“Yaramaika” is a Japanese local dialect that is used to symbolise the city of Hamamatsu. Loosely translated to “Let’s try!” or “Why not give it a shot?”, this catchphrase embodies the spirit of innovation and enterprise that has fortified the city all these years. In the Meiji Period, the city of Hamamatsu began making musical instruments and today, it is a proud member of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network in the Field of Music. While the city’s international music programs and citizens’ active participation in musical activities were among the main reasons why it was recognised as a city of music, it’s also worth noting Hamamatsu is the birthplace of several top musical instrument manufacturers such as Yamaha and Kawai.
The spirit of “Yaramaika” also translates to Hamamatsu’s agriculture industry. Before World War Two, the Mikatahara Plateau was wild and desolate but after the war, the land was reclaimed for agricultural purposes. Today, Hamamatsu’s agriculture industry continues to thrive, churning out large quantities of produce such as mikan (mandarin orange), persimmons, green onions, and sweet potatoes and many more.
This healthy agriculture industry is due largely to Hamamatsu’s favourable natural conditions of a mild climate and abundant water. Strategically located between Tokyo and Osaka, Hamamatsu is surrounded by the Akaishi mountains in the north, the Tenryu River in the east, and the Nakatajima dunes in the south. To the west, you’ll find the beautiful Lake Hamana, which is the tenth-largest lake in Japan. As its name suggests, this is where the renowned Lake Hamana eel is cultivated for commercial purposes.
In the following pages, you’ll find out more about what makes the Lake Hamana eel so famous as well as an in-depth look into the people, places, and produce of this fascinating city. Happy reading!
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(TEXT Vanessa Tai Photography Yoshio Okamoto)
Paradise of Food
To say that Hamamatsu is a foodie’s paradise is no small claim. Its natural environment is rich and fecund, producing a wide variety of produce — from mikan to menegi. Read on to find out more.
Because of the region’s favourable soil drainage and abundance of sunlight, the mikan in Hamamatsu are especially well received. Some of the popular variants include the Okitsu and Miyagawa variations, which are known for their thin skin and high levels of sweetness. However, the most popular variant is probably the Aoshima variation, which has the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavours.
In fact, there is a beef producer in Hamamatsu that supplements his cattle feed with the ground peels from Aoshima mikan. Known as mikkabi beef, the meat is said to be full-flavoured without being overly greasy or fatty.
Another must-try food item when you’re in Hamamatsu is eel. After all, Hamamatsu is the birthplace of eel aqua-farming. A great deal of eel is also caught naturally from Lake Hamana.
Because Hamamatsu is located in between the regions of Kanto (Tokyo area) and Kansai (Kyoto and Osaka area), you can enjoy both regions’ style of preparing eel here. The Kanto style involves slicing the eel’s back before lightly grilling the fillets and steaming in a basket. The fillets are then drizzled with tare sauce before being grilled again. Kanto-style eel is known for its moist and tender texture. As for the Kansai style, the eel’s belly is sliced and whole fillets are skewered on metal skewers, generously seasoned with tare sauce, and grilled over an open flame. This version packs a lot of flavour and is slightly crispy.
Apart from eel, the brackish Lake Hamana is also a treasure trove for a whole host of marine life. That’s because the lake is partially connected to the Sea of Enshu, creating a potent mix of fresh and saltwater for marine creatures such as clams, prawns, and oysters to thrive. The oysters from Lake Hamana are particularly famed for their large size and rich briny flavour.
Itadakimasu!
>>Read more about Hamamatsu Foods
>>Read more about Hamamatsu Producers
>>Read more about Hamamatsu Sights
>>Read more about Hamamatsu Souvenir
Meet The Producers of Hamamatsu
The food producers of Hamamatsu share more about their trade.
owner of Kyomaru-en
This company has 400 years of history, and Atsushi Suzuki is the 13th-generation owner. We find out more about his upcoming plans.
What is menegi?
Menegi, also known as young green onion shoots, is often eaten as a type of palate cleanser when eating sushi or sashimi. Because its flavour isn’t as strong as green onions, it’s good to be eaten as a sushi or even with cream-based pastas. People in this region have been eating menegi sushi for about 50 years, but it only started to gain popularity in Tokyo about 20 years ago.
Tell us more about your business.
Besides growing menegi, we also produce mitsuba (a type of Japanese herb), and mini chingen (a type of Japanese leafy vegetable). We distribute to 40 markets in Japan, with 60 percent of our produce going to Tokyo. Our company employs about 80 staff across a variety of ages – our youngest employee is 17, and the oldest is 81. In addition, 24 of our staff members have special needs.
Why did you decide to hire people with special needs?
Our city government has an initiative called “Universal Farming”, which conducts programmes where farming is used as a tool to enable people with special needs to participate in society. There are also workshops to help improve tools and work procedures, so as to make the tasks manageable for everyone and to enhance efficiency and quality. Initially, I had my doubts and hesitations about working with people with special needs. However, after working with them, I realise they’re actually great workers.
owner of Wadaboku
Wadaboku is a beef producer that specialises in producing mikkabi beef. Mr Wada tells us more about this unique type of beef.
Tell us more about the cattle’s special diet.
This area is famous for cultivating mikan. In fact, my grandfather was a mikan farmer. When my father took over the farm in 1968—the year I was born—he started rearing cows for beef. Over time, we discovered there were benefits in supplementing the cows’ regular feed of corn and barley with ground mikan peels. First, it gives them an added boost of vitamin C. Second, it helps keep the colour of the meat fresh – it doesn’t fade as easily.
Why is Hamamatsu an ideal location to produce mikkabi beef?The climate here is mild and stable, with no drastic changes in temperature. Even in winter, it doesn’t snow. This is good for the cattle, as they won’t be able to survive climates that are too harsh. Plus, Hamamatsu is located midway between Tokyo and Osaka, which is ideal when it comes to distribution.
What are some of the best ways to enjoy mikkabi beef?
Mikkabi beef has a well-balanced flavour – not too greasy or heavy. Previously, the most popular cut was the flank, which is a little fattier than the other parts of the cow. However, because people are more health conscious now, the shank has become more popular. In fact, it’s my wife’s favourite – she likes it roasted. Other ways to enjoy mikkabi beef is in a beef stew, which we sell pre-packaged versions of it (P.23).
>>Read more about Hamamatsu Foods
>>Read more about Hamamatsu Producers
>>Read more about Hamamatsu Sights
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Hamamatsu In A Year
Wondering when is the best time to visit Hamamatsu? Here is an overview of the city’s seasonal highlights.
SPRING (March to May)
EAT
▶Prized fish like shirasu (white baits), bonito, and pike are available from April.
SEE
▶Cherry Blossom Viewing at either Hamamatsu Castle Park or Hamamatsu Flower Park
▶Hamamatsu Kite Festival
DO
▶Strawberry picking
SUMMER (June to August)
EAT
▶Piones, a type of large-berried, purple skinned grape variety.
SEE
▶Fireworks at the Kanzanji Hot Spring Fireworks Festival
DO
▶Takiya Ryo A fishing tradition of Lake Hamana, using spears to catch shrimp, crab and sea bream
AUTUMN (September to November)
EAT
▶Persimmons, a sweet, honeyed-tasting fruit.
SEE
▶Momiji-gari (the Japanese practice of viewing autumn colours), which can be done at various parks, shrines, and temples
DO
▶Pick oranges at orange farms in the town of Mikkabi
WINTER (December to February)
EAT
▶Oysters from Lake Hamana.
SEE
▶Seagulls at Tenhama line
DO
▶Have a soak at Kanzanji Onsen, the biggest hot spring resort in Hamamatsu
>>Read more about Hamamatsu Foods
>>Read more about Hamamatsu Producers