Acquapazza Seafood

• Seasoned Kurosengoku soybeans are chopped and sprinkled on top of the seafood.

Kurosengoku bean sprout hotpot

• Sunflower oil and scallop dressing
• A hot pot of surprisingly long and chewy Kurosengoku bean sprouts simmered with sunflower pork and carrots for shabu-shabu.

Kurosengoku Mapo Tofu

• Sweet and spicy Kurosengoku meat and Kurosengoku tofu

Kurosengoku Natto Roll

• Kurosengoku soybean rice mixed with pickled ginger and sesame seeds, wrapped in nori seaweed with egg, avocado, and shiso leaf
• The dipping sauce is made with Kurosengoku soybean broth, two types of soy sauce, and Kurosengoku soybean kinako sprinkle.

Kurosengoku soybean kinako udon

• Served with kakiage (tempura) of Kurosengoku soybeans, onions, and carrots

Kurosengoku soybean flour mousse and chiffon cake

• Made with Kurosengoku soybean flour

Participant interviews

Mr. Ryoji Kikura, Honorary Citizen of Hokuryu Town

Mr. Ken Yamazaki, Kurosengoku bean sprout producer

Hiroya Sakuraba, Representative Director, Tsuchikura Co., Ltd.

Advisor, Takashi Sanbuichi, Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association

Nakamura Food Industry Co., Ltd. Representative Director Masafumi Nakamura

Noriko Takada, wife of the chairman of the Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association

Producer: Takeyuki Kamatsuka (Shintotsukawa Town)

Yuki Takada, Director of Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association

Tomokazu Maeda, Head Chef at Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen

Thank you so much for all the wonderful dishes packed with the deliciousness of Kurosengoku soybeans!!!

banquet

Three cheers: Kitasorachi Agricultural Cooperative Association, Minoru Nagai, Hokuryu District Representative Director

"As a producer, I have been growing Kurosengoku soybeans for 20 years. The main motivation for cultivating Kurosengoku soybeans is that they are good for your health. I have continued for 20 years with the desire to deliver something that is both delicious and good for your health to consumers.

We had many difficulties, such as the crops being crushed under snow, but I believe that the fact that we have been able to continue for 20 years today is the result of the hard work of Chairman Takada, the other executives, and all the producers.

I believe it is our role as producers to continue this for the next 10, 20 years and deliver better products to consumers. I hope that we will continue to work together to deliver better products to all of Japan, and I would like to conclude the event with three cheers, wishing all participants good health and happiness.

"Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! Thank you very much to Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association," said Nagai, the district representative director.

Seeing everyone off

Commemorative photo of executives and employees

Kurosengoku souvenirs

The passionate spirit of the producers for Kurosengoku soybeans has been passed down for over 20 years, and the retailers who accept all of this and deliver safe, secure, nutritious, delicious Kurosengoku soybeans to as many consumers as possible...

Our deep affection for Kurosengoku soybeans resonates with a great energy that spreads forever, and we express our boundless love, gratitude, and prayers to the immense power of the small Kurosengoku soybeans, which can be considered a microcosm...

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