Special products and delicious food (Rekishikaiodo�fs 21 Specials)

��Matsusaka beef�� �@Matsusaka beef is the fruit of breeders' effort and called "the art of meat." The breeding of cattle dates back to the Meiji period. Western culture also expanded the habits of eating meal. Beef shops at Matsusaka are Wadakin, a founder, and only a few other shops. Cattle for the beef were first raised in 1886 in Hyogo prefecture. It is defined that Matsusaka beef is a meat of selected virgin cattle of "Tajima-san Kuroge Washu"(cattle raised i n Tajima) raised in between Izumi River and the Miyagawa River in suburban Matsusaka for a couple of years with the utmost care. Matsusaka beef is well fat-marbled beef. Some cows drink beer to have good appetite. Others have a body massage blowing Shochu, clear distilled liquor. Those effect good blood circulation to make beef fat-marbled. Breeding farmers raise them with their own great care.

��Miwasomen ��(Extremely thin white noodles made in the Miwa area) �@Nara is the oldest place of SOMEN production that has lasted for 1200 years. Southeast Nara is "Miwa Somen no Sato"(birthplace of Miwa Somen) that is suitable for running wheat farms. This area has pure water from Mt. Miwa and rich ground to raise good wheat. The history of Somen started in the Nara period in the Yamato area. People dedicated and kept food to Omiwa Shrine, a guardian god, when a famine occurred. The kept food was made from wheat. They kneaded dough like strings and dried them. This is the origin of "Somen" in Japan. Miwa no Sato is along the Narakaido(highway) lead to Ise. Visitors learned how to make somen and brought them back them when they worshipped at Ise. Somen spread all over Japan, in this way. Miwasomen is homehade in the way of Tenobe-ho (noodles made by hand) in the coldest season. The noodles are hardly fall apart while cooking. They are chewy, brisk and spirited differing from machine made one.

��Uji-cha�� �@Uji-cha is a Japanese tea made in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture. Both Sen-cha and Uji-cha are made in Uji. Tea was first introduced to Japan when Dengyo Daishi and Koubou Daishi (Buddhist priest who went to study abroad) brought tea seeds from China. Eisaizenji wrote "Kissa yojoki"and explained the effects of tea on health. Myokei Shonin actually popularised tea. Eisai shared the tea seeds with Myokei. Then Myokei gave out them to villagers in Uji so Uji developed as a center of producing Japanese tea. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Shogun in the Muromachi period, admired "Shichimeien" and Uji tea started winning fame. Many masters of the tea ceremony demanded better tea in quality like Sen no Rikyu. Tea farmers have respected to their request and gained the reputation of the Uji-cha.

��Kobe beef�� �@One good beef is Kobe beef. Kobe port was opened as the first trading port in Japan on December 7, in 1867. It was not until foreign people who settled in Kobe ate Kobe beef that the beef became known internationally. Kobe beef is the meat of Tajima-gyu(cattle) born in northern Hyogo prefecture. Veal of Tajima-gyu is easily fat-marbled, so most brend beef come from Tajima-gyu. Climates and breeders in Hyogo are suitable for raising cattle far Kobe beef. Kobe beef is a fine work of meat. Melting fat,and cooking make the beef delicious and soft.

��Omi mai ��(Omi Rice) �@Good rice comes from Lake Biwa. They have been trying agriculture under the pollution control of Lake Biwa. Shiga prefecture centers on Lake Biwa surrounded by the Suzuka Mountains, Mt. Ibuki, Mt. Hira and Mt. Hiei. The climates, rich ground and pure water there make the area the most suitable for growing rice. They supply the rice to the nearby Keihanshin(Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe) and Chukyo(Nagoya) areas. The rice has gotten highly estimated in quality. They grow such famous mixed rice as "Koshihikari," "Kinuhikari" "Nihonbare" and such new varieties as "Yumeomi," and "Akinouta." The harvest in Shiga Prefecture are generically called Omimai (Omi Rice). The rice grows with less chemical fertilizer and agricultural chemicals to keep Lake Biwa clean. It's because the pure water of Lake Biwa supports the life of more than one million and four hundred thousand people in the Kinki area. "The Omimai Shinko Kyokai" (Association of Omi Rice Promotion) works to spread the way to grow safe and delicious rice.

��Shigaraki yaki��(Ceramics) �@Pottery lovers say "Pottery starts from Shigaraki and ends in Shigaraki." the Shigaraki area has prospered since the Emperor Shomu established Shigarakinomiya capital in the middle of 8th century. Tiles baked in those days were the origin of the pottery. One of the characters of Shigarakiyaki is its unique touch because of non glaze. Shigarakiyaki is fired in 2372 degrees Fahrenheit, so the ash of firewood clings to the pottery. T he ash plays the roll of glazing and produces various colors such as light green, brown and light yellow. Shigarakiyaki's attraction comes from such colors depending on fire and soil. The character has been loved since the Azuchi Momoyama period. Many people who hold tea celemonies needs to have Shigaraki products which are well- known all over Japan. Now, they produce varieties of Shigarakiyaki, not only normal products but also big one such as pots, jugs and statues of a raccoon dogs.

��Echizen soba ��(buckwheat noodles made in Echizen) �@The full name is "Echizen Oroshisoba." Echizen as a soba-producing district traces its origins to Muromachi period. A feudal load, Asakura Takakage, ordered the growing of buckwheat to prepare for besiege. They ate sobamochi (buckwheat cake) and sobagaki. Another feudal load in the Edo period, Honda Tomimasa, took a soba maker from Kyoto to the Fuchu area (present Takefu City) and promoted soba cultivation. He loved to eat soba served in soy-based sauce with grated radish. It is said that this is the origin of present "Echizen Oroshisoba." Fullness of flavor is its characteristic. Grilled with a stone hand mill, Echizensoba keeps its flavor alive. When the Emperor Hirohito visited Echizen, he ate 2 cups of soba and praised its deliciousness even after returning to Tokyo.

��Echizen washi��(Echizen Japanese paper) �@Echizen washi is a national international craft that has been continued for 1500 years. When the Emperor Keitai lived in Echizen, His favorite woman initiated villagers in Imadate Town into making paper. The place has prospered as the birthplace of Japanese paper. As the legend tells, Echizen washi has a long history. The name of Echizen washi was already written in a record from the Nara period. When hoshoshi (paper for public documents) was demanded towards the Middle Ages, Echizenhosho was highly estimated and developed by the protection of the Shognate and the Fukui domain. In the Meiji period, Echizen washi gained the support oflots of artists, and was gradually known all over Japan. Even now, Echizen supports the traditional washi(Japanese paper) culture and supplies the best washi in their variety, quality and quantity.

��Shinju��(pearls) �@�@Brilliancy of pearls includes a lot of hidden anecdotes. The Pearls as an accessory in Japan dates back to the Meiji period. Mikimoto Koichi was the first man who succeeded in culturing a pearl in the world in 1893. That resulted from his culturing pearl oysters at Ago bay after repeated trial and error. Ise, Toba, and Shima have been well known as a pearl- producing district since then. Pearl doesn't grow in every sea. The sea has to be a clear bay whose depth is more than 10 feet. Ago bay was suitable for culturing pearl oysters. It takes much time to culture pearl: 2 years to grow pearl oysters, then 2-3 of years after putting the material of the pearl into the oysters but a half of them die in the first 2 years. 30 percent of the rest half grow beautiful spherical pearls and 5 percent of the sphere pearls are the finest pearls in quality. Even a tiny pearl can't help attracting people because of those great efforts to make them and the rarity value of the pearl.

��Yoshino Sugi��(Japanese cedar tree) �@The beautiful Japanese cader tells the culture of wood �@The Yoshino area, which occupies half of Nara prefecture, is fulled of trees. "Yoshino Sugi(Japanese cedar)" grow as "Artificial beautiful trees" in t he mountain of Yoshino. �@Forestation has along history and started in the middle of the Nara period. The tree in Yamato, Miwa, and Mt.Kasugayama transplanted. Yoshino Sugi doesn't have any knots because the workmen made an effort to do cutting and thinning the wood. In the Edo period, It was frequently used to the tank of Japanese sake. �@Yoshino Sugi is very popular because it has beautiful color, precise grain, and good fragrance. Chopsticks, which used the edge of the wood properly, are also treasured as special ones in our homes and high class restaurants. �@In these days, the goods using the Sugi's characteristic feature are manufactured. Yoshino Sugi tells the fragrance of wood itself and "wood culture of Japan" by using all the parts of Sugi.

��Sumi��(Japanese Indian Ink) �@Sumi has 2 types. �@Shozen-zumi, which is made of burned pine resin, �AYuen-zumi, which is made by burning oil of rapeseed or sesame. Narazumi, called "Nanbu Yuen Zumi", was brought by Kukai. Kukai was the first maker of sumi. Kukai, who visited Tang as a Japanese envoy to China in the Tang dynasty, tells how to make sumi with a brush. He gathered soot at Niteibo of Kofukuji Temple and manufactured soot with glue in 806. That was the origin of manufacturing Sumi. Many Sumi factories then developed and many skillful workers gathered. As a document says, there were 38 factories in the Edo period. Even now, Sumi is manufactured mainly around Nara City which produces 6,000,000 sets of Sumi per a year. That is 90 % of the quantity of production in Japan. Sumi manufacturing is the most traditional and representative product in Nara.

��Tango Chirimen��(crepe made in the Tango region) �@Kinuya Saheiji was the founder of Tango Chirimen. He was from Mineyama, Kyoto. Tango Chirimen, which has a beautiful and original "wave" a and good touch of silk, was born in 1720, 280 years ago. Kinuya Saheiji (He changed the name to Jirobee Morita, later) worked at a weaving factory in Nishijin, Kyoto, and learned how to weave the textiles, especially wave fabrics. And then, he returned back to Tango. He constructed the base of Tango Chirimen textiles. There are many factories that treat silk in the Tango region. Tango became the main area of chirimen manufacture because the Mineyama domain helped to promote the textile industry.

��Nishijin Ori fabrics��(Weaving) �@Nishijin means " Western Base." In the Onin Wars(1467-1476), the west army set up the base in Nishijin. Nishijin has a long history, about 800 years. The emperor set up the office to make textiles, Oribe-no-Tsukasa ,1200 years ago. The workers of Oribe-no-Tsukasa settled around Nisihjin and began to make textiles in the Kamakura period. That is the origin of Nishijin textiles. People began to call the textiles that were manufactured "Nishijin" in the Muromachi period. �@Nishijin Ori is a textile that used the dyed thread before weaving textiles. �@That has 5 steps, and over 20 processes. Nishijin workers not only keep traditional skills, but also adopt new technology such as computers. They produce many types of clothes such as Ties,and Japanese Obi, 80% of the market of Japan.

��Kyo-yaki, Kiyomizu Yaki��(Ceramics) �@In the Edo period, Nonomura Ninsei made it completed. The Porcelain industry in Kyoto rose in the 8th century. The people of the Higashiyama area began to produce earthenware using a kiln. In the Muromachi period, new technology was delivered from China and beautifully painted porcelain was born. It's popular, as tea ceremony has developed. �@Moreover, in the Edo period, Nonomura Ninsei built his kiln, accomplished how to use gold or silver thread, and developed the base of Kiyomizu-yaki and Kyo-yaki. His work very beautiful and gorgeous. In the end of the Edo period, the main stream of those two porcelains moved from colored porcelain to Chinese china, since Kiyomizuyaki received the influence of Bunjinga (literati painting). �@However, you will see present style Kyo-yaki, or Kimyomizu-yaki, because many skillful makers who succeed to original and traditional ones have played an active part.

��Sakai Hamono��(Smithery) �@In the Edo period, the government appointed cigarettes and a kitchen knives as goods that only the shogunate can buy. �@Moreover, in the 16th century, they began to make kitchen knives to chop the leaves of cigarettes. The people who manufactured the tool for making ancient graves gathered the base for developing blacksmith technology has made. That was the origin of manufacturing kitchen knives in Sakai. They take the traditional way of making fire, edged attachment and kitchen knife by cooperative work. Professional cooks trusted it, because the knives is sharp. As they have the skill of the gun blacksmith in the age of Civil wars, Edo shogunate gave Sakai crafts the mark of " Sakaikiwame".

��Senshu Towel�� �@Senshu Craftsman in Senshu "Atozarashi towel" for the first time in Japan. �@Satoi Yujiro began to study about imported towels and how to weave them in 1885. And he succeeded in weaving by using the machine that makes a pile in 1887. That towel was bleached to limewater. That's the origin of "Atozarashi (bleach after weaving)" towel. In those days, the towel had been used as a muffler because it has soft touching, high price, and conservation of warm nature. The Senshu area has been developed as one of the most famous places of production. Now, they are doing their best in development of the high-value product, in order to develop their traditional industry more.

��Tanba Tachikui-yaki��(Ceramics) �@This is one of the "six kilns". 800 years' history, the art of fire and soil. �@Tanba Tachikuiyaki started between the latter part of Heian period and the early part of the Muromachi Period. �@Although they used "Anagama" until the Momoyama period, they began to use "Noborigama" and "Keri Rokuro (very rare, which carries out left rotation)" That technology is inherited evenl today. �@Although the workers made pots, bottles, at the beginning, they began to make tea goods such as Chaire(vases for putting powdered tea), Mizusashi (water vases), and Chawan (pots) under the guidance of Kobori Enshu, who was the tea master of the Tokugawas. A large number of excellent draftsmen were produced because the Sasayama domain helped and saved them. Even now, plain Tachikuiyaki that carries a glaze made from ash or iron attracts people who like ceramics.

��Wagashi��(Japanese confectionery) �@Japanese confectionery contains emotional fragrances of the four seasons in Japan. �@Since Japanese confectionery has developed alongside the life of people, it has a seasonal air. "Sakura Mochi" "Kusa Mochi" "Mizu Yokan" tell us the coming the of new season. There are many sweets that express the seasonal flower and plants themselves. Japanese confectionery is the symbol of Japanese food culture. �@Since Japanese confectionery contributes to our health, recently people have become in terested in it. This is because Japanese confectionery is made from natural material. Since confectionery contains alot of vegetable protein (one of nourishment), adzuki (treasure house of nutrition, the material of anko (Japanese red bean paste)) and dietary fiber (necessary for human health), People also see Japanese confectionery as a healthy food. �@In the Edo period, "kyogashi", the confectionery that developed a round knot competed with "Jogashi", which developed in Edo and improved their skill . They accomplished the style of Japanese confectionery. Japanese confectionery in the Kinki region is very characteristic and favorable because ies makes experienced Kyogashi's style.

��Kishu Umeboshi��(pickled ume / Japanese apricot) �@The statue Genzo-ou, the founder of producing ume, continues with ume planting. �@Tanabe is the biggest ume planting area in Japan both from the point of quality and quantity. It is in the beginning of the Edo period that farmings started. Originally this area had a poor soil. Mr. Ando, the owner of this domain, was expected from paying taxes. That was because farmers made an effort to grow ume. �@If you talk about ume in Kishu, an anecdote of Uchinaka Genzo is the most typical/rememberable ancedote. Genzo was born in 1865. He cut down the trees of his mountain and maded large 9.88-acre ume plant. Moreover, he produced pickled ume from his crop by himself. It is just the today's style. As many other farmers followed his style, the crop of ume in this area has been increased. The ume country has been sharpened. That has thinnest skin, smallest seed, and soft and thick fruit. Everyone in Japan knows Kishu's ume as the highest ranked ume.

��Kishu Shikki��(Kishu Lacoquerware) �@It is one of the three big lacquerwares in Japan. They call it "Kuroenuri" because Kishu lacquerware is produced in the Kuroe area, the northwestern part of Kainan city, Wakayama. Kishu is continued among the three big producing centers of lacquerware. The Two other areas are Aizunuri, in Fukushima, and Wajimanuri lacquerware, in Ishikawa. �@The lacquerware of Kishu has a 4,000 year history. There is recorded that Chinese used it as tableware. As for Japan, it was discovered that the arrow to be used the lacquer as glue, and the earthen vessel were painted with lacquerware in the Stone Age. In the Muromachi period, Kishu kijishi (craftsman) firstly made the bowl that used the Kishu Hinoki tree as a base. In the Edo period, as people began to use it for daily use, the demand became high. As the demand increases, the shikki industry has grown.

��Kishu Binchotan��(Charcoal) �@Hardness, hard as iron, produces strong and stable fire of Binchoutan. �@Binchoutan is heavy, hard, and sounds like metalware. Usually, calling "Binchoutan" will be allowed, if there is 15-degree intensity or more of charcoal. That's why Binchoutan can produce high and stable fire. Surface temperature is more than 1832F��, if you send the wind to Binchoutan. In Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS), if there is a 3/4 concentration of steel, use of the name "Binchoutan" is allowed. Usually, although the material for charcoal is oak wood, Binchoutan uses a special tree called Ubamegashi. The hardness of Ubamegashi is said to be the same as that of steel. Although other charcoal floats in water, Ubamegashi sinks. �@The restaurants that serves Unagi (eel) and Yakitori (Grilled chicken) want to use Binchoutan to because it makes them tasty. It takes 50 years to grow a usable Ubamegashi tree and 7 days to finish all the processes. The Binchoutan craftsman won't spare both time and effort.