Video: "Rice from Hokuryu Town, where the spirit of rice resides" - Hokkaido Food to be Passed Down 2020

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Based on interview materials from 2010 to 2020, we have compiled information on the history, spirit, and activities of Hokuryu Town's rice, "Himawari Rice."

Based on this article, I created a video titled "Hokuryu Town's Rice Balls, Home to the Spirit of Rice." This video was submitted to the 2020 "Hokkaido Food to Pass On" video contest hosted by the Hokkaido Agricultural Administration Office.

What is Hokuryu Town (Hokkaido)?

Hokuryu Town is a town whose main industry is agriculture and whose symbol is the sunflower.

It is a small town with a population of about 1,750 people. It measures 28km east to west and 14km north to south, with a total area of 158.70 square km, of which 70% is mountain forest and just under 90% is cultivated with rice.

Sunflower rice

Hokuryu Town's brand rice, "Himawari Rice," began growing with reduced pesticides in 1988 (Showa 63) under the leadership of the agricultural cooperative youth division. By 2004, all farmers had reduced the amount of pesticides they used to 50% of conventional cultivation.

In 2006, the company obtained certification for "Agricultural Products with Disclosed Production Information" and introduced a system to ensure producer traceability.

The Hokuryu Sunflower Rice Producers Association's efforts to reduce the use of pesticides in cultivation, as well as the united efforts of the agricultural cooperative, producers, town hall, and chamber of commerce in Hokuryu Town to promote sales, were highly praised, and the association was awarded the Grand Prize at the 46th Japan Agriculture Awards (2017 Grand Prize).

The spirit of rice farming passed down from our ancestors: "The spirit of agriculture that protects the lives of the people"

In May 1893 (Meiji 26), a pioneering immigrant group of 25 households led by Yoshiue Shoichiro, who had come to Hokkaido from Nohara Village, Inba County, Chiba Prefecture, began pioneering in the Hokuryu region.

Yoshiue Shoichiro: "Agriculture is the foundation of the country"

Yoshiue Shoichiro's spirit of "Agriculture is the foundation of the nation" was passed down in Motono Village, and furthermore in the pioneering town of Hokuryu, as the spirit of agriculture that protects the lives of the people, and was passed down to successive heads of the agricultural cooperative.

Kita Masakiyo's "Industrial Association by Farmers, for Farmers"

Kita Masakiyo, who advocated for an "industrial association by farmers, for farmers"

"Safe food production for the nation" by Goto Miohachi

Goto Miohachi, who dedicated his life to "producing safe food for the people"

Ryoji Kikura "Food is life"

The spirit of "food is life" of former JA Kitasorachi president and representative director Ryoji Kikura, who has firmly upheld this spirit, continues to be advocated.

Hokuryu Town: "A town that declares safe food production to protect the lives and health of its citizens"

In October 1990, the Agricultural Committee established the "Hokuryu Town Agricultural Committee Charter," and in November of the same year, the Hokuryu Land Improvement District declared, "We will protect the water, the greenery, and the land." Then, in December of the same year, Hokuryu Town (Mayor Shoichi Mori) declared itself "a town committed to safe food production that protects the lives and health of its citizens."

Thus, Hokuryu Town, with the participation of the farmers' assembly, agricultural cooperative youth division, agricultural committee, land improvement district, and Hokuryu Town Hall, resolved to become "a town that produces safe food to protect the lives and health of its citizens," and all of Hokuryu came together to work on agriculture that would protect the lives of its citizens.

Monument with the poem "Heaven, Earth, Water, and the Heart of Farmers" (on the grounds of JA Kitasorachi Hokuryu Branch)



The spirit of the words of Ryoji Kikura (former representative director and chairman of JA Kitasorachi): "Food is life"

"This village had two outstanding leaders, Kita Masakiyo and Goto Sanohachi, who inherited the spirit of Yoshiue Shoichiro. What Kita Masakiyo and Goto Sanohachi especially taught me was that 'Agriculture is about producing safe food for people. Never forget that.' They told me this hundreds, if not thousands, of times.

Our agriculture is about valuing water, carefully protecting this abundant and powerful water, and not polluting or deteriorating the farmland we have inherited.

We believe that only when the spirit of a farmer, the passionate peasant spirit of gratitude to the heavens, earth, and water, and the desire to protect one's life, are combined can we produce food that can protect people's lives.

"Hokuryu Town has been carrying on this agricultural tradition for 128 years. I believe that young people will continue to carry on this life-saving agriculture," said Ryoji Kikura enthusiastically.

Rice cultivation protects the lives of the people

Hot water sterilizer for rice seeds (JA Kitasorachi Hokuryu Branch's latest facility)

The JA Kitasorachi Hokuryu Branch started a service using a hot water sterilizer for rice seeds in 2012, which does not use pesticides. This hot water sterilizer can maintain germination rates by accurately controlling the water temperature and sterilization time.

rice planting

Green rice fields

Golden countryside

Lush rice ears

Rice harvesting

Color sorting machine (JA Kitasorachi Hokuryu Branch, Brown Rice Bulk Adjustment, Collection and Shipping Facility)

Hokuryu Town's sunflower rice is grown with reduced use of pesticides, and is grown in modern, computerized facilities with strict quality and lot control, making it a safe and secure rice.

The color sorter shines light on the brown rice to separate and remove foreign matter such as colored grains, immature grains, damaged grains, dead rice, broken grains, stones, glass, plastic, metal fragments, etc. Finally, a powerful magnetic iron catcher is used to remove any metal fragments that may come out from the equipment, etc., to ensure complete safety.

The sorted rice is placed in a preparation tank and then packaged using an automatic bagging machine.

Ensuring traceability through JAS certification of agricultural products with publicly disclosed production information

The first rice cultivation collective organization in Japan to receive certification

The Hokuryu Sunflower Rice Producers Association (currently consisting of approximately 145 households) obtained the "Agricultural Products with Disclosed Production Information JAS" certification in 2006, which ensured traceability of production information (a system that allows confirmation of production history).This system allows anyone to know who cultivated the rice, in which field, and what pesticides were used.

This is the first rice cultivation collective organization in the country to receive the "JAS Agricultural Products with Disclosed Production Information" certification.

Promoting pesticide-reduced rice and specially cultivated rice

In 2016 (Heisei 28), the area planted with reduced-pesticide rice, specially cultivated rice, and organically grown rice exceeded 90% of the total.

Furthermore, we are constantly researching, developing, and innovating, including the introduction of new weeding machines, to weed crops that do not use herbicides. Starting with the 2016 harvest, we have begun cultivating and selling "Kitakurin," a new variety that uses 80% less pesticides.

Currently, the amount of donations made through hometown tax has exceeded 500 million yen, and 98% of the gifts given in return are "Sunflower Rice."

Sales promotion of "Sunflower Rice" delivered directly to consumers by producers

With Mayor Yutaka Sano as the sales leader, rice sales promotion activities are being actively carried out in which producers themselves promote their products to consumers.

Yumoya Food Supermarket, Taichung City, Taiwan

The Hokuryu Town Product Exhibition will be held in 2017 at the Yumoya food supermarket in Taichung City, Taiwan.

Sapporo City - Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza Sapporo Store

Osaka City, Supermarket, Sunplaza Habikinooka

Agri-Fighter North Dragon's rice sales promotion activities in Osaka (Sunplaza Habikinooka supermarket)

Enjoying New Rice: "Rice Balls Made by Mothers of the Hekisui Mutual Support Group"

At the Hekisui Regional Support Center (Kitaryū Town), a tasting event for "New Rice Rice Balls" was held by mothers who are members of the Hekisui Support Association to express their gratitude for this year's new rice.

We invited Mayor Yutaka Sano, Chairman Yasuo Yamamoto and Secretary General Susumu Asano of the Hekisui Mutual Support Association, and together we enjoyed the blissful taste of new rice rice balls.

Furthermore, the mothers who cooperated with us are volunteering to make lunch boxes for the monthly luncheon event for elderly people living alone held by the Hekisui Support Association. We would like to express our sincere gratitude.

New Hokkaido style: Masks and disinfection are strictly managed

Mom's lovingly made rice balls

Transfer from the rice cooker to a sushi tub and let cool.

Sprinkle salt on freshly cooked rice

Softly, yet firmly and lovingly made!!!

Place plastic wrap in a rice bowl and add rice to make sure the rice is the same size.

With salted rice balls!!

New rice rice balls are made with salt and no fillings, so that you can fully enjoy the deliciousness of the rice!!!

Served with seaweed to make it easier to eat.

A blissful taste!!!

The grains of freshly cooked new rice are shiny and glossy!
Mom's soft, firm rice balls taste like the ultimate bliss!!!

Nigohachizuke & Miso Making

The Nigohachizuke "Umaizo Gen-chan" is a pickle base made from brown rice, rice koji, and salt by "Fumi no Kai," a group of mothers from Hokuryu Town.

In addition, the miso "Mothers' Homemade Miso" is handmade by mothers from the Hokuryu Town Soybean Processing Research Group.

The pickled vegetables are pickled in "Umaizo Gen-chan" 258 pickles. The miso soup is made with my mother's homemade miso.

Serve with pickled plums, pickled vegetables, and miso soup!

Delicious!! The best!!!

Newly harvested rice balls from Hokuryu Town, lovingly made by mothers!
With gratitude, let's eat!

Mom's rice balls are delicious!
Mayor Sano also gives it his stamp of approval!
"Delicious!! The best!!!"

The four seasons of Hokuryu Town, where the rice spirit is nurtured

Spring is when life sprouts

Sunflowers shining in "Summer"

Golden Autumn

The world of silvery white spreads in "Winter"

Sunflower rice from Hokuryu Town, where the spirit of rice resides

Hokuryu Town continues to pour its soul into rice production with a "pioneer spirit" in developing the area, a "food is life" mentality in protecting safe and secure food, and "unity and unity in harmony."

These three spirits are imbued in the rice balls lovingly made by the mothers of Hokuryu Town, and are passed down to the children who will carry the future of Hokuryu Town.

With heartfelt gratitude to the sunflower rice of Hokuryu Town, where the spirit of rice resides...

Video: "Sunflower rice from Hokuryu Town, where the spirit of rice resides"

Related articles and sites

・Activities of the Hokuryu Town Sunflower Rice Producers Association

・"Hokkaido Food to Pass On" Video Contest, Awards Ceremony & Networking Event (Hosted by the Hokkaido Agricultural Administration Office, Sapporo City)(March 18, 2019)
・Kurosengoku soybean video wins award for excellence: Award ceremony and networking event held at the Hokkaido Agricultural Administration Office's "Hokkaido Food to Pass On" video contest(March 5, 2019)

・[Hokkaido Prefectural Agricultural Administration Office] 2020 "Hokkaido Food to Pass On" Video Contest(August 28, 2020)
　

◇ Photography and editing: Noboru Terauchi Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi