"CRAFT TOURISM ECHIZEN"　 After all, there is nothing that rivals handicrafts

Echizen is an area where there are still many craftsmen who are devoted to handwork, even as mechanization progresses and efficiency and speed are required. In order to explore the secrets contained in the handwork, we visited the workshops of craftsmen, farmers, and miso makers from a broad perspective of "work done by hand." In this interview, a certain craftsman said a powerful word, "After all, there is nothing that can compete with handwork." That one word caught my heart during this interview trip.

Yamada Hideo Store

The first place I went was Yamada Hideo Shoten. Founded in 1970 as a wholesaler of Echizen cutlery, we not only wholesale but also sharpen knives and replace handles. Mr. Mihara, a cooking researcher, decided to have the stainless steel santoku knife that he uses in his daily life re-sharpened.

Mr. Yamada divides the work into several stages and carefully re-sharpens while carefully checking for fine blade irregularities and chips. With each step, the knives gradually regained their luster, and thanks to Mr. Yamada's care, the knives themselves seemed to regain their vitality and breathe new life into them. “When I saw the beautifully sharpened knives, I felt that I wanted to choose a knife that suited me and use it carefully for a long time,” says Mihara.

Even though I don't know the types, uses, and features of kitchen knives, they carefully explained to me that they are tools that I use almost every day. I can vaguely see what kind of kitchen knife I am looking for. I felt that the presence of such a store in the area where I live makes the casual daily act of "cutting ingredients" shine, and that this will lead to the richness of the area.

https://www.echizen-tourism.jp/travel_echizen/shop_detail/144

Andachi Cutlery

Next, we headed to “Takefu Knife Village” where Mr. Takumi Ikeda, the sixth-generation traditional craftsman of Anritsu Uchihamono, was founded in 1873 and is responsible for the future of blacksmiths. The biggest feature of Takefu Knife Village is the sharing of wisdom and technology. In the world of craftsmen, techniques and wisdom are kept secret, and are rarely open to the public. In fact, cutlery craftsmen from all over the world visit frequently.

While it is said that traditions and traditional crafts are dying out, this facility, which was built with the intention of improving the industry as a whole by sharing wisdom and technology without being bound by individual interests, is extremely rare. is a valuable facility.

The knives made by Mr. Ikeda, who works here, are made one by one using a technique called fire forging. In addition to using special steel from Takefu, the futuristic and beautiful design is very unique. Ikeda's desire to always update while inheriting the tradition and open up a new future of crafts was reflected in the handiwork.

Mr. Mihara, who actually used the knife, was shocked, saying, "Mr. Ikeda's knife is light, cuts smoothly as if it sticks to the ingredients, and is easy to use." “Having tools that are easy to use makes work more enjoyable. The fact that the techniques for making knives have been passed down and progressed is linked to making our lives richer and happier. I thought I would continue to use it with care."

https://www.takefu-knifevillage.jp/anryu

Fresh soba noodles

When I was hungry, I headed to Kisobaan, which opened in 2015 and was selected for the Michelin Plate in 2021. We ordered the famous grated soba and hand-ground soba, which is limited to 10 meals a day. The soba is adjusted daily according to the temperature and the condition of the buckwheat so that the taste of the buckwheat can be maximized. In particular, the hand-ground soba had a chewy texture and a deep flavor that combines strong elasticity and smoothness.

I was surprised at how different hand-ground soba was, so when I asked the owner, Mr. Yamazaki, the reason for this, he said, ``When you grind the buckwheat flour, the heat from friction may cause the flavor to be lost, but that's the way it is. Nothing beats handwork." Senses such as heat, sound, and vibration that you feel through your hands cannot be measured by machines or numbers. It was a shop that made me realize the real thrill of "handwork".

https://www.echizen-tourism.jp/travel_echizen/food_detail/75

Marukawa miso

The next place I visited was the one that was founded in 1914. It manufactures only domestic pesticide-free, organically grown miso, and fertilizer-free, naturally grown miso. Mr. Marukawa Miso.

Among them, I was especially interested in "Vivaldi Miso", which is fermented with Vivaldi. There is a live koji mold in miso, and it is possible that it will receive the vibration of music in the same way that humans feel, and cause some kind of change. It is said that he thought and started. It seems that there are times when you can feel the difference at the manufacturing site, such as "the miso itself becomes softer".

Our team at Give Me Vegetables makes Funazushi, a local dish of Shiga, every year. Even if you make the same recipe with the same ingredients, everyone will have a different flavor and taste. It is said that this is because the indigenous bacteria that live in the hands of the person ferment with the ingredients and determine the taste. That's the fun of "handiwork", and just as the mind and energy of the person who makes it resides in it through his hands, when I think that Vivaldi's music is familiar with miso, I also enjoy eating miso. it would increase.

https://marukawamiso.com/

Takoyaki Queen Farmer Yoshikazu Nagaki

Next, we visited Takoyaki Queen, a shop run by Yoshikazu Nagaki, a farmer in front of the station in Echizen City. We interviewed him at a takoyaki shop that uses plenty of fresh green onions and cabbage that are self-grown, with a focus on homemade and local production for local consumption.

Mr. Nagaki is a rice farmer who grows a variety of Koshihikari called “Milky Queen”. I fell in love with the deliciousness of it and changed the name of the restaurant to Queen. We also sell bento boxes made with the rice we grow. We also grow green onions and cabbage using the surrounding fallow fields.

Mr. Nagaki does everything from growing vegetables to selling takoyaki using those ingredients. The sense of security that Mr. Nagaki is right in front of me making the food that I put into my body, and the breadth of the takoyaki. A delicious takoyaki shop full of that sense of security and kindness, visited by everyone from small children to the elderly, and became a place of relaxation for the locals, making them happy.

https://www.instagram.com/queen_takeout2020/

White leek farmer Sadahiko Yasui

The last person I visited was Mr. Sadahiko Yasui, who runs a white onion farm. What inspired me to start a white leek farm was when I happened to visit Mr. Nagaki's home, the Takoyaki Queen. Mr. Yasui says, "I was so moved by the sight that I wanted to grow white onions and couldn't help it."

Just as Taro Okamoto, who saw Picasso's paintings at the Louvre Museum, was deeply moved and moved on to abstract art, Mr. Nagaki's scenery of the white leek field that left a strong impression on Mr. Yasui's leek farm. opened the way for The white leek field created by Mr. Yasui is as beautiful as a painting.

What we felt during our trip around handicrafts this time is that not only crafts, but also agricultural products and dishes, things created by people with their hands are like the person's "mind" and "soul". It was meant to house something. If you read this travelogue and feel that it looks delicious, want to touch it, and want to use it, I would like you to actually visit Echizen City and talk to the creators.

I feel that the words spoken by the person, the way they make it, and the thoughts of the creator are all included in the crafts and food. I think that you can feel the charm of Echizen City.

┃ Yoshifumi Ikeda / CEO of Give Me Vegetables

Since 2010, it has been held more than 80 times all over the country, and the entrance fee and performance fee are vegetables (ingredients) food + music event, sponsored by Give Me Vegetable. Since 2016, he has been presiding over “Shin-Asia Transcendental Sense”, which aims to create a new “Asian” sense through various creative methods such as music, food, painting, three-dimensional objects, decoration, and space production. Also active as DJ EROCHEMIST. I also hunt. Currently, he is obsessed with making Funazushi.

In May 2019, with the support of Sakai City, a New Asian Transcendental Sense was held in front of the Nintoku-tenno-ryo Kofun, one of the world's three largest burial mounds. As a guitarist of Osaka's folk song, Kawachi Ondo, he performs at the turrets of many festivals in the Kansai region, including Todaiji Temple in Nara. In 2014, in recognition of his various activities, he was nominated for the human category of the "LOHAS Design Award 2014" sponsored by the Ministry of the Environment and the LOHAS Club. EROCHEMIST

soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/tripxtrip Give Me Vegetable HP: http://www.givemevegetable.com/

┃South Wind Diner Hiroko Mihara (Cook)

Head of the cooking unit "Minamifu Shokudo". After working in the secretariat of “code”, a project by Ryuichi Sakamoto and other artists with the theme of the global environment and imagination, he is a former director of “ap bank”, a non-profit citizen bank run by artists that provides loans to organizations that do not place a burden on the environment. In 1999, he launched the cooking unit “Minamifu Shokudo”, introducing recipes in magazines, books, and online, catering at events, and exhibiting at museums and galleries. Authors include WHOLE COOKING, 100 Dressing Recipes, and Coconut Oil Book. Participated in the food-themed group exhibition “FOOD SCAPE” at Arts Maebashi. International traditional Chinese medicine herbal medicine.

HP: http://www.nanpushokudo.com/