the Yamanashi Grapevine 2014 issue 1

2014 / Issue 1

01 The Yamanashi GrapevineThe Yamanashi Grapevine

After a snowstorm in mid-February, Yamanashi was cut off from the rest of Japan. It was a reminder that Yamanashi is one of the few landlocked prefectures in Japan. Some chain restaurants and convenience stores even had to get helicopters to deliver fresh and nonperishable goods.

This had been a historic winter for Yamanashi and the citizens were not prepared for it. Let’s just hope it will also be a good reminder for the years to come.

In this edition of the Grapevine, we tried our best to bring to the readers new aspects of Yamanashi from various perspectives: nature, technology, society, gourmet, and culture.

From the editor's notebookFrom the editor's notebook

Amina Dante & Daniela Kikuchi, GV editors

The Yamanashi GrapevineThe Yamanashi Grapevine 02

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Mountains on My Mind

A Taste of Halal in Yamanashi

Ecological & Economical: Green Energy in Tsuru City

Intertwining Roots:

Brazilian Immigrant Children in Yamanashi

Torimotsu-ni: Yamanashi’s Gold Medal Recipe

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Mountains on My Mind

A Taste of Halal in Yamanashi


Intertwining Roots:

Brazilian Immigrant Children in Yamanashi


Table of ContentsTable of Contents

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赤岳 2899m権現岳 2715m三ツ頭 2580m

前三ツ頭馬の背天の河原

天女山 1528m

北東

牛首山 2280m阿弥陀岳 2805mあみだ

八ヶ岳方面

Yatsugatake Mountain Range

03 The Yamanashi Grapevine

I love mountains. Every time I'm among them, I feel refreshed. The more I live amongst them, the more amazed I am by their beauty.

I’m originally from Belo Horizonte in Brazil, a city imagined and woven amid the gentle hills of central Minas Gerais, framed by the Serra do Curral mountain range, and named after its beautiful horizon. I am used to living in cities surrounded by hills, where the curves of the mountains can be seen from most of its neighborhoods and where they are a source of pride for the residents. Therefore, I could not have expected a better place in Japan to live in than in Yamanashi. I knew I would find the beautiful Mount Fuji but I was really surprised to discover other peaks and mountain ranges surrounding Kofu City, the capital of Yamanashi. Here, mountains follow me wherever I am, be it in a restaurant, on my way to work, or in my room, looking out the window.

Indeed, the mountains can be seen from most of the cities in Yamanashi Prefecture. After all, Yamanashi hosts two of the tallest mountains of Japan—Mount Fuji and Mount Kita. The first one is known worldwide and became a World Heritage Site in 2013. The second is part of the Minami Alps, which is called thus for being the southern alps of the mountain range.

Another famous view in the prefecture is the Yatsugatake, a volcanic mountain range situated in Hokuto City, northwest of Yamanashi. It consists of a 30 km extension chain, formed by 8 summits that range in altitude from 1,528 meters to 2,899 meters. Numerous tourists make the trip in order to climb its highest peak, Mount Aka.

I prepared a day trip to the Kiyosato area in Hokuto City, in order to see and confirm my expectations that the Yatsugatake Mountains provide one of the most beautiful views of Yamanashi Prefecture.

[ Renata Pereira Muinhos]Yatsugatake Mountain Range

Mountains on My MindMountains on My Mind

Yatsugatake Mountain Range from Makiba Park

Higashizawa Ohashi Bridge, also called the Red Bridge

A drawing of the Yatsugatake Mountain Range

The Yamanashi Grapevine 04

The Yatsugatake area is blessed with beautiful nature, and includes mountain peaks, various wild plants, and animals that live there. The air is very fresh due to the untouched nature and the high altitude of the area.

By the time we arrived in Kiyosato, it was snowing. Because the temperature in Kiyosato is colder than that in the main

Kofu area, the Yatsugatake peaks are covered with snow earlier. We started our tour at 11am, catching a bus from the Bus Center. Our first stop was at Higashizawa Ohashi (東沢大橋), where there was a red bridge situated in front of the Yatsugatake mountains. In autumn, the contrast between the man-made red bridge and the natural red leaves in

the backdrop is intensified.

We then rode the bus to Yatsugatake Kogen Ohashi (八ヶ岳高原大橋), and once again had a spectacular view. From where we were standing, we could see the Yatsugatake Kogen Ohashi yellow bridge and the Chichibu Mountain Range in the background colored by the yellow leaves typical of autumn.

One can reach Kiyosato easily by taking the train from Kofu Station to Kiyosato Station. It takes approximately 1.5 hours and is a relaxing scenic ride. After getting off the train in Kiyosato, we took a bus called the “Picnic Bus,” which is located at the Bus Center right beside the station. This bus is really convenient for sightseeing in Kiyosato area.

contrast between the man-made red bridge and the natural red leaves in

A long time ago, Mount Fuji and a mountain in the north of Yamanashi were trying to decide which one of them was the tallest mountain. They asked the gods (Kamisama) to arbitrate the dispute. The solution found by Kamisama was to put a gutter connecting the two mountains on top of their peaks and pour water in. This way, the side where the water ran down to would be the shorter mountain. When the water ran down to Mount Fuji’s side, she was jealous and angry for having lost the contest. Mount Fuji picked up a long stick and hit the other mountain very hard on its summit. The mountain summit thus broke into 8 peaks, which is why that mountain in the north is now called Yatsugatake (8 peaks) Mountain Range.

How to get there

Going around

The Legend of Mount Fuji and the Yatsugatake Mountain RangeThe Legend of Mount Fuji and the Yatsugatake Mountain Range

Me in Kiyosato

Yatsugatake Kogen Ohashi, also called the Yellow Bridge

Access map Chuo Line Koumi LineKofu Station Kobuchizawa Station Kiyosato Station ¥950 45 min 25 min

Picnic Bus The Picnic Bus is a circuit bus that runs from April through November. The one-day pass is 600 yen.


Yamanashi is slowly becoming a popular tourism spot in Japan, especially after Fujisan (Mt. Fuji) was registered as a World Heritage Site. Many tourists love to see grand Fujisan for themselves. Furthermore, the amount of Muslim tourists from South East Asia has also been increasing in Yamanashi. In response to this, Yamanashi has been focusing energy on promoting Yamanashi tourism to Muslim tourists.

However, one difficulty for Muslims while traveling is finding Halal food. Halal food is food that follows Islamic dietary rules. In addition, these rules can differ greatly depending on the person and the country they are from. Since finding Halal food is a major concern for Muslim tourists, several places in Yamanashi have attempted to serve Halal food. As an Indonesian Muslim traveler myself, I hope to tell you about my journey to find Halal food in Yamanashi.

Ikoku no Kaze- Restaurant -

Ikoku no Kaze is one of the few restaurants in Yamanashi with a menu suitable for Muslims. In the olden days, this restaurant was an Indonesian community hall where people from Indonesia living in Yamanashi could gather together. For 30 years, the owner of this place was Indonesian. However, this place has now been turned into a restaurant and the owner is a Japanese man who cares deeply for Muslims and people from different countries who live in Yamanashi.

The design and architecture inside the restaurant are very unique and interesting. I felt like I was experiencing a place simultaneously inside and outside of Japan, because of the decorations and the people who came to the restaurant. Also, I recognized some Indonesian decorations and it made me feel very nostalgic.

One can enjoy many types of cuisine at this restaurant, including Indonesian, Thai, Brazilian, Japanesed, and much more. Here, I had a famous Indonesian fried rice dish called nasi goreng. For the first time in Yamanashi, I felt like it was very safe to eat the food, because there was no pork or alcohol in the food, no pesticides, and only organic ingredients used.

The owner of Ikoku no KazeIt was the first time for me to meet Mr. Hiroshi Yamashita, the owner and chef for the restaurant. He is a very open and humorous person and freely told me his reasons for turning the former Indonesian community hall into a restaurant.

His personal storyWhen Mr. Yamashita was young, he went to many countries as a volunteer. During his stay outside of Japan, he felt it was hard to adapt to different cultures for the first time, especially when it came to food. He struggled to find food that he could eat abroad, because he wasn’t always sure what the food contained. Therefore, when he came back to Japan, he decided to start his own restaurant, and make it a place where people from different cultures are able to freely enjoy the food without having to worry about what it contains.

[ Jennifer Sarah ]

A Taste of Halalin YamanashiA Taste of Halalin Yamanashi

Mr. Yamashita,the owner.


His philosophyHe started by thinking about the many kinds of dietary restrictions that make people unable to eat certain foods, such as vegetarianism, allergies, personal preferences, or religious beliefs. To Mr. Yamashita, religion is one of the most important sources of dietary restrictions because it is often overlooked by outsiders but is very important to the believers.

Mr. Yamashita told me that the restaurant’s name is hard to translate into English. While a direct translation means something like “the wind of foreign countries,” he explained to me that the “wind” refers to the cultures, customs, music and food from a country. That “wind” is a tool for spreading culture and will fly away to many countries. In that way, too, he wants to make his restaurant a place of communication and learning about other people’s cultures through food.

Although the Japan Halal Association has agreed the Ikoku no Kaze restaurant is worthy of a Halal certification (a restaurant certificate deeming that the food follows the rules of Halal), Mr. Yamashita does not want to put the certification out. This is because he wants to welcome not only Muslims but

people from all religious and cultural backgrounds. In this restaurant, Japanese people can connect with other cultures through food, and non-Japanese people can learn about Japanese culture by having Japanese cuisine, which Muslims can enjoy too.

While it is easy to deceive people at a restaurant by telling them things like “this meat is halal and there is no pork” even when there is, the thing I admire about Mr. Yamashita is that he refuses to do that. He believes that religion is equivalent to someone’s life, so if someone tells a lie that affects their ability to practice their religion, it is the same as taking their life. Therefore, he tries his best to keep on going and just honestly practicing his business.

His philosophy can be quite different from some Muslims in my home country, Indonesia. Although Indonesia has the largest population of Muslims in the world, there are actually many restaurants in Indonesia that do not have a Halal certification but people do not know or the owner does not tell them where the meat comes from. This is I am so impressed with the way Mr. Yamashita thinks about religion and Muslims.

His daughter’s medical conditionMr. Yamashita’s first daughter has an allergy that requires the family to be careful about what they eat, and has made them very aware of chemical pesticides and fertilizers used for growing food. He uses organic foods because of how it influences his daughter’s health. This was how he realized that food is one of the most important staples of a person’s life.


If you wish to cook with Halal-certified ingredients, there are some supermarkets in Yamanashi that stock Halal meat and various kinds of seasoning from Southeast Asian countries. Actually, the Halal meat in both supermarkets is not meat from Japan, but meat from Brazil or Australia. The price is a bit expensive but because it is Halal-certified, Muslims do not have to worry about the origins of meat.

Wado Street

TowardsIsawa

●Gas Station

Joto Bypass- -

Kofu Bypass

Ikoku no Kazecafe & food

If you wish to cook with Halal-certified ingredients, there are some supermarkets in Yamanashi that stock Halal meat

Where to buy Halal ingredients in YamanashiWhere to buy Halal ingredients in Yamanashi

Shinsen Ichiba Isawa

Gyomu Super Kofushowa

● Address: 136 Kubonakajima, Isawacho, Fuefuki-shi, Yamanashi 406-0036

● From Kofu Station Take Bus No. 98 or Bus No. 99 (Platform 7) and get off at Isawa Onsen Iriguchi (5-minute walk)

● From Isawa Onsen Station 10 min. walk

● Address: 24 Saijo, Showa, Nakakoma District, Yamanashi 409-3866 Phone number: 055-240-7802 http://www.kobebussan.co.jp/shop/ detail.php?sh_id=671

● From Kofu Station Take Bus No. 58 (Platform 8) and get off at Saijo (5-minute walk)

When I first came to Japan as an exchange student, I was in another prefecture. In that prefecture, there was a supermarket that I liked to visit was a Gyomu Super. I also found one of them here in Yamanashi. It stocks many kinds of foreign seasonings and even Halal meat.

How to get to Ikoku no Kaze: ● Address: 516-1 Mukomachi, Kōfu, Yamanashi Phone number: 055-298-6922 ( Opening time: from 8AM to 7PM. Closed on Sunday)

● Kofu Station → Bus No. 90, 98, 99 → Yamanashi Eiwa Daigaku Iriguchi (10-minute walk)

YamuramachiStation

Tsuru-shiStation

Kachu River

Yamura DaiichiElementary School

139

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TsuruCity Hall

TowardsFujiyoshida

TowardsOtsuki

TowardsOtsuki

TowardsTowardsFujiyoshida

YamuramachiYamuramachiYamuramachiStationStation


A map of the Tsuru City Hall area. This shows where all the three hydropower stations are located.

[ Daniela Kikuchi ]


During my master’s course, I studied various green energy technologies and gained a fairly good understanding of how advanced Japanese technology is. However, after learning that Tsuru, a city located at the southeastern foot of Mount Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture, was producing hydroelectricity, many questions came to my mind. It was then that I realized I still had a lot to learn about Yamanashi and the renewable energy system in Japan.

Hydropower Construction in TsuruTo learn more about hydroelectric power in Tsuru, I interviewed Mr. Kazuhiro Inoue. He is the Tsuru City official in charge of maintenance for the hydropower stations located in the city. I was surprised when he told me that two interesting characteristics of the city—Kaiki silk production and the very large supply of underground water from Mount Fuji—were both deeply connected to the development of hydropower. He then explained that, in ancient times, waterwheels were set along the Kachu River to help silk production and milling. Naturally, people started to think of ways to use the water to produce electricity. This idea was brought to life in 1905 and the waterwheels supplied energy to the city for almost 50 years.

I couldn’t help asking Mr. Inoue the reason for stopping the use of the waterwheels a few decades back. He answered my question honestly by telling me that “hydroelectricity was more expensive than electricity produced from fossil fuels.” He continued, “However, nowadays we live in a world where people are more and more aware of environmental issues and global

warming. The city hall couldn’t ignore this reality and since 1999, the local government has been planning and putting into practice policies to preserve and protect the environment.”

During our talk, one of the most surprising things I learned was that the initiative to produce hydroelectricity came from the local population—they had always felt proud of the fact that they were pioneers in hydroelectricity production and that hydropower helped develop the region in the beginning of the 20th century. Because of this history, the local population has wanted to build a hydropower station. Then, as if to answer the citizens’ wishes, the Tsuru City local government, in collaboration with researchers of Shinshu University, started the construction of a hydropower station on the Kachu River in 2003. It would be the first of three such stations and was named Genki-kun (“energetic kid” in Japanese). Genki-kun #1 was inaugurated in 2004 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Tsuru City’s merger, while Genki-kun #2 and Genki-kun #3 started operating in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

Genki-kun #1

Genki-kun #3

Genki-kun #2


Caring for the EnvironmentGenki-kun #1, set next to the city hall, is a waterwheel six meters in diameter that immediately captures one’s attention. According to Mr. Inoue, this was deliberate. “Genki-kun #1 is a kind of symbol reminding people to be aware of environmental issues such as water pollution and global warming,” he said. In fact, Tsuru City has conducted many awareness campaigns to avoid the waterwheel from getting obstructed. As a result, there has been an increased awareness among the population and Kachu River is now a lot cleaner that before.

Nowadays, Mr. Inoue conducts “Genki-kun” educational visits for schools, various organizations, and anyone else who is interested. “We have received research delegations from many countries such as Vietnam and Ghana, and after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Disaster, the number of visitors interested in green energy production has increased.” Regarding energy production, he continued proudly, “In 2012, the three waterwheels together supplied 43.2% of the required energy to run Tsuru City Hall. Furthermore, in order not to waste the electricity

produced at night and during the weekends, we sell it to electricity companies.”

By the end of our interview, two facts amazed me. First was how amazing it was that a community can be powerful enough to influence the government’s policy, and second was how a small city can be “ECO2”− in other words, “ecological and economical at the same time.” Upon further reflection, I would say that Tsuru City takes action while considering the health of the entire planet. Because of that, it is a good example of “think global, act local.”

◉ By train from Kofu Station: Take the Chuo Line to Otsuki Station and change to the Fujikyu Line for Yamuramachi Station

◉ By car: Take National Route 20 and the Chuo Expressway towards Tokyo

If you are interested in an educational visit, please don’t forget to make a reservation.

Industrial Tourism DivisionTsuru City HallTsuru City, Yamanashi PrefectureTel: 0554-43-111 Fax: 0554-43-5049

How to get thereOn our way to see

Genki-kun #2.

Mr. Inoue and I are in front of the Genki-kun #1, the biggest hydropower

station in Tsuru City.


“It’s difficult to change people’s minds,” Ms. Morikoshi tells me. “And there’s so many hurdles. But I want to give these children the power to believe that they can succeed.”

Aloma Morikoshi is a Brazilian-Japanese who is one of the many in Yamanashi who are endeavoring to improve the educational support given to Brazilian immigrant children. From schools, NPOs, and the local government, there are a variety of both civil and public sector institutions that are striving to address the immense challenges faced by these children, their families, and the Brazilian immigrant community as a whole.

A history of Japanese and Brazilian immigrationFirst of all, why are there so many Brazilians immigrants in Japan when Brazil is one of the furthest places from Japan? It started in 1908, when the first Japanese people, lured by the promises of riches to be made in coffee, immigrated to Brazil. Since then, overseas Japanese, known as nikkei, have their largest population in Brazil, where it numbers 1.5 million people.

From the late 1980s however, Brazilian nikkei have started immigrating in large numbers back to Japan. The wave of immigration was helped by Japan’s 1990 Immigration Control Law, which made the work visa process easier specifically for nikkei up to the 3rd generation. With the passage of the law, nikkei and non-nikkei married to nikkei came in droves.

In Yamanashi, Brazilian immigrants—nikkei and non-nikkei—make up over 20% of the foreign population.1 The

prefecture is home to a large number of Brazilians due to a large number of factories where they are employed. These factories are concentrated in Chuo City and the city is home to Yamanashi’s largest Brazilian community.

“So many hurdles”There are many educational opportunities for Brazilian children. Parents can choose to send their children either to a private Brazilian school or public Japanese school where they can also receive support. Yet despite these opportunities, there are still many difficulties for Brazilian children in Yamanashi. One major problem is disruptions to children’s schooling. This is due to exceptions in the Japanese compulsory education law for foreign children, and the lack of job stability for Brazilian parents. When 200 Brazilian residents in Yamanashi were surveyed, 50% answered that they weren’t sure how long they will stay in Japan.2 Many Brazilian families are uncertain about their length of stay because their job contracts are renewed on a short term basis. What often happens is they sign a 1 or 2-year contract. During that time period, they do not send their children to public

[ Aimee Wenyue Chen ]

Intertwining Roots: Brazilian Immigrant Children in Yamanashi

1 The Ministry of Justice. Statistics on the Foreigners Registered in Japan, 2013.2 Yamanashi International Association. Gaikokujin Jumin Jittai Chosa—Chosa Kekka Hokokusho. March 2012.

2013 Population Figures for Foreign Residents

(North and South)

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

China Philippines BrazilKorea

700,58530.6%

558,34824.4%

214,2819.4%

186,7718.2%

JapanTotal

2,289,797

YamanashiTotal

14,388

Philippines1,814 12.6%

Korea (North and South)2,160 15%

Brazil2,97120.6%

China3,83926.7%

Other3,60425%

A map and guide of Chuo City at an elementary school.

The Ministry of Justice. Statistics on theForeigners Registered in Japan, 2013.


3 Yamanashi Prefecture. 2013 Ken no Aramashi.4 Statistics Bureau of Japan. Jinko Suikei. February 2014.

Japanese school since the compulsory education law is not applicable to foreign children and because it would be difficult for their children to transition to Japanese school when they plan on returning to Brazil soon. However, what ends up happening is that many stay much longer than planned, some over 10 years, or even longer. This results in many children not going to school, or having delayed or disrupted schooling.

Another major challenge is the lack of Japanese cultural and linguistic fluency among Brazilian immigrants, especially the adults. Since the adults arrive to Japan with little Japanese knowledge and work long hours on the job, they have little chance to learn Japanese. For Brazilian immigrant children, even those born in Japan, their home environment is culturally Brazilian and they only speak Portuguese. Because of this, they receive inadequate exposure to Japanese language and culture and it makes their transition to the Japanese school system much more difficult.

Opportunities for changeTo respond to these challenges, the local government, various community groups, and educational institutions have taken action. Yamanashi Prefecture has

implemented programs such as the Japanese Language Guidance Center School program, called Center-ko for short. This program has 18 Japanese language teachers visiting 17 target schools (15 elementary, 2 junior high) where there are large numbers of non-native Japanese language learners. Each teacher is in charge of several schools, and the specified schools are visited by teachers several times a week after regular classes end. In these classes, there are usually a large number of children from Brazil.

Intertwining rootsTatomi Minami Elementary is one of those targeted Center-ko schools in Yamanashi. Out of the roughly 230 students who attend the school, approximately 9% are immigrant children. This is an unusually high figure when put into context: the foreign population is only 1.6% of the prefectural population,3 and only 1.2% of the national population.4 At Tatomi Minami, the majority of those immigrant children are Brazilian, due to the school’s location in Chuo City.

Ms. Morikoshi is an interpreter at the school, and is the link between the school and Brazilian parents. At the school, she organizes regular parent-teacher meetings for Brazilian families. Because immigrant families are often culturally and linguistically removed from familiar networks that would facilitate their access to information, she provides the

parents with information on services and programs offered by the school, especially those targeted at immigrant children. She also counsels parents on how Japanese school systems work and how their children can get the most out of their education. She invites guest speakers to the event—former Brazilian Tatomi Minami students who have gone on to college, people who contribute to the Brazilian community, and those who work to bring Japanese and Brazilian people together.

She also works alongside the Center-ko teachers to guide immigrant children in Japanese lessons in after school classes. Outside of school, she

A chalkboard celebrating the 20th anniversary of the founding of Tatomi M i n a m i E l e m e n t a r y. Notice the flags of Brazil, J a p a n , C h i n a , P e r u , T h a i l a n d , a n d t h e Philippines at the bottom of the board. These flags represent the nationalities of all the children.

Ms. Aloma Morikoshi guides a child on her Japanese homework.

Signs and directions in Portuguese are scattered throughout the school.


gathers volunteers who help teach Japanese language, and organizes free Japanese classes on the weekends two to three times a month for children who need help in learning Japanese.

Despite these activities however, she tells me that she still gets frustrated. While she understands that many parents of these children have unstable jobs or long work hours, she wants them to participate more in their children’s education. Because the Japanese school system is so different from Brazil’s and because many parents aren’t sure how long they will stay in Japan, some parents automatically give up on understanding the school system here and don’t utilize the resources that can provide better educational opportunities for their children.

“Most of them are nikkei or have children born here,” she tells me. “I wish they could use this as an opportunity to bring Japan and Brazil together. I want them to recognize their Japanese roots.”

“Precious”There is another option for Brazilian parents who plan to return to Brazil and want their children to receive a Brazilian education. For those who can afford it, private Brazilian schools are schools where everything except foreign languages is taught in Portuguese. Because the schools follow the national curriculum of Brazil, children who return back to Brazil would have a smooth transition to the schools there.

Alps Gakuen, the largest Brazilian school in Yamanashi, was opened in 2001 and is located just outside of Chuo City. The school teaches approximately 40 students from elementary through to senior high school. The principal, Miriam Nagai, tells me the school is officially recognized by the Japanese government, and students who have a degree from Alps Gakuen can return to Brazil and petition to have their certificate recognized by the Brazilian government.

Ms. Nagai tells me at its highest point the school had 150 students in 2006, back when the school was called Colégio Pitágoras, and received direct funding from a private school company in Brazil. However, the global financial crisis in 2008 and events afterward led to the migration of many Brazilian immigrants back to Brazil, and the school closed from lack of funds in 2010. Despite this, Ms. Nagai refused to let the remaining students down and reopened the school on her own, renaming it Alps Gakuen. “I barely make enough to run the school,” she says. “But I’m not doing this for money. Children are precious. As long as I have enough to pay the teachers and the rent I will keep going.”

A better lifeArticle 28 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that "all children have the right to a primary education...[and they] should be encouraged to reach the highest level of education of which they are capable."

I, too, was a child who also grew up as an immigrant, and whose parents struggled in an unknown country. Yet, I don’t believe one must need to be an immigrant to understand the toils of a family needing to provide a better future for their children. I cannot imagine that Ms. Morikoshi and Ms. Nagai would feel any different, when they tell me that they want children to have as much education as possible, so that they can have a bigger and better life.

Ms. Miriam Nagai, the principal of Alps Gakuen.

Advanced elementary students at Alps Gakuen.

Students at Alps Gakuen.



Inside(s) StoryTorimotsu-ni’s debut in the 1950s was humble. In a country plagued with postwar deprivation, the Japanese people could not afford to waste food. At the time, chicken actually was a staple for restaurants in the Kofu basin area. However, the insides were consensually discarded as off-limits. The Shiomi brothers, two Kofu-based restaurateurs, would not have it that way. “It's such a waste to throw the inside of the chicken away! Can't we turn them into a gastronomic oxymoron, a cheap but tasty and sophisticated dish?” they thought. They came up with torimotsu-ni. Tori means

“chicken”, motsu means “giblets”, and ni means “cooked”. Coated in a sweet soy sauce usually served on one or two leaves of lettuce and shining like candy, these “cooked chicken giblets” à la Japanese have a sweet and spicy taste. They are traditionally served in soba (buckwheat noodles) restaurants located in the Kofu basin area.

Chicks and the CityUntil recently, Kofu citizens had no idea that torimotsu-ni was their invention. They found out during the 2010 edition of the B-1 Grand Prix, an annual nationwide specialty gourmet contest in which teams from various localities all over Japan compete for recognition of their local specialties. In 2010, Kofu won the contest. The name of the winning team,

“Minasama no En wo Torimotsu Tai”, which roughly translates to the “Bring Everybody Together Squad”, is a cleverly used wordplay that puns the word torimotsu which can mean both “chicken giblets” and “to bring together”. Launched in 2008 by a

few Kofu City public employees, the team has since then grown into a bigger group of 30 volunteers (public and private employees, students) with the objective of revitalizing the city of Kofu with one single tool: torimotsu-ni. The road to the B-1 Grand Prix gold medal was not an easy one – the trickiest part of it was convincing the creators of torimotsu-ni and the restaurants that carried it in their menu to take part. Most feared that mass publicity would result in an inevitable drop in quality of their product. "In order to avoid having too big a drop in the quality, we created a certified accreditation

[ Amina Dante ]

The “Minasama no En wo Torimotsu Tai” during a gourmet-related event.

The “Minasama no En wo Torimotsu Tai” when they received the Gold Medal at the B-1 Grand Prix in 2010.

甲府名物

Torimotsu-ni: Yamanashi’s Gold Medal RecipeTorimotsu-ni: Yamanashi’s Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe Gold Medal Recipe

Inside(s) StoryTorimotsu-ni’s debut in the 1950s was humble. In a country

Chicks and the CityUntil recently, Kofu citizens had no idea that torimotsu-ni

Chicks and the CityUntil recently, Kofu citizens had no idea that torimotsu-ni

Inside(s) Story

In my experience, French people typically picture Japanese people eating fish every day, whether grilled or in the form of sushi. However, Yamanashi, as one of Japan’s eight landlocked prefectures, was compelled to develop another type of cuisine – fish-free. This dish is called torimotsu-ni and its robust yet subtle style has recently earned Yamanashi a name all over Japan. This torimotsu-ni recipe will help you understand why. Let me tell you all about it…


and a map of “Minasama no En wo Torimotsu Tai” approved shops. There are around 50 on the map now", said Mr. Chiken, a member of the team (and YES, his name is for real). Variations of the torimotsu-ni recipe are admitted when they are faithful to the original spirit. Some restaurants deliberately shun accreditation though, and stray miles away – often with unquestionable talent and creativity – from the “real thing”. It gives a real freedom to the customers who can chose which torimotsu-ni they want to eat.

In four short years, the little black and orange torimotsu-ni flags have spread over Kofu City and the rest of the prefecture. They’re pretty. But they also mean that you can enjoy torimotsu-ni just about anywhere in Yamanashi.

People in Yamanashi will tell you that torimotsu-ni is not a dish to make at home but I am sure quite a few of you will more than appreciate a recipe of a Japanese dish with familiar ingredients such as chicken. Torimotsu-ni (4 persons)Ingredients●The giblets Chicken liver: 300g Chicken gizzard: 250g Chicken heart: 50g Kinkan (immature chicken egg): 50g (I’m

not sure I ever saw kinkan back in Europe, so you can try to find them, but you don’t have to try too hard as they’re not an indispensable ingredient.)

●The sauce Soy sauce: 100cc Sugar: 100g

Preparing the gibletsLiver: use only the part that is shaped like a heart and cut into bite-sized pieces.Gizzard: take out the white and pink parts. Cut to bite-sized pieces.Heart: take out any blood clots and cut into two. Kinkan: No preparation needed.

Cooking1. Pour the sugar and soy sauce in a

saucepan.2. Add the giblets. 3. Heat on high heat and put the lid over

the saucepan. 4. Bring to a boil (bubbles will appear on

the surface). 5. Lift the lid and stir occasionally by

moving the saucepan around.6. Once most of the liquid has evaporated,

your dish is ready.7. Place on a lettuce leaf.

Let’s ask Chef Shiomi!Chef Taishi Shiomi is the 4th generation of the family that created torimotsu-ni and he has the following advice: ●If cooked on low or medium heat, the

giblets will harden and won’t taste as good.

●If you add one more spoon of soy sauce between step 5 and 6, the caramelized sauce will taste even better.

●The lettuce leaf will absorb the caramelized sauce and make the dish even more delicious.

Torimocchan and Enmarukun are mascots of the “Minasama no En wo Torimotsu Tai”. They obviously represent the chicken and the egg (kinkan) used to make torimotsu-ni.

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People in Yamanashi will tell you that Cooking

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step 2 step 4~5 step 6 step 7

Also feel free to contact the editor with general inquiries about The Grapevine:

TEL: +81(0)55-223-1436FAX: +81(0)55-223-1438

The Grapevine EditorInternational Affairs Division

Yamanashi Prefectural Government1-6-1 Marunouchi, Kofu-shi

Yamanashi-ken 400-8501 Japan

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Grapevine StaffGrapevine StaffGV EditorAmina Dante

It is the second time for French CIR Amina to be the editor of the Grapevine. She is enjoying the winter in her house with the heater on and a warm cup of cocoa in her hand.

GV EditorDaniela KikuchiFirst year Brazilian CIR Daniela is really surprised with the quantity of snow here. Even though she is asking for warmer days, she is starting to miss the winter. Strange girl.

GV StaffAimee Wenyue Chen3rd year American CIR Aimee Chen is finishing up her last year working on the Grapevine. This winter, she finally got an opportunity to wear her very own kimono.

GV StaffJennifer SarahFreshly graduated from university, Jennifer Sarah is a 1st year CIR from Indonesia. Her every day is full of adventure and new challenges.

GV StaffRenata Pereira MuinhosFormer trainee from Minas Gerais in Brazil, Renata Pereira Muinhos just contributed her first article for the Grapevine. Now that she is back in Brazil, she misses Yamanashi’s cool weather and beautiful sights.

Comments about the articles? Suggestions for future articles? Send us an email at [email protected]

The first 10 people to send in comments will receive a FREE Yamanashi local specialty!

Comments about the articles? Suggestions for future articles? Send us an email at [email protected]

The first 10 people to send in comments will receive a FREE Yamanashi local specialty!

Documents

the Yamanashi Grapevine 2014 issue 1