The Shimotsui area of Kurashiki City was once crowded with around 30 to 40 nori producers.
However, due to harsh natural conditions, environmental changes, and a lack of successors, only a handful are still in business today.
Nanjo Nori Co., Ltd. (hereafter, “Nanjo Nori”) is one of the few remaining producers and has continued making nori for more than 50 years. In recent years, it has also focused on selling its own brand, Washu Nori.
We spoke with them about their passion for making nori and the care they put into it.
The information presented is current as of the article’s publication in September 2026. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About Nanjo Nori Co., Ltd.
Nanjo Nori is a company that farms, manufactures, and sells nori in Shimotsui, Kurashiki City.
The company was founded by Iwamatsu, the father of its current president, Nanjo Yuji. Iwamatsu, who was originally a fisherman, started the business as a source of income during the winter, when there was no fishing work.
The company’s main business is shipping the nori it farms and manufactures to the Okayama Prefectural Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations. Since 2015, it has also developed its own brand, “Washu Nori.”
Drawing on knowledge and experience passed down through generations, the company’s nori has earned high praise at competitions hosted by the prefectural fisheries federation. It has received the top honor, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award, three times.
Growing nori in harmony with nature
What steps are involved in producing a single sheet of nori?
Nori-making season runs from autumn through winter.
It begins with “seed collection,” when nori spores prepared from spring through summer are attached to nets. Next, the young nori on the nets are raised in the sea or in tanks in a process called “seedling cultivation.” As the seawater temperature begins to drop, the main aquaculture season finally gets underway.
Once the nori has grown to around 30 cm, it is harvested and taken straight to the factory on land.
After going through numerous steps, including washing, removing foreign matter, aging, and shaping, the nori finally takes on its familiar form. Yuji says that during this period, the family works together around the clock, taking turns to nap.
In recent years, seawater temperatures have risen due to global warming, shortening the fishing season. In addition, feeding damage—when birds and fish eat nori while it is being farmed—has also reduced harvests.
Those working in nori production are facing more of these challenges that did not exist in the past.
Carefully crafted nori from Nanjo Nori
Here are some of the products made by Nanjo Nori.
“Washu Nori,” made with a focus on first and second harvests
Nanjo Nori’s own brand, “Washu Nori,” is made exclusively with nori from the first and second harvests of the season. It is soft, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Its deep black color makes an immediate impression, and it has a rich, distinctly oceanic flavor.
Making the most of the ingredients’ natural qualities, the nori is offered in a variety of products, including seasoned nori, roasted nori, and Korean-style salted nori.
Nori grows again after being harvested, but becomes gradually tougher with each successive harvest. Nanjo Nori harvests around eight times per season. The first harvest, in particular, is limited in quantity compared with later harvests, making it especially precious.
“Kids’ Bento Nori,” made for children to enjoy
The “Kids’ Bento Nori” series was created with the desire to “deliver nori that is gentle on the body and safe for children to eat.” Like “Washu Nori,” it is made with first- and second-harvest nori grown by the company.
The series includes the following three products:
“Seasoned Nori for Kids” is so popular that children become hooked on it. One customer even affectionately nicknamed it “devil’s nori.”
We spoke with Nanjo Nori’s president and CEO, Nanjo Yuji, and his daughter Nanjo Yoko, who is in charge of product planning and public relations, about making nori.
Nanjo Nori Co., Ltd. details
| Organization name | Nanjo Nori Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Industry | Nori cultivation, processing, and sales |
| Representative | Nanjo Yuji |
| Year established | 1974 |
| Address | 4-1-4 Shimotsui, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-479-9125 (weekdays, 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.) |
| Website | Nanjo Nori |
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