While admiring the Setouchi Triennale, I visited the techniques and flavors nurtured by the nature and history of Shodoshima, and found a landscape I had forgotten. Ears of rice are still green and swaying in the vast terraced rice fields that extend up to the mountain ridge. The journey to discover the past and open your heart continues.

Nurtured by the climate of the Seto Inland Sea
Olive groves and rice terraces with hundreds of years of history

The Seto Inland Sea is reminiscent of the original landscape of Japan, with countless round, lush islands floating in the rolling sea. The scenery is so calm and gentle that it feels like the setting of a fairy tale, where you can feel as if Urashima Taro might appear at any moment, or that Ryugu Castle might be there somewhere. Shodoshima is Japan's 19th largest island. It is the second largest island in the Seto Inland Sea after Awaji Island, with an area of ​​approximately 170 kmXNUMX. We recommend traveling around the island by bus or taxi.

The symbolic plant of Shodoshima is the olive, which was introduced from California in the United States about 110 years ago. Olive groves with lush green leaves can be seen all over the island.

Long before the olive tree, the Senmaida rice fields lined up on the mountain slopes of the Nakayama area in the center of the island. It was built by piling stones on a slope from the Nanbokucho period to the middle of the Edo period, and there are currently about 770 rice fields. It is blessed with a good water source and produces delicious rice. At the foot of the rice terraces is the Nakayama Rural Kabuki stage, which has been in operation for over 300 years. Every October, locals perform a dedication kabuki performance, and many people come to see the play. The Nakayama area is a place where you can strongly feel the traditions of the island.

Both tourists and locals go there
A famous retro cafe between rice terraces

Komame Shokudo, located along the prefectural road that runs between the rice terraces, is popular for its ``Rice Rice Ball Set Meal'' made with rice harvested from Senmaida and rice cooked in the famous ``Tubunomizu'' water source. Enjoy a hearty lunch of fried fish such as sole of the tongue and side dishes of local vegetables on the terrace overlooking the rice terraces.

Common dining hall
Shodoshima olive beef burger
Muffins made with island fruits are also popular.
http://www.dreamisland.cc/cafe/komame-cafe.html

The wind that blows on Shodoshima,
400 years of growing under the shining sunlight
Scene of making somen by hand

The technique of hand-rolling somen was introduced to this island about 400 years ago. The ingredients also include salt from the Seto Inland Sea and sesame oil from Shodoshima. ``The island's somen noodles are grown in this wind and sunlight,'' says Atsushi Masago, the fourth generation of Masago Kinosuke Seimenjo, which has been in business for about XNUMX years. He moves the ``Hata'', which are made up of kneaded noodles suspended like a waterfall of white thread, from indoors to outdoors in the sunlight, and sometimes ``separates the noodles with chopsticks'' to prevent them from sticking together. He paused and spoke.

“Our company was founded around 1920. In the past, wheat was also grown in the Senmaida fields in Nakayama, and there was a time when cows were used to transport the noodles to this noodle factory.The special feature of somen from Shodoshima is that it is not aged. The product will be released the following year, so it will be fresh and chewy." The pleasant scent of wheat and sesame oil wafts through the noodle making factory.

His parents also work hard to make noodles, and his wife is responsible for bundling the noodles and packing them into boxes. Her family of four work hard at work from 4 a.m. in the summer. In addition to making somen, the company also actively publishes unique ways to eat somen and recipes suggested by customers on its website. For example, I want to try out all the recipes and ideas, such as adding fish sauce to dipping sauce, adding cut tofu to somen noodles and eating them together, or making aglio olio like pasta...

It is located in a quiet corner lined with old-fashioned houses, and many of the neighbors used to be noodle factories, but now there is only one Masago family. ``I have been outside the island once, but only after going outside have I realized the richness and ease of living in Shodoshima.Looking from the outside, it looks like a gorgeous and lively island, but there are problems such as a declining population. But we, in our 40s, will do what we can." Continuing to produce high-quality somen noodles will no doubt be a source of strength for the island's future.

Masago Kinosuke Noodle Shop
Online sales are also available.
http://www.kinosuke.net/

Because it was one of Japan's leading soy sauce producing regions.
I want to preserve “genuine soy sauce made in wooden barrels”

Soy sauce and tsukudani are also special products of Shodoshima. Soy sauce production began in the 16th century, and this area became one of Japan's leading soy sauce producing regions. Winds that cross the ocean and mountains, as well as a warm climate with little rainfall, are all essential elements for making delicious soy sauce.

On the island, there is an area called ``Hishio no Sato,'' which is lined with soy sauce and tsukudani factories. Among them, Yamaroku Soy Sauce sells soy sauce and processed products directly in front of an old warehouse. It has a casual cafe that serves soy sauce sweets and lunch on weekends. The huge warehouse in the back is lined with huge wooden barrels that have been around for over 100 years, and the microorganisms (yeast and lactic acid bacteria) that live on the surface of the barrels and inside the barrels produce fragrant soy sauce. There is. The ingredients are domestic whole soybeans, Tamba black beans, domestic wheat, and salt.

The fifth generation, Yasuo Yamamoto, is currently passionate about making wooden barrels, just as he is about soy sauce. Since ancient times, wooden barrels have been used to brew soy sauce, miso, vinegar, and sake. As wooden barrels were being replaced by stainless steel containers, Yamamoto trained under a craftsman at Japan's only wooden brewing barrel workshop and launched a project to build new barrels on Shodoshima. The aim is to pass on ``genuine soy sauce made in wooden barrels'' to the next generation. He is fighting alongside his allies, involving many supporters across the country. The soy sauce, which is made using luxurious ingredients and tools, is also popular among islanders.

Taking advantage of the Setouchi Triennale, I decided to take a walk to see the island's legacy, such as the view of rice terraces stretching far into the distance, and the making of somen and soy sauce that has been going on since the Edo period. The journey to Shodoshima continues, filling my heart with tranquility and nostalgia.

Yamaroku Soy Sauce Co., Ltd.
Soy sauce, ponzu sauce, and soy sauce for egg-cooked rice are popular.
For information on how to order, please visit the website.
http://yama-roku.net/

(Titles omitted)

Interview cooperation: Shodoshima Town Hall

→ Continue to Shodoshima, the island of sea, sky, and land, art (Part 2)