On July 8th to 9th, we took an interview about Usuki's gastronomy with "Discover Japan", an information magazine that continues to disseminate the attractions of rich culture that Japanese people have forgotten, such as traditional crafts, traditional performing arts, gastronomies, and cultural climate of Japan, as entertainment that modern people can enjoy.
 They will introduce Usuki City in the September issue of "Rediscovering Japan with SDGs" (tentative) released on August 6th.

Behind the interview.

Fujishima Farm

Hiromi Fujishima has been organically farming in Usuki for over 30 years.
Mr. Fujishima is also an agricultural training instructor for the community-reactivating cooperator squad.
He talked about his commitment to soil and how to make really delicious vegetables.

Trainees with nice smile.

Mikan gura（French restaurant）

A French restaurant in Usuki's Satoyama (country side of the city).
This is a renovated storagehouse of mandarin orange. Sounds sustainabe, doesn't it??

A dish using organic vegetables produced in Usuki.
This is a conger eel beignet, summer vegetable ingredient with a lot of ravigote sauce.

Kuge Honten (Sake brewery) 　※WEBSITE (click here)※

Kuge Honten is a brewery that uses locally produced ingredients for many products.
These are jars of sake having nice scent.

Goto Seika（Confectionery manufacturing） ※WEBSITE (click here)※

The president answered the interview.
Goto Ｓｅｉｋａ is a sustainable company that manufactures products using 100% organic ginger produced in Usuki and develops products using the residue of ginger generated in confectionery  process.

The Usuki City Compost Manufacturing Center

Since 2010, Usuki city has been producing mature compost by shredding and fermenting weeded grasses and pruned twigs to sell it to farmers.

You can see the compost steaming in fermenting process. 
Since compost is made mainly in plants and there is a device to reduce the odor, it does not have an unpleasant odor.
The floor is also clean.

The Usuki City school lunch center　

They, intervieres, learned Usuki city's commitment to school lunch.
Since Usuki city promotes dietary education, which aims healthy nurture through local safe foods, about 40% of vegetables as ingredients are produced in Usuki City.
Not only that effort, they provide the opportunities such as taste comparison of organic vegetable and other one, and vegetable harvestings which are held almost 50 times a year.

The school lunch of that day is pickled horse mackerel, quail eggs and wakame seaweed soup.
Tableware is earthenware to teach children that it is important to treat things carefully.

Kotegawa Shuzou　(Sake brewery)　※WEBSITE (click here)※

They have been having pride to make hand-made-style sake since 1855.
You can see a lot of jars of sake in this picture. They actually have nice scent. 

Fuku-chan, the mascot cat..

Kotegawa Shoten（Japanese Restaurant)

We had set meals of Usuki's local dishs, O-han, Kirasu-mameshi, and so on. 
Even though every dish looks frugal, each of them tastes great.

Kabosu Koubou（Souvenir shop）

　They mainly treat processed foods of yellow kabosu (Fully ripened flavorful acid citrus fruit). 
　He, the owner of the store, talked about his mind about yellow Kabosu.
 
　The photographer took photos of Yellow kabosu soft-serve-ice cream.
　It, of course, tastes really good and was so refreshing that we didn't feel thirsty after eating it.
　We also recommend pound cakes made from organic wheat produced in Usuki city.

Kani Shoyu（Manufacturer of miso and soy sauce）

　It is said that Kani Shoyu is the oldest miso and soy sauce maker in Kyushu island, the south-west island of Japan. of taste.
　Kani Shoyu retains traditional face to face communication as its major style of sales and has many fans in and outside the city.
　Okami-san, the mother of the president, explained the history of miso in Usuki and the particulars of Kani Shoyu's products.

 Took pictures in front of the store

Megumi Koubou（Manifucture of processed food)　※WEBSITE (click here)※

　She sells processed foods and fresh vegetables produced in Usuki City.
　She explained her commitment to her products, for example, she try to use as few additives as possible in the process of processing,.

About "Discover Japan"

◆Discover Japan Official Website

～Articles introducing fascinating points of Usuki city (March 2021 issue)～　※Japanese article

• "USUKIYAKI" - rivived pottery dissapeared in Edo period - 
• "Usuki Stone Buddah" - A National Treasure having a lots mysteries -