Shibata Rice Harvesting Tour: EP 3
[Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Greetings and aloha. And as always, mahalo for tuning in to do TV right here on Hawaiian News Now K5, KHNL, and on Hawaiian Airlines in flight entertainment. On tonight’s episode, we continue exploration of Shibata City, home to some of the best organic rice found in Japan. Our non-stop travel, the Hogat TV pioneering adventures. Experience a first time off the beaten path journey in Nigata’s Shibata City for this rice harvest celebration. [Music] Last May, as part of a Shibata City preview, Melissa Chang and I had the awesome opportunity to visit Sas Farm and help plant this year’s harvest. We learned so much about what makes their rice so special and popular both here and well beyond Japan’s borders. Here, the Sas family utilizes centuries old farming methods using organic techniques to ensure purity and quality. The rice is often harvested with meticulous care, allowing for uniformity and a consistently high-grade product. This time around, our 808 group took turns harvesting the very same crop Melissa and I planted, as well as learn more about what makes Nigata’s Shibata City rice so good. Sasha Farm specializes in koshiati rice, a true gem in the world of Japanese rice. Renowned for its exceptional sweetness, perfect texture, and deep umami flavor. Nestled in Nigata Prefecture, one of Japan’s most celebrated rice growing regions, Shibata benefits from an ideal climate, fertile soil, and pristine water sources, all of which contribute to the rice’s remarkable quality. The region’s rice patties are irrigated by mineral-rich melt water from the Edday Mountain Range, providing an abundance of clean, soft water, which helps develop Koshi’s signature soft yet chewy texture and glossy sheen when cooked. Shibata’s farmlands sit in a prime location within Nigata, where the soil is naturally enriched with nutrients, yet well- drained, allowing the rice plants to grow steadily, producing grains that are dense with natural sweetness and umami. Shibata’s cool nights and warm days create a slow growing environment where the rice can develop deeper flavors without becoming overly starchy. This natural balance results in grains that are plump, fragrant, and rich in depth. When cooked, it has a pearlescent shine, a slightly chewy bite, and a flavor that lingers beautifully on the pallet. Whether utilized in a Japanese traditional course menu via kaiseki dining, premium sushi restaurants to top off a rich wagyu steak, or enjoyed as a bowl of plain white rice, Shibata’s Koshiare transforms every meal into a luxurious feast. It’s no surprise that many consider it to be the gold standard of Japanese rice. [Music] One of the features of this non-stop travel do the Hogat TV Shibata tour I was looking forward to the most was returning and meeting back up with the Shibata City aunties, the Healthmates. As members of the Shibata City Dietary Promotional Committee, the Healthmates have 92 members that are an average age of 72 years young. The Healthmates promote healthy local cuisine in schools, public events, and workshops. And just like they did for Melissa and me last May, they taught our 808 entourage the art of making musubi featuring the pristine koshi rice harvested here for a delicious and healthy lunch. Whether they choose fresh salmon, ku seaweed, plum ume, or any of the other locally sourced fillings, the healthmate ambassador aunties were as adorable and as charming as ever. Our group left Sas Farms very full and with a renewed appreciation for rice. Wow, what a great experience. Such hard work that all of you guys did and I get to enjoy that. Thanks, P. You’re very welcome. Anytime. Anytime. We’re making onigiri. And of course, this is fresh rice that we planted and harvested. Our group harvested. I harvested. Yes. And this is Watanaban with Health Meats. A group of volunteers is like just coming out and of course spreading their aloha with us. So, we’re so thankful and hungry. Very, very hungry. So hungry. Now, what are you going to put in yours, Alyssa? Tarco. [Music] There’s our good rice. That is a probably size. Now, all of these are homemade fillings. Yeah, ladies made it. It’s not storebought. Oh, wait. Okay. Just for color and for veggies. It’s going to be a m. It’s going to like it’s going to break through. I can tell. It’s like you’re not supposed to over stuff a burrito, right? I know. It’s okay. It’s all going in the same place. Okay. Very gently. Softly. Okay. Okay. Triangle. Hey, it got more difficult this time versus me. You need more practice. Yes. I’m a I’m a takeout guy. Okay. You just go. Oh, and they’re fresh. Not like the mega size. Flip it over. Right. And then wrap it like a present. Wrap it like a present. Slowly. I think this is a 7-Eleven special. This is $50. Special is $50. A lot of love in that one. A lot of love and salmon. Lots of salmon. Lots and lots of salmon. Is that for you, Melissa? Please. Or or I can just grab one. Or you could just magically grab what was already made. Sound already made. She forgot. Yeah, she can’t remember what she put in there. Surprise. It’s a surprise. All right. Cheers. Cheers. [Music] As always, there’s like good flavor, good texture. Oh I could eat five of these. I could eat 10 of these. I think I will. The best. This is the best. Let me show what she is. Maybe there’s nothing in there. She can’t remember what she put in there. Thank you. Thank you. Folks, you got to join us here in Shibata City as part of a non-stop travel with the Hoka TV adventure. We’re here with some amazing pioneers. I’m here with the Melissa 808 Melissa Changaban, our sensei. Aloha. Thanks for watching. Hidden in the tranquil beauty of Japan’s Nigata Prefecture, the Ichima family’s Almon Tuzo or Sake Brewery has been a local favorite for over 200 years and is a hidden gem that captures the essence of Japanese craftsmanship. Founded by Hideimatu Ichima in the 1790s, Amo sake is celebrated for its smooth, mellow flavor. A perfect representation of one of Nigata’s premium sake. Good job. So, our master brewer at this brewery has been brewing for 35 years. He literally joined at the age of 18 and now he’s oh 58 this year. So, he’s nearly 40 years in the brewery. He’s been a master brewer for 25 years and he’s one of only eight zenig master tois. It’s a nationally recognized you’re an expert in your fields. You’re an expert at brewing sake and there’s only eight of them across the entire country. And he’s one of them. And what it means is not just that he’s good at brewing saki. He’s passionate about brewing saki and passing the knowledge onto the next generation and training the next generation. So he’s also involved in the Nigata Saki Brewers Association’s school. He teaches at the school as well and does things like that. He won the gold medal at the national competition five years in a row within three years of becoming a togi. He became a togi in 2002 2003 and then by 2007 he won five gold medals in a row. So yeah, he’s a very very top end and he’s a very very nice guy as well. Why Nigata is so amazing for Saki is because of our climate, because of the rice, because of the snow. gets very cold in winter, lots of snow, lots of rice water, melt water produces lots of good, clean, pristine water for us to grow rice. But then to make saki as well, and it also gets very hot, as you can still feel now, it’s quite warm. You need to have a hot, warm climate to stop the water in the rice patties from evaporating. If it evaporates, you get dry rice. Not very good. And so, you need to have a humid climate as well. And that’s what we have in Nigata. Hence why we have so much rice production and so many sake breweries, more than any other prefecture. I met this wonderful gentleman here at Ammon Shuzel. Ammon Sake Brewery, Richard. Aloha. How are you, brother? Nice to meet you. Good, thank you. Your pronunciation, intonation of aloha is very very good because you have you have some uh some roots in Hawaii. Well, I I’ve been I’ve been back and forth to Hawaii since 2011. and I used to go there regularly three or four times a year um to sell sake and introduce sake to people working in Marakai Donkeyote various other places um so yeah I love Hawaii that’s fantastic I love sake works out perfect exactly yeah we’re here um Jimyaki the owner of nontop travel and I came out uh end of December last year okay and we met with theata tourism folks and the city folks really wanted to introduce this area to people in Hawaii I think uh as more people travel to Japan and they’re kind of branching ing are from Tokyo or Osaka Kyoto. Nigata, you know, we’ve got a number of people to come to Nigata because the rice and the Yeah, Nigata is an amazing place to visit and it’s very much still a hidden gem. Basically, Nigata used to produce and still produces more rice than anyone else, but rice used to be money and therefore four of the nine richest families in Japan were all living in Niata. One of them was the original founders of this family, the Ichima family. Um, and so all of the art and culture and uh, geisha and everything that built up in Shibata because they had all this money is is underappreciated. People just don’t know about it. And so we’re trying to put it back onto the map and bring people here. And I tell people and at first they think I’m joking. It’s like a mini Kyoto because you can literally walk from the main station past the temples, past the shrines. I think there’s 14 shrines going down. The Terramata just over there, the Shimizu, I think you went to the beautiful garden. There’s obviously the brewery here. And then there’s another two um gardens that aren’t even open to the public yet that we’re currently redeveloping to open them up. And so there was I think six of these beautiful gardens in uh Shibasa, which I’ve heard is more than any other city across the entire of Japan. And so really is there’s so much culture and history for people to enjoy that they haven’t noticed yet. And of course, amazing sake because this is Amazing sake, which is why I’m continuing to hold this bottle here and caress it gently and affectionately. Uh I had this we came out again in May for another type of promotional trip with Melissa Chang Melissa 808 and uh we absolutely loved the sake here. They told you the brew master here was kind enough to serve us and kind of teach us about it. I know that Amosu has a couple of very what I consider uh very key pioneering types of achievements. One is Shia the first female sake bird. So and even till today so’s always been very pioneering. Normally you wouldn’t in the in the past you didn’t allow women into the saki brewery. There’s all sorts of history and issues and things um cultural fears that about it but um we had the first female it’s not a master brewer but she had the first grade license in sake brewing in Japan in 1979. And even till today half our brewing team is female even till today. And so we’ve always been very pioneering in that sense. Um, and even now our current master brewer that you mentioned, Tanakhi, he is one of the Zenigrren Saki masters, Saki Meister in Japan. So, it’s a nationally recognized achievement for expertise in your field. And he is one of only eight in all of Japan, folks. Yeah. The entire of Japan of 1,400 breweries and however many 2, 3,000 possible tois out there. Yes. Yes. That is absolutely amazing. I mean, you need 20 plus years. It’s all based on the skill. It’s also uh highly as I understand uh based on what you do with that scale for the community, for your co-workers, for everyone else. So, jeez, I like that and I love this place and I have a feeling there’ll be more Hawaii visitors that are going to be traversing the beautiful city of Shibata. It would be great and uh enjoying everything about this amazing place. Brother, thank you so much for your time. Thank you for welcoming our group. Uh folks, thank you for tuning in and Ammo Shuzo Aosake, the real deal, folks. Take care. Mal for watching. Haha. All right. Cheers. Cheers. Come by. Come by. [Music] This is the Tonto market. What’s great about these markets, uh, a lot in Japan, especially here, of course, in Shibata City, you know, the vegetables or the fruits and stuff, they’ll have names on it to identify where they’re from, who they’re from. And some cases, they have pictures of them as well. So, I mean, you don’t So cool. Yeah. I mean, you get to see who it was that that of course planted and pulled and now sells the produce of of their goods here in the Tonto market. Again, another great example of the amazing agriculture that Shibata City has. Look at this. I know. It’s huge. Look at this. The fruits they have here. Big is my head. You got a big head. They’re so heavy. All fresh, all organic. And uh, of course, all the food we’ve been enjoying on this tour has been sourced right here from the area. Phenomenal. Farmed here. Our rice that we had in oni was just And you know what’s so hard about that is that right behind us are these giant bags here. I’m going to show you. 2780 yen. So roughly like $16 maybe or so. Oh, look. Cora has something for us here. Oh, this is kua. Wait. Kuja is Japanese for whale. Flavored teriyak whale meat. Can you Can you do a whale whale call? Oi, Cora’s recommendation. Tiaki flavored whale meat. You have to make the sound when you buy it. Yeah. Disclaimer, artificial whale, not the real guy. Cuz I love whales. Smells like flowers. Smells like flowers, folks. Momo peach. And the amazing thing is, of course, the size, the consistency, the texture. At home, the peaches are not even as big as a tennis ball. No. And these are big like softballs. These are like softballs. Supple. Round. There’s a lot of squats. You tell. You can tell. Amazing. Amazing. Smells like heaven. Smells like heaven. There you go. As always, m tuning in and you want to come on next Shebata non-stop travel the whole TV tour. Right, Cora? So says Corora, folks. Aloha. For this inaugural Shibata rice harvesting non-stop travel toko TV tour, a grand celebration was definitely on the menu. And when it comes to special occasions in Chibata City, there’s only one place that fits the bill. The legendary Zojun Kaku Villa. As if the setting wasn’t already steeped in history and charm, the evening came with an extra dash of prestige. The mayor of Sheibata himself, Mayor Kao Nikaido, joined us to personally welcome the 808 entourage and share in the festivities. This is Ner Nikaido, mayor of Shibata City. Once everyone was settled and ready, we dove straight into tradition. The evening officially kicked off with a resounding Kagami Birki, the ceremonial breaking open of the sake cask. So again, this tradition, what’s going to happen is we say real loud. [Music] [Applause] As the wooden lid cracked open, it symbolized fresh beginnings, well-being, and a toast to good fortune ahead. The star of the evening’s pour, sheibbata’s own Almon Shuo sake, smooth and refined with everyone’s masu or sake boxes brimming and spirits high, smiles bloomed across the room, and just like that, the celebration roared to life. First, I’d like to acknowledge some of the special guests that we have here. Ku Ikaido greeted everyone who wanted to make sure every one of you came up. This handsome guy in the end you recognize him from our rice activity today. He say gentleman sitting next to me here. He represents an amazing and curious an amazing place Northern Cultural Museum Sapos. So how about a hand for [Music] Satosan. Uh you might have noticed a package behind your chair. Uh that’s a special gift from Marin Nikaido and from Sasan from today’s in addition after we have some dinner. The wonderful beautiful princesses from healthmate also brought us some mangju to enjoy later on. So yes, [Music] Dinner was a showcase of Shibata and Nigata’s finest, an edible love letter to the land we had been exploring. ing throughout this tour. Much of what graced our table we had already encountered firsthand, deepening our appreciation with every bite. From the pearlescent, perfectly polished grains of Shibata grown rice to the melt in-you mouth rich marbled local beef, every dish was a joy to indulge in. As with every meal on a non-stop travel Japan tour, each course felt like the region itself was telling its story, one unforgettable flavor at a time. Dining here at Zoskaku is like stepping into a living museum where every corner whispers stories of the Miji era and the man behind it all, Okura Kihiro. Kihiro was the man behind the formation of the Tokyo University of Economics, a founding father of the iconic Imperial Hotel and co-founder of world famous globally beloved brew Saporto beer. Originally built in 1912 as Kihito’s personal sanctuary, Zo Shunkaku was deconstructed and relocated in 1925 piece by piece to Shibata City. A generous gift from Okura himself, the villa has stood here ever since. A cultural jewel and celebration of history, heritage, and hospitality which made for an unforgettable evening. [Applause] A major highlight of the evening was a special presentation for our 808 guests from Marin Kaido himself. [Music] It’s all I got. [Music] Folks, here we are. That’s make some noise. [Applause]
We’re wrapping up the Doko Ga TV Shibata Rice Harvest Tour Video Diary Series with Episode 3 — the grand finale! 🌾 Our journey comes full circle at Sase Farm, where we rolled up our sleeves to harvest Niigata’s prized Koshihikari rice, then shaped our own onigiri alongside the friendly local aunties. 🍙 The adventure continues at Aumont Sake Brewery before ending in celebration at the elegant Zousyunkaku Villa, joined by the Mayor of Shibata City for a truly special toast to friendship, food, and harvest!
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