We spoke with: Ryo Ogino, Sales Manager, Agri KL Co., Ltd.
What led you to start producing and selling Satosho makomotake?
Ogino (honorifics omitted)
Agri KL Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of KL System Co., Ltd., a computer company.
The company is headquartered in Okayama City and sells systems to local governments throughout Japan.
The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake caused extensive damage in a local government that was one of our clients, so we went to Tohoku as volunteers.
That experience prompted us to turn our attention to the local community.
Someone at Satosho Town Office, one of our clients, told us they wanted to focus on producing makomotake as a local specialty, and we began production around 2013.
At first, we worked as agricultural volunteers, and sales in the first year amounted to just 300,000 yen. That wasn't enough to make it a viable business.
To ensure we could continue producing it, we developed products and took part in events in Tokyo and Osaka to find buyers, gradually raising awareness.
In 2018, we established Agri KL Co., Ltd., whose main business is producing and selling Satosho makomotake, and began devoting even more effort to it.
Even now, during the busy season, all the employees of KL System join the Agri KL team to harvest.
You went from a computer company to growing makomotake! Wasn't that difficult?
Ogino
From rice planting in May until the harvest from late September onward, we weed every day. Harvesting is hard work, cutting each one by hand with a sickle.
But there are things that only we can do.
Makomotake is grown throughout Japan. If you make use of fallow rice paddies—unused fields—part of the costs for maintenance and other work may be subsidized. And since it belongs to the same grass family as rice, it's relatively easy for farmers to grow.
However, farmers who know a lot about “how to grow” a crop don't necessarily know “how to sell” it.
We are professionals at selling computer systems. That's why we were able to focus on selling makomotake. We gradually expanded our sales channels, bringing us to where we are today.
What makes makomotake appealing?
Above all, it's packed with nutrients. It's rich in dietary fiber and potassium, and is expected to help improve gut health and detoxify the body.
It's also low in calories and healthy.
As for the taste, it has very little bitterness or distinctive flavor, so it goes well with all kinds of Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes.
Because it's a healthy ingredient, we recommend eating it year-round.
Fresh makomotake is available only from late September to early November, but vacuum-packed makomotake is sold all year round.
Makomotake leaf powder is also easy to incorporate into your everyday diet.
Bath additives made from dried makomotake leaves are also popular.
Going forward, we hope to further bring out its health benefits and develop products such as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
We spoke with: Kosuke Hinotsu, Planning and Commerce Division, Satosho Town Office
Please tell us how the local specialty “Satosho makomotake” came about.
Hinotsu (honorifics omitted)
In the 2010s, the number of people engaged in agriculture declined, and fallow rice paddies began to increase in Satosho Town.
Farmers in Satosho Town looked into what they could plant in their rice paddies, and came across makomotake.
For example, they could turn a rice paddy into a field and grow another crop, but that would mean working with a very wet field, which is quite difficult.
Makomotake belongs to the same grass family as rice, so it was easy to get started and make effective use of the conditions in paddies where rice had been grown.
The area planted with makomotake and the amount produced in Satosho Town have both increased year by year. In 2020, Satosho produced 14 tons.
Until now, there wasn't really a specialty that people would immediately associate with Satosho. But I think awareness of “Satosho means makomotake” has spread considerably.
Sales are also strong, so I think it has become a crop that producers want to grow.
We have suspended them for now due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but we also hold cultivation and harvesting experiences for middle school students. We want to make it a specialty that the whole town can take pride in.
What do you recommend about the 2021 Satosho Makomotake Tasting Stamp Rally?
Hinotsu
This stamp rally has been held every year since 2013 with local producers, retailers, and restaurants, because we want people to enjoy makomotake in season.
It's a popular event, with many people taking part every year.
The season for fresh makomotake is short, so even if you've never tried it, please come and taste it.
Some shops offer takeout, and we hope you'll also try cooking with fresh makomotake purchased at a farm stand or elsewhere.
It's an event that Satosho Town Office staff look forward to every year. Of course, I'll be taking part too!
Please enjoy Satosho makomotake while it's in season and join the stamp rally.
From the Writer
The makomo that Mr. Ogino cut for the photo shoot, before it had fully grown.
He set it up on my beloved car, so we took this commemorative photo too.
“If you dry it in the sun, you can use it as a bath additive,” so I tried it right away.
The makomo leaves smelled wonderful, making for the best bath! Thank you.
I moved to the neighboring town of Satosho four years ago (in 2017), so I already thought of Satosho as “the place of makomotake.”
After hearing their stories, I was surprised to learn that this specialty was newer than I had imagined, with just over a decade of effort behind it.
I felt that the collaboration between the town, businesses, and farmers is what has led to the excitement we see today.
The Satosho Makomotake Tasting Stamp Rally is something I look forward to every year.
I recommend it because restaurants offer special menus available only at this time of year.
Next time, I’d like to buy fresh makomotake and try making salad and pasta with it.
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