日本一のオーガニックゆず生産地（人口わずか750人）を訪ねました
Dense greenery, blankets this mountainous region of southern Japan, Within it, one can find small communities that take immense pride in their unique specialties. and Umaji village is one such community Where people possess a big appetite and an even bigger passion, for one thing: Yuzu. This tiny village is the number one organic Yuzu producer in all of Japan. Quite a feat for a village of just 750 people! If you are new here, welcome. If you’re returning visitor, welcome back! Hi Mika, this is Jesse, and this is our dog Pancake. We’re Canadians living and working in the Japanese countryside. And for the next two days, I’ll be touring with Umaji-born and raised local, Kinoshita-san, whose contagious enthusiasm will lead us on a special food adventure Alongside with Yuko-san, who first connected me to Umaji We’ll meet the other residents who bring this organic yuzu industry and the village itself to life. May brings the first white yuzu flowers, signaling early signs of the fruit. But as humid June arrives with those first green yuzu So do the weeds. Tall and fast growing. Luckily, Umaji village has a dedicated team tackling this relentless task. They’re already started cutting the weeds. Is that Mr. Ishibashi? The responsibilities of maintaining the fields fall on these three Umaji residents. whose relentless work is crucial to the village’s success as an organic yuzu producer. And while they work, here’s a quick backstory on Umaji’s yuzu history. After centuries thriving on cedar production, Umaji found a new calling in yuzu fruit in the 1960s. They converted old railway tunnels into roads and planted yuzu groves along the steep terraces, kickstarting large scale yuzu cultivation. Thanks to the dedication of local farmers, 81% of Umaji’s orchards are now organic, giving the village the highest percentage of organic cultivated land in Japan. While the weeding work wrapped up, Kinoshita-san had another task in mind for us. While the main river running through the valley is popular for fly fishing, it was unagi eel that truly interested Kinoshita-san. Kinoshita-san is nicknamed the God of Unagi after all. Let’s see if this Unagi God can catch us some lunch. They’re inside. There’s a tail. There’s a tail sticking out. There might be two eels. Do you want to see? Here. It’s huge. This one’s huge Really big. It looks like they come down here sometimes Right here. (The rain) channel the water through here. It’s another big one. It’s bigger than the other one. It’s giant! It’s amazing. How many did you catch? We caught four. Four eels from four traps is incredible. These are huge! It energizes you, doesn’t it? Do your best and catch your own! Look at this. What the heck? That is thick. The chef isn’t at the onsen yet I’ll have them cook lunch there. I’ll get them to cook it. That (eel) is amazing. That is a beautiful eel. This whole experience perfectly embodies Omotenashi, the Japanese art of hospitality – a deep respect that the people I met truly embrace. Kinoshita-san even showed us his father’s handmade eel traps before we headed to the local onsen restaurant. Coming off those hot coals doused in a savory, sweet sauce, it was an unagi dish rich with fats and umami goodness This is, hands down, the best eel I have ever eaten. Go ahead and eat, Mika. Kinoshita-san, this is the best. Delicious. With our stomachs full, we headed to another crucial part of what gives Umaji Village its impressive organic yuzu title We’ve arrived. At this composting facility, the three responsible for weeding are also creating Umaji’s own organic compost. This rich compost, a blend of yuzu peels and seeds, chicken manure, and cedar bark takes about six months to prepare before it’s redistributed to the fields. Mitani-san: We mix oxygen to the compost. Then, four rounds of fermentation begin (with the addition of yeast.) What’s in (the compost)? There’s the left-over yuzu peel and seeds. As well as cedar bark. Sasaoka-san: We’re making something called
Ehime AI fermented (yeast) liquid. So you will add that, then mix the compost again. Yes, exactly. To activate the compost, a liquid mixture of fermented yeast is added to promote the breakdown by microorganisms. Then large machines regularly turn the mixture to introduce oxygen. The result is a dark, nutrient-rich compost which will later be added to the yuzu fields. This natural process actually heats up the compost. Literally. As if that wasn’t already a great glimpse into the community’s work. Umaji has another special program designed to invite people to learn more about its its small town yuzu charm. At the Umaji Village office, You can sign up for a special resident status by getting your own membership card. A bonus is that we got to sit down with the mayor of the village, Izuru Yamasaki-san Born and raised here, the mayor is another key figure in Umaji’s organic yuzu industry, and was even the first to officially declare their own town as an organic village back in 2024 And of course, this conversation is enjoyed with a refreshing sip of their famous honey and use a drink. Gokkun. We decided to roll out this program. Now we have over 100,000 special resident memberships. When people come (to sign up), we drink Gokkun and talk about a various things. For example, where did you hear about (this program) It’s an opportunity for meaningful exchange. Here you go. It says, “come again.” I took one last special trip to the neighboring village of Yasuda. To meet Komatsu Shuuichi, a singer also known as Mamedenkyu. I’d been hoping to meet him ever since I heard him sing at last year’s Yuzu Festival in Umaji, where his nostalgic songs about village life instantly spoke to me. Up a winding road in the mountains, A child is born in a small village Yuzu child, yuzu child, yuzu daughter Delivered by the bounty of nature. With a love for the greenery of the mountains, And a joy for playing in the river. Yuzu child, yuzu child, yuzu friends The wind carries the mountain’s energy. At the start of summer, Pretty white flower petals sway Yuzu child, yuzu child, yuzu flower Perhaps I’ll press them right into my diary. Yuzu child, yuzu child, yuzu village This year was fruitful once more. Umaji Village isn’t one of your bustling tourist attractions. Instead, it’s a place where you just relax, maybe stick your feet in the river and simply gaze up at the sky. It’s a quiet place where neighbors greet each other warmly, and visitors can, for a moment feel a part of this close knit community. With all this yuzu, the village isn’t just growing it. They’re also creating a huge range of yuzu inspired products. In 1986, Umaji village launched its first yuzu-based ponzu sauce, and since then they’ve expanded to a whole bunch of other yuzu products from drinks, yuzu kosho, soy-sauce based sauces, and even skincare. One of the most iconic items is their yuzu and honey drink, Gokkun Umajimura. One of the places where you can see the activity behind the products is that Yuzu no Mori Factory As a main hub of their yuzu product industry, the factory is a spot where you can observe the packaging process. Businesses place their orders for Umaji products here, which are then sent and sold nationwide. Even here, the locals are at the heart of the operation. About one eighth of the population is involved in the factory. With two floors of free access, you can view the production line and even enjoy a free Gokkun drink in their central lobby. Of course, not everyone here was born and raised in Umaji. A few people have chosen to settle in the village Like the Maedas. They run this charming, dog friendly cafe and bakery Umaji no Panya. Having sought out the unique appeal of this rural community to make it their home. I love being able to chat with our customers. It makes me so happy that I decided to become a baker. It truly brings me joy. The grandpas and grannies here often walk for their health. If you notice someone not out and about, it’s considered strange You can ask your neighbour and someone is bound to know. For example, they got hurt or are just resting inside because they’re not feeling well News spreads quickly because everyone is so connected. It’s really fun and interesting to be a part of. The tail is already out! It’s big!
It’s huge! It’s in the (regular-sized) container, right? It’s huge! It’s about this round. Thanks to Kinoshita-san’s unagi, and some of Umaji’s yuzu products, I’m taking a piece of the village back home with me. I’ll be returning to the village in a couple months to see how the yuzu has progressed. Is there anything in particular you want to see from the harvesting season? Let me know in the comments below. As always, thank you to everyone who has subscribed and liked the video. And an extra special thank you to Kinoshita-san and everyone in the village who so graciously gave their time. As for you watching back home, I’ll see you next time. Bye!
Ever wonder how a village of just 750 people becomes Japan’s #1 organic yuzu producer? In this video, I spend two days in this tiny mountain community of Umaji Village, catching eels, seeing organic composting in action, and learning from the passionate locals. Discover how this village achieved 81% organic cultivated land – the highest percentage in all of Japan!
👉Visit the Umajimura Hometown Center for Information https://umajimura.jp/
👉Email Inquiry: locallivingjapan@gmail.com (Yuko Takeda)
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👩🌾 About Maigomika 👨🌾 Canadians living in an ‘akiya’ house, one of the many vacant houses in Japan, along with our 100% countryside dog mix, Pancake🐕, creating stories that showcase the richness of local countryside Japanese life through food, crafts, and culture.
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📖Chapters
00:00 Yuzu and Umaji Village
01:08 Meet my Local Guides
01:50 Umaji Weeding Team
02:43 History of Umaji Yuzu
04:18 Catching Eel
09:11 Eel Lunch
10:33 Organic Composting
13:27 Meeting with the Mayor
14:53 Meeting a Local Singer
15:50 🎵 Yuzu Child
19:51 Yuzu Product Market
20:48 Yuzu no Mori Factory
22:00 Umaji no Panya
23:33 Back Home with Unagi
#organicfarming #yuzu
41 Comments
Another lovely video ❤
The most FANTASTIC video so far (l looove them all) but this one's extra special thank YOU so much, please could someone describe the flavour of eel I'd love to know what it tastes like 🤗🇬🇧🥰
I've been watching your videos since almost day 1 and I love how the intro has changed over time to reflect the work you've put into the house and how you've made a home in Japan 🫶
What a gorgeous area and they're doing such a great job as an entire Village. It is pretty sad however that that is such a microscopic area of Japan that's organic. Is there just a lot of resistance to a lot of the farmers going organic? Or just a lot of industrial farming? I must say I did sort of cringe when I saw the eels because they remind me so much of snakes but I understand the flavors probably great. Always meant to ask how did you guys learn Japanese? Did you study before your move or after or both? Pancake is a cutie as always 😊
Thanks for sharing this, it's actually super interesting!
This village is so amazing! Retro but yet so modern. The old and new come together to further the life of the village. Really out of the box thinking and guidance from the village elders and youngsters.
天然うなぎ〜自然の恵みですね。皆さんの表情が生き生きとして、村の豊かさが伝わってきます。行ってみたいです。
This video was amazing!! I felt like I was watching an official documentary put out by a big name documentary program. I can't wait to see how you take in the Yuzu harvest and what dishes are suggested to try because I can't even imagine how to use it other than your drink. Next to the tart plum, I am very curious to know how this orange looking fruit tastes and what dishes can be made from it. The people of the village you introduced and talked with were so fascinating and personable. I have never tried eel of any kind but your onsen cook/chef sure made it look yum. Thank you always Mika for your incredible content.
Thank you for sharing your lives, experiences and adventures of Japan. So interesting and beautiful. Because of you I get to see new things, people & places I would normally not see. Your channel is like a magic carpet trip to Japan ! Mucho appreciated !!!
I would love to see all the yuzu dishes people make in harvest season!
I love this! I'm adding it to my want-to-visit list. I was curious about one thing on your trip: so many amazing illustrations were shown in the video. Who is the artist(s) for the village/company? All the packaging and bottles and on the special resident cards.
Thank you so much for showing us this superb landscape and active community. Warms the heart 💓 🥰🌸😻🐝🇯🇵🇦🇺
yuzu skincare products make sense…..you are putting all these vitamins into your body and face cells. this was a wonderful video, me being the silent viewer. hope to see the actual harvest. and more on the skincare products in your next video, please.
When you return to Umaji, I'd like to see how they make their yuzu kosho in the factory, as well as creative and unique dishes the Umaji locals have created featuring yuzu.
yes but who draws those beautiful graphics and characters on the products? they´re amazing!
This was such a lovely video! I'd love to visit Umaji one day ❤
thank you
Did not expect the extra little feature on unagi! One of my favorite foods!!
First video I can't like. Please don't promote eel fishing. Japanese eel is endangered as wild stocks have declined drastically. Japanese don't show enough respect already. If we promote this to more and more foreigners… I'm not sure the species will survive this.
石破さん続投じゃないでしょうかねえ。
【最新世論調査】
内閣支持率：36.8％（4.0ポイント上昇）
自民党支持率：20.4％（0.4ポイント下落）
石破首相：辞任すべきではない（47％）すべき（43％）
I love all the infrastructure in these little Japanese villages, especially all the little canals.
Amazing video 👍beautiful country side 👍I love Pancake 🐶❤️
What a gorgeous video! It was informative, beautifully filmed, with great sound, excellent editing and pacing. Thank you for this. I found it absolutely charming and really interesting too. Great work. PS= I'm not a fan of Yuzu but I am evangelical about the joys of Shekwasa. (It's spelled a hundred different ways, I know). I wish we could buy top quality Okinawan Shekwasa here in England, it's absolutely delicious. What a revelation!
This is a small masterpiece. Thank you for all the time and effort you put in to record and share.
If only we could enjoy the harvest via Youtube in smell-o-vision……
eels, really ? Think.
Another great video, Mika. Well done! 👏👏👏
Love your vlog! I’d love some content on local recipes using yuzu or other ingredients ❤
Wow 🤩. Thank you!!!!😊
I loove their content everytime. What i love most about their video is how they always introduce Pancake at the start too!
does komatsu-san has a youtube channel? that song was amazing
What a beautiful episode, Mika! Thanks for this. I love how the village markets itself and has found a product to keep many of its folks employed.
Superb production and filming…gosh that was fun. Thanks from this longtime follower / Canuck in Singapore.
Absolutely beautiful video – such a joy to watch. Thank you very much.
do you know wether there will be a need for volunteers? i would love to participate ;-] very interesting village and nice vlog!
I'd love to visit Umaji village and try Gokkun!
The village seems so peaceful and friendly. I'm really curious about the person who did the illustrations for all the yuzu products, I love the fun and lively style!
Would this town in your opinion be open to support a work visa for foreigners?
Oh my that song made me cry happy tears! Very heartfelt n personal ❤️ living a real life mixed into the nature that surrounds you
This was an amazing video!! It felt like I was really in Japan. The village life is really idyllic…….hmmmm.
I love unaju, but I know mine comes from China