Promoting Delicious Edo Era Vegetables

[From March Issue 2015]

Boso-no-Mura
Run by local government, Boso-no-Mura is a theme park located in Chiba Prefecture. It’s a 20 minute drive away from Narita International Airport. There you can experience the traditional lifestyle and crafts of Boso – the peninsula that covers the greater part of Chiba Prefecture. The theme-park covers an area of 51 hectares and is 11 times as big as Tokyo Dome. At its center is Boso-no-Mura where a project to grow and promote Edo era (17-19th centuries) vegetables has got underway.
Lots of vegetables used by people in Edo (the former name for Tokyo) were grown in the Hokuso Area (northern part of Chiba Prefecture which includes Narita City and Katori City). Vegetables eaten in Edo during the Edo period were called “Edo vegetables.” For the current project they are cultivating four kinds of vegetables: carrots, daikon (Japanese white radish), turnips, and Japanese mustard. Although they are not exactly the same varieties as those grown in that period, strains were selected that were as close as possible to those used.
Compared to modern-day vegetables that tend to have a standard size, appearance and harvesting season, Edo vegetables were quite diverse. As productivity is paramount in modern-day agriculture, selective breeding has advanced to the extent that Edo vegetables are no longer cultivated. However, as Edo vegetables are rich in fibre, sweet and strong tasting, they are delicious in soups and pickles.
In Boso-no-Mura, you can try your hand at harvesting Edo vegetables. Furthermore, at a nearby affiliated restaurant, the menu has been designed so visitors can enjoy eating these vegetables either boiled or pickled. GUO Chuanyu, a Chinese citizen who took part in the activity says, “Since I have hardly ever harvested daikon and carrots, it was a lot of fun. The Edo vegetables were delicious, too.”
Project manager OGASAWARA Nagataka says, “With Edo vegetables, cooperation within the region is growing. Some farming families, people who have their own kitchen gardens, and schools are now growing Edo vegetables. From now on, I would like to cooperate with people living in other areas too; by promoting Edo vegetables to people living in cities and to tourists from overseas, hopefully they will participate in our agriculture experience program. As these cultural exchanges blossom, it would be nice if that regenerated our local economy.”
The town of Sawara is a 30 minute drive away from Boso-no-Mura. The town’s shipping trade prospered during the Edo period and some of its streets from that time are still intact. Also of interest is the house of INO Tadataka, the first person to complete a map of Japan based on surveyed measurements. Nearby, too, is Katori Shrine, a location thought to be filled with spiritual energy. By not only experiencing Edo vegetables, but also by walking the streets of this old town, you’ll feel as if you’ve slipped back in time.
Boso-no-Mura
Text: KONO Yu[2015年3月号掲載記事]

房総のむら
千葉県に「房総のむら」という県立のテーマパークがあります。場所は成田国際空港から車で約20分。房総(千葉県の大部分を占める、房総半島エリア)の伝統的な生活様式や技術を体験することができます。広さは約51ヘクタール、東京ドーム約11個分です。房総のむらを中心に、江戸時代(17~19世紀)の野菜を育てて広めようというプロジェクトが始まっています。
江戸で暮らす人たちの野菜は、北総地域(成田市や香取市など、千葉県の北側エリア)で盛んに作られていました。江戸時代に江戸の町で食べられていた野菜を、「江戸野菜」と呼びます。今回のプロジェクトでは、ニンジン、大根、カブ、小松菜の4種類を育てています。当時と全く同じ品種ではないのですが、なるべく近いものを選んでい
ます。
江戸野菜と現代で採れる野菜を比べると、現代の野菜は大きさ、見た目、収穫時期が均一なのに対して、江戸野菜は全てがばらばらです。そのため、効率を重視する現代農業では、品種改良が進み、作られなくなってしまいました。しかし、江戸野菜の繊維は細かく、味は甘くて濃く、煮物や漬物にすると、とてもおいしいのです。
房総のむらでは、江戸野菜の収穫などの農業体験ができます。さらに、提携している近くのレストランでは、煮物や漬物で食べることができるよう、メニューを開発しています。体験に参加した中国人の郭伝宇さんは、「大根やニンジンの収穫作業はなかなか体験できないのでとても楽しかったです。江戸野菜もすごくおいしかったです」と話します。
このプロジェクトの担当者である小笠原永隆さんは、「江戸野菜を通じて地域の連携が広がっています。いくつかの農家や家庭菜園、学校では既に江戸野菜を育てています。今後はもっと多くの地域と連携しながら、都市に住んでいる人や、外国人観光客にもっと江戸野菜を知ってもらい、農業体験に参加していただきたいです。人々の交流が盛んになることで、地域経済を活性化させたいですね」と話します。
房総のむらから車で30分ほどのところに佐原という町があります。江戸時代に海運で栄え、当時の街並みが多く残っています。江戸時代に日本国中を測量してまわり、初めて実測による日本地図を完成させた伊能忠敬が住んでいた家などもあります。また、パワースポットで知られる香取神宮(香取市)も近くにあります。江戸野菜の体験だけでなく古い街並みを歩いてみると、自分がその時代に存在しているかのような気分を味わうことができます。
房総のむら
文:河野有

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