TOKYO - Wasabi, a food ingredient native to Japan, has long been valued not only for enhancing the flavor of other foods but also for its reported antibacterial and antioxidant properties, making it an essential part of the Japanese table.
Records show that wasabi was used as a medicinal herb as early as the Asuka period. But domestic production has fallen sharply in recent years. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan produced about 1,100 tons of wasabi in 2005, but output had declined to around 350 tons last year, less than one-third of the level 20 years earlier.
Experts attribute the decline largely to changes in the natural environment. Rising temperatures linked to global warming have reduced water volumes and made it more difficult to cultivate wasabi, while major disasters such as powerful typhoons have also caused serious damage to farms.
One area that continues to grow wasabi within Tokyo is Okutama, a mountain town in the far western part of the capital. Wasabi cultivation is said to require a steady flow of clean water within a certain temperature range, along with an environment protected from strong direct sunlight. Okutama’s mountains have many sites that meet those conditions.
At one farm, the water remains at about 13 degrees throughout the year, while sunlight is limited to roughly 30% of the day. The farmer described the site as an extremely fortunate location supplied by spring water, saying that such spring-fed cultivation areas account for less than 10% even when looking across Japan and Tokyo.
Okutama wasabi, grown in narrow plots along mountain slopes, is known for its slender shape and rich flavor. Freshly grated wasabi from the farm had a sharpness different from the strong sting often associated with wasabi served at sushi restaurants. Its heat was balanced by depth and umami, producing a flavor that was more complex than simple spiciness.
Wasabi cultivation in Okutama is said to date back to the Edo period, but its survival was threatened by Typhoon No. 19 in 2019. The storm washed away most of the wasabi and caused floodwaters to collapse the stone walls supporting the fields.
Even so, local farmers decided to protect Okutama’s wasabi. Instead of using concrete, they rebuilt the stone walls by hand. One farmer said the method requires time and labor, but because the walls are built by hand, they can be rebuilt again if damaged. The farmer said preserving the natural landscape while passing down the cultivation method is part of the appeal.
Okutama wasabi farmers now run tours of the wasabi fields, with foreign visitors accounting for about half of participants. The farmers say they want to protect and promote wasabi precisely because Japan is its place of origin.
Wasabi is now being grown in countries including France, China, South Korea and Chile, but the farmers say Japan must continue to communicate its value. They described wasabi as one of the Japanese food culture keywords that connects the world, and said they hope more people overseas will learn about it and visit Okutama.
Traditional wasabi remains indispensable to Japanese food culture. In Okutama, farmers are continuing efforts to cultivate, protect and share it with the world.
Source: TOKYO MX NEWS
