Jul 26,2018
Back in the Edo period (1603 to 1868), the town of Kozaki in Chiba’s Katori District was called the Nada of Kanto because of its similarity to Nada, the renowned saké producing area in Kobe. Blessed with the waters of the Tone River and fertile soil, the area was a breadbasket with abundant rice and soybean crops. Fermentation thrived in the town, having seven saké breweries, along with several miso and soy sauce breweries, in just a 500-meter radius.
And it was on this land that the highway rest stop Hakko-no Sato Kozaki [literally meaning “Kozaki, the Village of Fermentation”] opened in April 2015.
We spoke with Higashikawa Kei, the manager of Hakko-no Sato Kozaki, about how this unique highway rest stop, which prominently features fermentation, came into being and what kind of place it has become.
Higashikawa Kei, the manager of Hakko-no Sato Kozaki
Higashikawa describes how the highway rest stop came into being. “The catalyst was a saké brewery festival that began 10 years ago. Two local Kozaki saké breweries — Nabedana Saké Brewery and Terada Honke — that had previously held their own separate festivals decided to collaborate on a combined event. The festival drew many visitors, which prompted the town to start a community development program centered on fermentation. The program adopted the slogan Kozaki, the Village of Fermentation. Three years ago, we opened the Hakko-no Sato Kozaki highway rest stop. Last year marked the 10th anniversary of the saké brewery festival, which has grown into one of Japan’s premier events for saké and fermented foods, attracting 50,000 visitors in a single day.”
If you walk around the Hakko-no Sato Kozaki highway rest stop, you will notice four buildings: The Fermentation Market, Restaurant Oryzae, Hakko Sabo [literally “Fermentation Tea Salon”], and the Fresh Produce Market.
The Fermentation Market is lined with various fermented food products from all over the country
The Fermentation Market is naturally stocked with products from Kozaki’s two local saké breweries, Nabedana Saké Brewery and Terada Honke. But it also features a well-curated selection of products from all over Japan and even some from overseas.
“Highway rest stops have an image of being places that deal in local produce. But here, we sell food products from many different places with fermentation as our theme. This town, with a population of 6,150, is the smallest in Chiba, and our land area is second smallest after only Urayasu. So we couldn’t have a well-stocked highway rest stop if we only carried local produce. This is why we decided to take a unique approach that no other highway rest stop has and really lean into the concept of fermentation. From there, we came up with the idea of having a specialty shop that carries fermented food products from across Japan. We have created a network with municipalities nationwide that have also built their communities around fermented food products, and we now carry some 500 products. We welcome many visitors, both local and from other prefectures, including those who happen to stop by while traveling and those who specifically visit us out of interest in fermented foods.”
The market has an extensive selection of saké from Kozaki’s two leading saké makers. Nabedana Saké Brewery focuses on crafting delicious saké with a human touch, while Terada Honke uses traditional methods and the power of nature to brew its saké.
The media and other channels have shone a spotlight on fermented foods in recent years, and Higashikawa says he has noticed a definite increase in people interested in fermented foods and who have a heathy image of fermented foods. On the other hand, he has some reservations about it being called a trend.
“Soy sauce, saké, miso, mirin rice wine, and vinegar — the foundations of Japanese cuisine — are all fermented foods. They are the roots of the food of the Japanese people. However, with the influx of inexpensive imported foods, Japanese food culture is under pressure. Therefore, we want to ensure that fermented food doesn’t fade away like a mere trend. Our aim is to clearly articulate the genuine deliciousness and health benefits of authentic fermented foods that have been passed down through generations.”
The selection of products sold at the Fermentation Market is all absorbing.
“We carefully consider each product before stocking it on our shelves, taking into account whether it was made following traditional methods, whether it embodies a sincere commitment to creating new value beyond tradition, or whether it offers innovative ideas. The key criterion is whether the product fits our Village of Fermentation. Our customers range from those who happen to drop by to those with a deep appreciation for fermented foods. We do our best to select a wide range of products so all types of customers will find something of interest.”
We ask what types of products are the most popular.
“Amazake [a sweet drink made with koji malt], of course, is always a popular product. We handle amazake from many different manufacturers. But the amazake from Hirajin Saké-Ten, which also produces fermented products like miso and salted koji right here in Kozaki, is one of the most popular.”
Popular products from Hirajin Saké-Ten, which has produced fermented products in Kozaki for generations
“Customers also frequently pick up products like jams made by boiling down amazake, various fermented jams, black vinegars and ishiru [fish sauce made of salted and fermented squid], and a type of white soy sauce called shiro tamari. Another popular product year round is fugu no ko fermented pickles. The pickles are made from pufferfish ovaries, which are normally toxic and inedible. But these pickles are fermented in rice bran for four years, which eliminates all the toxins. This rare delicacy is permitted to be produced only in a special zone in Ishikawa. The product highlights the astonishing wonders of fermentation.”
The Fermentation Market has a striking array of fermented food products, from the traditional to the innovative
“But our most popular product is Kozaki Natto [fermented soybeans]. We developed this product, which uses local soybeans, in collaboration with Nabedana Saké Brewery. In recent years, as natto consumption has fallen, companies have been striving to develop natto products with smaller grains, less stickiness, and a milder odor. However, the natto produced by Hakko-no Sato takes the opposite approach. We developed a natto that is large-grained, sticky, and has a robust odor, by fully embracing the characteristics of fermentation. It has been well-received by many customers.”
Hakko-no Sato’s original Kozaki Natto fully embraces the characteristics of fermentation
The highway rest stop has, indeed, brought together a fine selection of fermented food products from all over the country. But Higashikawa says their activities will not stop here.
“There are many specialty shops all over Japan that sell a wide variety of fermented foods. And it’s not that difficult to produce your own brand of fermented food products if you commission a specialty manufacturer. Given that our concept is fermentation, we want to delve even deeper into what tradition-backed fermentation and brewing truly entail. More specifically, we plan to partner with research institutions to unravel the scientific basis of why fermented foods are healthy as well as study the indigenous microorganisms in Kozaki.”
If you should stop at the highway rest stop, we definitely recommend that you visit Restaurant Oryzae. The restaurant, named after Aspergillus oryzae, the scientific name for koji mold, offers an enjoyable selection of fermented foods. One recommendation is the miso koji grilled pork. It is the restaurant’s No. 1 set meal, as it is delicious and hearty.
The miso koji grilled pork won the Jaran Prize at the Michi-One Grand Prix, a festival that celebrates gourmet food at the nation’s highway rest stops. (The set meal includes rice, miso soup, and a side dish for 950 yen.)
“I noticed that a surprising number of highway rest stop diners do not serve local produce. This is why our restaurant uses a lot of local rice and vegetables. Our miso koji grilled pork is something you can get only here, as we marinate pork loin from Hokuso Pork in soy sauce koji and miso from Hirajin Saké-Ten.”
Hakko Sabo offers a café menu that uses local produce, such as amazake milk gelato, as well as pastries and soft serve ice cream. The Fresh Produce Market, which sells local vegetables and food products, was also bustling with customers.
The Fresh Produce Market offers fresh produce and delicious processed foods from nearby areas. At Hakko Sabo, you can enjoy an extensive café menu.
Our final question to Higashikawa was what his future vision is for the Hakko-no Sato Kozaki highway rest stop.
“Our concept is different from what most people imagine a highway rest stop is like. Nevertheless, we feel that a highway rest stop is a place of freedom and limitless possibilities. We will continue to experiment with new ideas in a bid to communicate the wonders of fermented food products. So please look forward to more from us at the Hakko-no Sato Kozaki highway rest stop.”
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