Floor Guide
Bar
Relocation Support
Tourist Information
For Business Owners
Access
Contact Us
投稿日：
更新日：
The roots of Japanese jam areShinshuIt was in! ?
April 20, 1918, Nagano As the prefectural governor presented jam to Emperor Meiji, the Japan Jam Industrial Association establishes "Jam Day" on April 20th every year.
The jam that was presented was made by Shiokawa Iichiro from Mioka Village (now Mioka, Komoro City). Komoro, which was the first in the country to produce high-quality jams, is said to be the birthplace of Japanese jam products. The roots of Komoro jam and the fostering of high-quality, diverse fruitsShinshuHere's how we're making jams now.
The history of strawberry jam starting from a peach cannery
Red and sour strawberry that was responsible for the development of Komoro's jam
ShinshuDuring the Meiji period, when fruit trees began to grow in various places, peach cultivation became popular in Mioka Village, and at the same time, canned peaches developed.
However, since peach harvesting is limited to summer, it is said that the beginning of Komoro jam making was when strawberry cultivation and jam production began to be carried out to improve the operational efficiency of canners.
At the same time, in Kawabe Village (now Kawabe, Komoro City), we met strawberries, which are ingredients. "Around 1888, a cluster of wild strawberries were found in Mimakigahara. The small, vibrant red fruits were very sour, but perhaps because of their sourness, they turned into jam and had a huge reputation," says Shiraishi.
The place name "Ichigohira" was established because the open-ground cultivation of strawberries was actively carried out on the Mimakigahara Plateau. Currently, strawberries continue to evolve through various breeding, and this "Momaki Strawberry" is one of its original species. Komoro played an important role in the development of Japanese jam.
Shiraishi Masato
The former Kawabe Village Agricultural Cooperative Association Nagano Shiraishi worked for the Prefectural Economic Federation and also served as the head of the Agricultural Committee of Komoro City. He is committed to "making vegetables produced in various places," and is also the godfather of the place name "Strawberry Hira," and is a rare figure who learns the history of strawberries and jams.
Seasonal fruits and vegetables are made into a special jam
Only one item to find with farmers and retailers
Takamine Shokai has been the first to start bottle and canned food in Komoro for over half a century, mainly commission processing. This is one of the few companies in the prefecture that can receive orders for small amounts of raw materials, less than 100kg.
"The number of young farmers has increased, and there are also more requests to create items that are as special as possible. It's interesting to create that desire in a form," said President Hayashi.
Not only does the amount of sugar, but the taste and texture vary surprisingly depending on how the ingredients are cut and cooked. Jam is still evolving every day in Komoro region.
Takamine Shokai (Komoro City)
Representative Director Hayashi Takayuki
President Hayashi receives consultations from farmers and retailers and proposes products. Currently, he produces 200 to 300 types of processed products a year, and the items are diverse, including jams, pasta sauces and dressings.
The "concert" that still lives on
Sawaya's jam foundation is carefully selected fresh ingredients
Sawaya began in 1952 at a small vegetable shop (now the former Karuizawa store). The items chosen by discerning people have received a reputation among missionaries and villas.
"It was a trigger when a regular customer asked me to make delicious jam if it's your home. Even now, they only use fresh, delicious fruits, and they don't even freeze them. That's why the factory doesn't have a freezer," says Furugoe.
Sawaya's jam is home to a tradition that has been around for generations, including carefully selected domestically produced fresh ingredients, handmade without additives, and quick processing that makes use of the deliciousness.
Sawaya (Karuizawa Town）
Director, Kogoshi Yoshitaka
Kogoe said that jam was familiar from a young age. He also enters the factory and handles processing, and sometimes receives consultations from local producers. The commitment from the advancement of the fruit and vegetable shops has taken root as a corporate culture.
A new dimension of jam created through integrated production
Even without sugar, it's amazingly sweet: "Forest Sapphire"
The materials chosen by President Matsuda, who decided to start a fresh start from a different industry and work in agriculture, was Nagano Blueberries are the prefecture's number one production volume.
"I was an amateur when it came to farming so I was scared of, so I took the plunge and tried to prune quite a few branches. Then I got bigger and juicy fruits than I had imagined," he said with a smile.
We are consistently cultivated, processed and sold at our own farm, so we harvest and use only fully ripened fruits. This created a jam that uses little sugar, and has a strong sweetness of the fruit, with little sugar.
Forest fields (Nagano City）
Representative Director Matsuda Jun
"Agriculture is excited to be able to experience the growth process of seedlings and fruits every day. I would like to continue to challenge myself to do new things at this farm so that it can remain an industry that will last for 100 or 200 years," he says, showing his enthusiasm for the future.
