Tops the nation in terms of frozen bonito catches. Yaizu bonito flakes play a role in Japanese food culture.

Bonito has been a part of Japanese food culture since the Jomon period. Yaizu City, Shizuoka Prefecture boasts the highest volume of frozen bonito catches in Japan.
Bonito flakes are boiled and called ``Namari-bushi'', those that are smoked and dried are called ``Arabushi'', and those that have been repeatedly molded and dried in the sun are called ``Kare-bushi''. Bushi). Among them, Yaizu boasts the highest production volume of ``Namaribushi'' in Japan. The traditional ``tebiyama-shiki'' method is a time-consuming and time-consuming method, and there are very few places in Japan that continue to make it using this method. We will explore Yaizu's bonito culture and the traditional manufacturing method.

Yaizu established the standard for making bonito flakes nationwide.

Bonito bones have also been excavated from the Miyanokoshi ruins in Yaizu, indicating that Yaizu and bonito have had a deep connection since ancient times. Before the creation of bonito flakes, the culture of drying bonito as a preserved food is said to have existed at least as far back as the Asuka period, and it was even used as an offering from Yaizu.
The method of smoking bonito flakes originated in Tosa (Kochi Prefecture) in the early Edo period, and after being introduced to Izu, it spread to Yaizu. Until the middle of the Meiji era, Yaizu's bonito flakes were ranked lower than those in Tosa and Satsuma (Kagoshima), where bonito fishing was popular, but as they adopted superior production methods from various regions and made improvements over and over again, they eventually became popular in the Meiji era. Towards the end of the year, they will establish themselves as the best at fairs and exhibitions. After that, Yaizu's bonito flakes manufacturing method became the national standard, and Yaizu craftsmen began visiting factories around the country to teach them the method. Around ten bonito flakes factories are still operating in Yaizu, and they play an important role in traditional Japanese food.

A distinctive feature of Yaizu's bonito flakes manufacturing method is the smoking process called ``baikan,'' which uses deciduous broad-leaved trees such as Quercus oak and Sawtooth oak. ``Yamaju'', founded in 1887 (Meiji 20), uses this smoking process to make bonito flakes using the ``hand volcano method,'' a method passed down from the Edo period. It seems that there are only a few places in the country left that still make bonito flakes using the hand-made method.

Explore how to make bonito flakes using the "hand volcano method", which is rare nationwide.

When the company first opened, it set up a factory near the Yaizu Port market, where it even made the process known as ``fushi'' for bonito flakes, but in 1961 it moved to its current location, and in 36. (1997), we also began to perform the shaving process. Yaizu is home to many bonito flakes factories, but most of them involve the process of making bonito flakes. It is said that Yaizu was one of the earliest to start carrying out the shaving process.

We were shown the process of manufacturing bonito flakes at Yamajuu.
Depending on the factory, bonito flakes are made in different ways, and even though they look the same, they end up with completely different tastes and aromas. An increasing number of producers are simplifying the process by changing the part of the bonito that they cut and using, omitting the deboning process, and using a dryer to circulate the smoke even though they can burn wood.
Landed bonito are auctioned at the market in categories of 4.5kg, 2.5kg, 1.8kg, and under 1.8kg. Yamaju uses 4.5kg and 2.5kg bonito. Making bonito flakes begins with purchasing high-quality bonito by determining the degree of fat and freshness. Since the 1.8 kg bonito is small, it dries quickly, so it can be made in a short time and at a low cost, but it is said that it does not produce beautiful ``knots.'' For beautiful knots, it is best to use 4.5 kg or more.
When small bonito is shaved, it is difficult to make fluffy shaved bonito flakes, and it tends to become powdery. These are often used as raw materials for processed products such as seasonings and soups.
"Bonito caught near the equator, where the water temperature is high, has less fat and produces better bonito flakes," says Masuda.

Once the frozen bonito we have purchased is only half-thawed, we first cut off the head with a mechanical cutter. Only this work uses a machine, but everything else is done by hand. Skilled craftsmen carefully assess the condition of each fish, remove the internal organs, and cut them into three pieces. After that, put it in a basket and boil it for about an hour and a half.
“In the past, we used to completely thaw the head before cutting it, but after trying various things, we found that it tastes better if we cut the head while it is partially thawed and then thaw it. We continue to follow the same principles and come up with ways to improve the taste," says Masuda.

Next, the work of removing the bones. If the bones remain, the ``knots'' cannot be cleaned, so the craftsmen carefully remove them.

Before the surface dries, the firewood is burned and the process called drying begins. It seems that hard woods such as oak and sawtooth oak are best for this firewood. This process of using firewood is the most distinctive feature of the hand volcano method. There is a pleasant smell of burning wood. Cook for about an hour and a half, changing the position so that it cooks evenly.
"We use Quercus oak. We specify the thickness and length to adjust the burning time. It's the same as smoking, so slow-burning wood is best. Also, the paper we use as a fire starter is , it's a backing for the stickers that are pasted on bags of dried bonito flakes.It has wax on it, so it burns well.''

The knots are moved to a place called Kyuzoko. Each piece is placed in a steel steamer by hand, and at that time, we visually check to make sure there are no bones left unremoved and that they are in good condition. Firewood is burnt even in the emergency warehouse, where it continues to smoke for over a month. The inside of the quick brewing warehouse is divided into four floors, and you can adjust the quality of the smoke by raising the upper floors little by little. You can tell that it takes a lot of effort to change the location and adjust the firewood while checking its condition.
"We let them rest, let them sweat, and then we put them back on fire and repeat. The degree of ignition differs depending on the location, so we use our eyes to judge the location and then switch positions."

A dedicated craftsman sorts each one out of the emergency warehouse, and the Arabushi is completed. The result is dried bonito flakes with a strong smoked aroma. Many restaurants use this arabushi for soups such as ramen and soba that require a strong aroma.

Only about 1% of all bonito flakes are produced. Karebushi takes even more time and effort to make.

For arabushi with good shape and quality, the black part on the surface is shaved off, then molded and dried in the sun, which is repeated many times to create ``karebushi.'' The fat in karebushi is broken down and the moisture is removed, resulting in a mellow taste. For bonito flakes with an elegant taste like those used in restaurants. Some shops seem to use a mixture of arabushi and karebushi.
``Yaizu, with its long sunshine hours, is perfect for drying dried bonito flakes.Nowadays, there are far fewer places that produce dried dried dried bonito flakes.I'd say more than 9% of them are dried dried dried dried bonito flakes. That's about 1% of the total."

To pass on the traditional Japanese food, bonito flakes, to the next generation.

The finished arabushi and karebushi are shaved into fluffy pieces and packaged as bonito flakes. Freshly shaved bonito flakes have a rich aroma and flavor. Bonito flakes begin to oxidize from the point where they are shaved, so they gradually lose their flavor. For this reason, bonito flakes are sold filled with nitrogen gas.
``Recently, I've seen an increase in the number of parents and young people who want to shave bonito flakes.They're bringing their shaving tools and teaching me how to do it.I'm happy to see an increase in the number of people like that.''

At Yamaju, we hold a factory tour day once a month and hold a marche inside the factory to teach the general public about the traditional way of making bonito flakes. It is said that the best way to eat bonito flakes is to eat them over rice and a little soy sauce. We also recommend purchasing both arabushi and karebushi bonito flakes and enjoying the difference in taste.

Visit producers and procure materials. ``Nakamura'' uses local ingredients to create the best tempura.

2 minutes walk from JR Yaizu Station. "Nakamura" is a tempura restaurant opened in May 2023 by owner Yuki Nakamura, who trained at the famous tempura restaurant "Naruse" in Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City.
The fish is purchased from Sasue Maeda Fish Store in Yaizu, and the vegetables are vegetables that Mr. Nakamura personally harvested by visiting the farm, as well as Asahata lotus root from Shizuoka City, which is said to have been eaten by Prince Ieyasu, and vegetables from Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City. We mainly use tea from the Yaizu area, such as tea from the Okawa and Kawane areas, soy sauce from Sakae Shoyu Jozo in Kakegawa, local sake such as Kikusui and Suginishiki from Fujieda, and Isojiman from Yaizu. Masu.

Nakamura uses Yamaju's bonito flakes in the stock for their tempura sauce, tempura chazuke, vinegared dishes and more.
"I heard that Yamaju's bonito flakes are the best for making soup stock, and I've been using them ever since."
We use ``Yamaju'' honkarebushi. We have them adjust the level of chiaai, the width of the shavings, etc. on their own, and have them shave it to bring out the aroma of the soup stock. The level of bloodiness inevitably varies depending on the part of the bonito flakes, so the condition of the bonito flakes must be assessed and the temperature and time adjusted accordingly as the dashi is prepared.

``Yamaju's bonito flakes are really delicious.The flavor, taste, and aroma are different.Also, this is a bonito shop that takes their business seriously.The same goes for fish and vegetables, but in my case, it's about things and money. We value connections between people rather than transactions.Therefore, when deciding on a supplier for ingredients, I always visit the store and communicate with them.''
Be sure to check out Nakamura's tempura as well as their tempura sauce.

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