Izu City, located in the center of the Izu Peninsula, is a city surrounded by sea and mountains and offering beautiful scenery.
There are many famous places scattered around, including Kawazu Seven Waterfalls, which was selected as one of Japan's 100 best water sources. It is also home to many hot spring resorts, such as Shuzenji Onsen and Yugashima Onsen, making it a tourist destination visited by many people from both inside and outside the prefecture.
It is also one of Shizuoka Prefecture's leading "food treasure troves," overflowing with seafood and mountain produce.
This time, we visited Izu City, a treasure trove of food, in search of Izu deer, a new ingredient that is gaining attention.
The reasons why it began to be used for food and the struggles of those who work on it.
While listening to such stories, we look forward to discovering new foods.


Izu City, where abundant nature spreads

Sika deer: their impact on forest ecosystems and the economy

Izu City is rich in nature and once had a thriving ecosystem, with many rabbits and birds living there.
This ecosystem began to collapse in the 1980s, when the sika deer population increased and environmental problems became evident.

Sika deer like to eat young trees and shrub shoots, grasses, and plant leaves in forests, causing "feeding damage" that prevents young trees from growing and reduces the regenerative power of trees. Furthermore, the reduction in herbaceous plants also has an impact on the balance of the entire ecosystem.
Damage to agriculture has also become more serious, dealing a major blow to farmers' income, with economic losses due to deer amounting to 1 million yen per year, a serious problem for the local economy.

In addition, the Izu Peninsula, including Izu City, used traps and hunting guns to capture the animals, but they also had trouble disposing of them after capture.


A herd of Izu deer living in the mountains of Izu

"Don't waste a life" - Local governments and businesses cooperate to utilize venison

These various problems caused by sika deer have prompted local governments and businesses to start working together to take action.
Initially, some of the captured deer were consumed by the hunters themselves, but most were buried in the mountains.
Based on the idea that "the lives of the deer captured to protect human life should not go to waste, but should be used as food," full-scale preparations began in fiscal 21 to establish a city-run meat processing center, and the Izu City Meat Processing Center, "Izu Deer Wholesaler," was established in April 2011.

A challenge to change the image of Izu deer meat
- Izushika Wholesaler's strict management and low-temperature maturation technology

We spoke to Mr. Yamamoto, the representative of Daichi Sansho (Yamamoto Food Center), a popular store where you can purchase fresh local vegetables and ingredients, and also the chairman of the Izu Deer Fan Club, an organization established by volunteers from the Izu City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Youth Division, about the use of Izu deer.


Mr. Yamamoto, representative of Daichi Sansho (Yamamoto Food Center)

"I did a lot of research because I wanted to get rid of the image that venison = tough, smelly, and has a strong flavor. People who have eaten Izu deer say it's soft! It has no smelly or strong flavor! It's delicious!" says Yamamoto happily.
The secret lies in the strict management system and low-temperature maturation at Izu City Meat Processing Center, "Izu Deer Wholesaler."


Izu Deer Wholesaler's venison is kept delicious through a strict management system

"We process the captured deer within two hours and use a ripening method that takes moisture retention into consideration to bring out the flavor of the proteins and amino acids, which allows us to provide delicious venison. If processed correctly and carefully, venison can be delicious to eat. We encourage everyone to try it."


Low-temperature aged venison

Game meat is difficult to prepare unless you are a chef, so it is out of reach for ordinary households.
Processed foods have also been developed to make it easy to serve at the dinner table, and it was clear that Yamamoto and other people working hard to popularize venison have a strong passion for the food.

Only a small portion of the deer can be used for food, so the yield is low.
They are committed to using the entire deer, and are experimenting in various ways to avoid wasting the deer's life, such as reusing the organs as pet food and processing the antlers and skin into accessories.
As a result, Izu City boasts one of the highest rates of effective utilization in the country.

"Izu deer jerky", which makes the most of the delicious flavor of lean meat, is very popular!

Izu deer meat is leaner than other deer meats and has a mild yet mature flavor.
It is low in fat and cholesterol, and is richer in protein than beef or pork. It also contains twice as much iron as beef, and is garnering attention as a healthy and nutritious food.

We wondered if there was a product that could make better use of the characteristics of Izu deer meat, so we decided to try making "Izu deer jerky."

"The lean red meat and texture make Izu deer perfect for jerky, and we've been flooded with more orders than we expected. It's now our most popular item," says Yamamoto.

It's apparently such a popular item that production can't keep up, so this is definitely a dish you'll want to try.


Popular products of "Izushika"

Daichi Sansho (Yamamoto Food Center) sells a variety of processed Izu deer products, including jerky, salami, and Vienna sausages.
We want our customers to enjoy the fresh vegetables and fruits that local people have lovingly grown, so we stock a wide variety of seasonal Izu ingredients, including Izu deer and wild game.
This is a must-visit restaurant for anyone looking to try some delicious Izu ingredients.

"I would like to continue to actively promote Izu deer and develop products using Izu deer meat as a healthy ingredient," he said with enthusiasm.


The restaurant offers a wide variety of Izu deer, wild game and other Izu ingredients.

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Praise for the Earth (Yamamoto Food Center)
[Address] 6-1 Shimofunahara, Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture
[Business Hours] 9: 00-18: 30
[Closed] Sunday
[TEL] 0558-87-0818
[URL] https://www.izushika.com/
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Praise for the Earth (Yamamoto Food Center)


I really want to try the Izu deer jerky that is so highly praised by Izu deer professional Yamamoto!
If you're going to enjoy it, why not also enjoy some craft beer made with Izu's delicious water? This is a place where you can enjoy both.
Our destination was Baird Brewery Garden Shuzenji, located on the banks of the pure Kano River, about a five-minute drive from Daichi Sansho (Yamamoto Food Center).
This farm-style brewery is located in a natural setting, a little distance from the main area of ​​Shuzenji.
Shizuoka Prefecture is famous as a mecca for craft beer, and it boasts one of the largest breweries in the country.


A brewery nestled in the middle of nature

Baird Brewing, nurtured together with nature

Baird Brewing was founded in 2000 by Brian Baird and his wife Sayuri. They started out as a small brewery and taproom in the fishing port of Numazu City.
Since our founding, we have continued to brew unique beers that take advantage of the characteristics unique to each region, based on our belief that "we should maximize the quality of the ingredients, such as hops, yeast, and malt, by processing them as little as possible."

Later, captivated by the rich natural environment of Shuzenji, he moved Baird Brewery Garden Shuzenji to its current location in Ohira, Izu City, in the Shuzenji district of Izu City in 2014.

The vast 3-hectare site also includes a craft brewery with a taproom and a farm.
In 2018, a campsite called "Camp Baird" was opened so that people coming from far away could enjoy a leisurely beer.
This place, where you can fully enjoy craft beer in the middle of nature, is a popular campsite visited by many campers on weekends.


Camp Baird: a spacious campsite

Learn about sustainable beer brewing on a factory tour

We were told that we could take a tour of the factory, and while we were there we learned about the attention to detail that goes into brewing Baird Brewing's craft beer.

"Reusing heat generated during the brewing process"
"Make water even cleaner than river water and release it back into the river"
"Reusing malt and hop residue as natural fertilizer"
Our world-class brewing equipment, such as these, makes sustainable beer brewing possible.


Cleanly maintained brewing facilities
Top left: Huge fermentation tank Top right: German-made brewing kettle
Bottom left: The mash kettle, the tank that produces wort. Bottom right: A tour of the brewing facilities.

Commitment to the quality of water, the lifeblood of beer

The quality of water, which makes up more than 90% of beer's raw materials, is essential to beer brewing.
It is said that "water is the lifeblood of beer," and it is important that the local water is suitable for brewing beer.
The location where the beer is brewed is very important, and the water from that area gives the beer its own unique character.


The Kano River flows next to the brewery

The water that springs from Shuzenji's rich natural environment has a soft, clear taste, and is the key to creating a unique richness and clean aftertaste.
This seems to be one of the reasons why they decided to settle here.

Afterwards, we had the opportunity to visit a vast farm.
This was my first time seeing hop cultivation up close. The vines that grew to heights of several meters were impressive.
Besides hops, fruits and vegetables are also grown here.


Hops used in brewing beer

The hops are grown using natural farming methods that do not use any chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and although this is a time-consuming cultivation method, it is said to be essential for growing gentle, fruity, and rustic hops.
It's the effort born out of love for beer that produces high-quality hops.

Enjoy the nature of Izu with craft beer and Izu deer

To enjoy the long-awaited beer, we headed to the Brewery Garden Taproom tasting room on the third floor.

A taproom where you can enjoy freshly brewed beer and food that goes perfectly with it

You'll see 20 beer taps lined up across the counter.
Beer lovers will be excited to know that they will be able to drink around 20 different types of freshly brewed craft beer.
On the west side of the Kano River, there is a deck where you can enjoy a beer while looking out at the beautiful, idyllic scenery.

This time, we will be enjoying the Rising Sun Pale Ale and Venison Jerky and Venison Sausage on the beer deck.


Beer and deer jerky go great together!

We start off by enjoying the freshly brewed craft beer, marvelling at the fineness of the foam, which can be seen just by looking at it.
The texture is completely different from regular beer, which is artificially injected with carbon dioxide! It's amazing to think that these fine bubbles are created only by the fermentation of beer yeast.
The aroma and bitterness that fills your nose, along with a refreshing aftertaste, are simply amazing.


Freshly poured beer looks and tastes fantastic!

Next up was the long-awaited deer jerky.
The moment you put it in your mouth, a smoky aroma spreads. It has no unpleasant odor at all, and the more you chew it, the more delicious it becomes.
The subtle aroma of venison and the perfect firmness are what make venison jerky so delicious.
When I hear the word "venison," I imagine it having a strong odor and a strong flavor, but both of these meats were full of mature flavor, completely overturning my previous image, and of course, they were also a perfect match for beer.


Left: Venison sausage Right: Venison jerky
Baird Brewery Garden Shuzenji allows you to bring your own food and snacks, so it might be a good idea to buy your favorite snacks at Daichi Sansho before visiting.

This time I encountered Izu deer and craft beer.
Both were masterpieces made in Izu, born from the desire to "improve the local area" and "protect nature."
We hope you will enjoy the unique flavors of Izu, born from Izu's high-quality water and abundant nature.


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Baird Brewery Gardens Shuzenji
[Address] 1052 Ohira, Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture
[Business hours] Sunday to Thursday: 10:00-19:00 Friday and Saturday: 10:00-20:00
[TEL] 0558-73-1225
[URL] https://bairdbeer.com/ja/brewery-gardens-2/

[Factory tour]
Dates: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Time: ①12:00 ②14:00 (twice a day)
Time required: about 30 minutes
Price: 20 yen per person for those 1 years old and over (no tasting) / Free for those under 500
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Baird Brewery Gardens Shuzenji