[Pre-order item] Japanese chestnuts grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers (by Ichihara)

Due to popular demand, we have reached our reservation limit and are no longer accepting orders.

Limited quantity, pre-order item This is a pre-order item. Pre-order items cannot be shipped together with regular ordered items. In addition, since the arrival dates are different, this item cannot be ordered together with other pre-order items. Thank you for your understanding. Please read the following precautions before making your reservation. <Notes when ordering> ①Shipping is scheduled for late September onwards, and will be shipped in the order of reservations. Please note that the estimated delivery time may change depending on the weather. ②Mr. Ichihara harvests chestnuts at the optimal time for them to ripen. As quality is our number one priority, we are unable to allow you to choose the shipping date (arrival date). We will notify you by email once your order has been shipped, so please check your emails until it arrives. If you will be away for an extended period of time or if there are certain dates on which you absolutely cannot receive the package, please let us know in advance in the notes section. 3) Due to the nature of the product, we cannot specify the arrival date, so we cannot bundle it with other products. Thank you for your understanding.

Chestnut season has arrived, and we are bringing you chestnuts from Mr. Ichihara from Yamaga City, which boasts the highest chestnut production in Kumamoto Prefecture.

In addition to the sweet, fluffy boiled chestnuts, there are many other dishes to enjoy, such as chestnut rice and candied chestnuts.
Please enjoy the taste of autumn in any way you like.




<Nobuo Ichihara and Naoko Ichihara>
They got married in 2012 and are currently parents to three children: a third-grader in elementary school, a kindergartener and a three-year-old.
Nobuo's father started farming in Satoyama in 2013, and now his three sons, including Nobuo, have taken over the business.
In addition to chestnuts, they also produce rice using duck farming methods, duck meat, and Chardonnay.
▶Website https://www.aigamon.com/


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<A magnificent chestnut grove>
We visited Nobuo and Naoko in Kikuka Town, Yamaga City, Kumamoto Prefecture, who use duck farming methods to produce rice and duck meat, as well as chestnuts and Chardonnay.
That day, we met the two of them, who were relieved to hear that the first Chardonnay harvest was over.
As usual, I asked Oyamada to take photos, and then we climbed into the back of the light truck driven by Nobuo, and headed for the chestnut grove, driving for about 10 minutes up the rugged mountain road.

Yamaga City is an agricultural and forestry town with a population of about 60,000.
The area is thriving with a focus on rice, greenhouse gardening for watermelons and strawberries, local specialties such as bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms and tea, fruit trees such as mandarin oranges, persimmons and chestnuts, and livestock farming.
In particular, the prefecture boasts the highest production of chestnuts, which are supplied to the confectionery industry nationwide.

In Kumamoto, there is a wonderful French pastry shop/café called Ricca.
Ricca's chef pastry chef, Ichihara Yuuki, is Nobuo's younger brother.
All of the chestnuts that Nobuo grows are delivered to the wonderful Ricca and made into Mont Blanc.
This time, we were introduced to these precious chestnuts by Keisuke Miyano, who designed and supervised the store.
As a special treat, they have also agreed to deliver it to Purely.

And then we arrived at Ritsurin.
"Amazing! Amazing!"
The chestnut trees, which stretch out over an area of ​​about 1 cho (3 m2), were so sturdy that they blended into the view that stretched from Mt. Aso to the Ariake Sea, and I couldn't help but exclaim, "Amazing!"



<A new form of agriculture in Satoyama>
Nobuo's father, Yukio Ichihara, wanted to create a new form of agriculture that made use of the rich and diverse resources of Satoyama, so he decided to enter the Satoyama farming world in 2013.
Yukio's three sons have carried on his will, and together with their wives from outside the prefecture, they have shared roles and worked together as a large family to achieve that vision.
Nobuo and Naoko have taken on the core "agricultural" roles while "enjoying" them.
In fact, in 2011, Nobuo, who was still living in the Kanto region at the time, came to Kumamoto.
He planted 200 chestnut seedlings, entrusted them to his father, and returned to the Kanto region. The following year, he moved to Yamaga.
However!
"There wasn't a single seedling left. They were all wiped out."
Hmm.
Undaunted, Nobuo planted another 200 seedlings and has been working with the chestnut trees for over eight years.
I have seen many chestnut fields in my time, from those that have been sprayed with pesticides and chemical fertilizers, to natural chestnut fields that have not been fertilized at all, but the vigor of the trees that Nobuo and his team have grown, the spread of their roots, the richness of the soil due to their symbiosis with grass, and the amount of energy they have are all incredible, and I can only say that they are truly magnificent.
When I asked, "Isn't that amazing?" Nobuo replied, "It was me!"
That's probably true. Anyway, there is no such word as "hardship" when it comes to Nobuo's way of life.
Looking back, when we first moved here, we started out with just one tan (1000m2) of rice field in Kikuka.
Of course, that alone was not enough to make a living. The seedlings were still small, and the fields were easily overgrown with weeds.
In particular, when vines and creepers become widespread, they wrap around trees and cause serious damage.
It must have been a difficult day in that sense.
And another thing, "It was not easy to build a relationship of trust with the local community."
"The local people were watching Nobuo the whole time. They were watching how this young man, whose personality we didn't know much about, would grow crops in the fields and blend into the community," says Nahoko.
Judging from the gentle gaze she gives to Nobuo, it is clear that it is only because of Nahoko's deep trust that Nobuo has been able to come this far.



<Aigamon Club>
As expected, a turning point came for these two young people who worked so hard.
An opportunity presented itself when one of the members of a voluntary group consisting of five members called the "Aigamon Club" offered to hand over to Nobuo everything, including his rice fields, warehouse and cold storage facility, due to his advanced age.
And the following year, that person will depart for heaven.
"I'm sure that person realized something. That's why he gave it to Nobuo."
He also moved to his current address in 2016.
A former school principal has let us borrow a house with several natural chestnut trees and a field for just 5,000 yen!! Chestnuts can be sold. Kiwis can be used to make jam. A life where you can enjoy nature to the fullest.
Grape cultivation for Kikuka Wine was also added, and little by little, the farming lifestyle became more stable.
There is also damage from wild animals such as monkeys and wild boars, but now he talks about his daily struggles with the grass and the damage from wild animals with a "casual smile."
I guess this is what it means to coexist with nature.
They are blessed with three children and are smiling very happily.
"I have no worries," he says.
And then he said, "I don't have any dreams." He says, "Dreams = desires."
It seems that the people of Kikuka have come to this day by being grateful to their ancestors, talking about the importance of food, and rejoicing in being embraced by the vastness of nature.
At the end of the interview, the four of us were laughing out loud, saying things like "The 2030 problem?"
Right now, in this moment, it's all about making a choice based on your instincts in nature.
I hope this will broaden the lives and lifestyles of these young people in their early 30s.
Text: Anti-Historical Beauty




Farming in a natural setting.
The sun, the earth, the air, the water, all of these are blessings to us.
The crops that grow with this blessing are full of both gentleness and strength.
And we, the creators,
Being in tune with your mind and body,
I feel that it is very important to feel comfortable and use energy.
A positive flow between nature and people,
It travels from the maker to you.
"Food" in daily life,
I would be happy to support your dining table.
May we bring light to everyone through agriculture.