The Izu Peninsula, which was created a long time ago by the repeated collision of continents and the eruption of submarine volcanoes, is a place with a unique and beautiful natural landscape. One of the famous products of Izu is wasabi. Shizuoka Prefecture's wasabi production accounts for 7% of the nation's total.
It was certified as a Japanese Agricultural Heritage Site in 2017 (Heisei 29), and subsequently certified as a Global Agricultural Heritage Site in 2018 (Heisei 30). "Traditional cultivation of Shizuoka water wasabi - The history of people and wasabi told by the birthplace" -”. The wasabi cultivation method known as the Tatamiishi method, which involves clearing streams and creating terraces, has been recognized around the world.
Wasabi is an endemic species that has evolved uniquely in the Japanese archipelago, and grows alongside clean spring water and beautiful nature. The area surrounding Wasabi Fields is surrounded by a wide variety of living things and is a natural landscape that has remained unchanged from the past. We will introduce the history and spread of wasabi, which Shizuoka is proud of to the world.

The traditional Shizuoka water wasabi cultivation method was established approximately 400 years ago.

Yoshihiro Shioya, head of the Nakaizu Wasabi Association, which produces wasabi at ``Radba no Wasabisawa''.

The history of wasabi cultivation is said to have begun about 400 years ago, in the early Edo period. Cultivation first started when villagers planted wild wasabi in spring water in Aitogi, Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City. Legend has it that when wasabi was presented to Tokugawa Ieyasu, it was highly prized not only for its taste but also because the wasabi leaves resembled the Tokugawa clan's hollyhock crest, and it was also written in kanji as ``wasabi.'' there is. Ieyasu was so fond of wasabi that he forbade anyone to take it out of Utogi.

In 1744, when Kanshiro Itagaki, the mountain lord of Yugashima, Amagi (now Yugashima, Izu City), visited Utogi as an instructor in shiitake cultivation, he received wasabi seedlings as a thank you for his guidance, and began growing them on Yugashima, Amagi. As a result, wasabi cultivation in the Izu region became popular. When sushi was created in the late Edo period, the consumption of wasabi increased dramatically and its production increased. Wasabi produced in Izu was shipped to Edo by boat.



Pumice is created from lava from ancient eruptions. It has many holes and has high water retention. This is essential for wasabi cultivation. Even when it rains heavily, it absorbs water and adjusts the water content in the stream.

Later, around 1892 (Meiji 25), a cultivation method called the ``tatami-ishi method'', in which stones were piled up, was devised in Izu, and this cultivation method spread throughout the country. Izu Peninsula's representative wasabi production area, Ikadaba Wasabi Sawa, is located near the end of lava formed by a volcanic eruption that occurred approximately 3200 years ago. In the wasabi fields, water that has been stored for many years in the pumice of lava flows into the stream as clear spring water.


It is said that wasabi of better quality can be produced in areas with clean water, and even the same variety of wasabi from the same producer has different quality depending on location and water quality.
One of its features is that it can be shipped year-round from the same production area and same farmer. It is said that this is because spring water with a temperature of around 15 degrees flows through the wasabi fields year-round, and because it is surrounded by trees, the temperature is stable throughout the year (13-18 degrees), which is conducive to growing wasabi. Masu.

Also pay attention to the beautiful landscape of the wasabi fields throughout the seasons.

“Wasabi Sawa” was created about 400 years ago, but it was also in a catastrophic crisis during the Kanogawa Typhoon in 1958 (Showa 33). After that, thanks to the efforts of producers and local residents, the area was revived and became ``Japan's No. XNUMX Wasabi Village.''

Wasabi fields, known as the Tatami-ishi style, have sand and gravel on the surface, pebbles lined up underneath that, and a layer of sand and stones in the form of large stones underneath, which filters water by passing it through. It flows into the wasabi fields below the stairs. Tatamishi-style wasabi fields utilize abundant spring water without using much fertilizer or pesticides, making it a sustainable farming method with a low environmental impact.

The beautiful wasabi fields create an excellent landscape that blends with the surrounding seasonal scenery, making it a landscape that is loved not only by Japanese people but by people all over the world. White flowers bloom from December to March, with peak blooming in March. The scenery at this time is also at its best. The autumn leaves season in early December is also worth seeing.

Wasabi grows large and absorbs moisture from spring to summer. It varies depending on the variety, but in general, wasabi in this season tends to have a lot of moisture and less stickiness, so it is recommended to pair it with soba.
On the other hand, from autumn to winter, the wasabi grows slowly, so there is less water, and you tend to get sticky wasabi. Wasabi these days seems to go well with sushi and sashimi.
You can also eat the leaves, stems, and parts of the flowers that bloom in spring. You can enjoy the leaves as tempura, or the stems and flowers as boiled in soy sauce.

When choosing wasabi, it is said that the one with side buds that are closely spaced is tastier. If you grate it slowly in a circular motion using a grater made from sharkskin, you can enjoy the stickiness and the slight sweetness of the wasabi. It is similar to daikon radish, which is a member of the Brassica family, and the closer to the stem the more fragrant and less pungent it is. The colors are beautiful and it is a place where you can even feel the sweetness that you don't usually get. On the other hand, the tip has less scent and is sticky. The color is also dull green. The center part has a good balance of aroma and spiciness. Use it depending on how you eat it.

— Wasabisawa at the Raft Farm [Address] Karate Farm, Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture *The wasabi field is privately owned by the producer and is not developed as a tourist destination. When visiting, please be careful not to disturb the producers.

Enjoy special dishes made with wasabi at Amago Chaya, which is directly operated by the producer.

The photo shows a special menu that includes wasabi hotpot and wasabi bowl.

``Amago Chaya'' is run by ``Amago Club,'' which is also a producer of wasabi and a large, high-quality ``Benihime Amago.'' You can enjoy dishes made with plenty of wasabi, which is unique to the producer.
The recommended dish using wasabi is the ``wasabi hotpot.'' Originally, wasabi hotpot was a dish that could only be eaten at inns in this area. This hot pot also contains fresh Benihime Amago, and when cooked, the sharp wasabi taste disappears, making it delicious even for those who don't like spicy food. To finish off the hot pot, we recommend adding local Amagi game chicken eggs and adding udon or rice.

In addition, the ``Wasabi-don'' is topped with wasabi that you grated yourself, and the rice is topped with Izu-produced nano-nori and bonito flakes. Naori is a type of rock seaweed that is harvested along the coast from Numazu City to Nishiizu, and is a rare local food in Izu. The bonito flakes we use are from Kanesa Katsuobushi Shoten, which is made in Nishi-Izu Town using the traditional hand-fired method. All of them are fragrant. Why not try a meal packed with the deliciousness of Izu?

— Amago Chaya Amagi Yugashima Branch [Address] 540-1 Ichiyama, Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture [TEL] 0558-85-2016 [URL] https://amago.co.jp —

Experience wasabi pickling by combining wasabi with sake lees at Amagi Wasabi no Sato, which is directly managed by the producer.

Wasabi pickles are made by chopping the stems and roots of wasabi and pickling it in salt, then marinating it in a mixture of sake lees, sugar, mirin, and other seasonings. It is a local dish unique to Shizuoka, with a milder spiciness than raw wasabi, and is best enjoyed with rice and alcohol.It is also featured in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' ``My Local Cuisine - Important Tastes We Want to Pass Down to the Next Generation.''

Wasabi pickles are said to have originated in the Edo period. Originally, wasabi was eaten as a pickled rice bran pickled in miso or salt, but the current wasabi pickle was born based on this way of eating it.

At Amagi Wasabi no Sato, located inside the roadside station Amagigoe, you can try your hand at making wasabi pickles. Just chop wasabi, rub it with salt, and mix it with specially formulated sake lees. The wasabi pickles you make yourself have a special taste. It only takes about 20 minutes, so everyone from children to adults can easily enjoy it.

— Amagi Wasabi no Sato [Address] 892-6 Yugashima, Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture (inside the roadside station “Amagi Goe”) [TEL] 0558-85-0999 [URL] http://amagi-wasabinosato.co.jp *Wasabi pickles Reservations required for the experience.

Stretch your legs a little. Head to Namezawa Valley to see the blessings of water on the Izu Peninsula.

On the left hand side of the roadside station ``Amagi Goe'', there is a promenade called ``Odoriko Walk'', and if you walk along it you will reach ``Namesawa Valley'', which was the motif of Yasushi Inoue's first work ``The Hunting Gun''. It is possible to go to Keikoku). The uniquely shaped rocks called joints, which are formed when lava cools, and the dragon-shaped waterfall are worth seeing.
As you walk here, you can see water gushing out everywhere, and get a real sense of the clean, rich water of Izu. You can see several wasabi fields along the way.

— Namesawa Valley [Address] Namesawa Valley, Yugashima, Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture [URL] https://izugeopark.org/geosites/namesawa/ —

[Examples of model plans for the spots introduced this time]

*By car
8:45
Depart from JR Numazu Station.

9:45 ~ 10:30
Wasabi swamp at the rafting area.
*Wasabi fields are privately owned by the producers and are not developed as a tourist destination. When visiting, please be careful not to disturb the producers.

11:00 ~ 11:30
Wasabi pickling experience at Amagi Wasabi no Sato.

12:00 ~ 13:00
Lunch at Amago Chaya Amagi Yugashima branch.

13:30 ~ 14:30
From the roadside station "Amagi-Koe" to Namesawa Valley. We also recommend geoguide tours run by the Izu Peninsula Geoguide Association.

16:00
Arrived at JR Mishima Station.