How Edible Roses Are Sparking a Revolution in Fukuyama

“There are fireflies around here. In principle, people shouldn’t live where fireflies don’t,” says Yoshitaka Machimoto in a soft voice as he looks over the rose field that stretches along the foot of a mountain. This is where Machimoto runs his organic edible rose farm. We will now take a close look at the edible rose culture of Fukuyama, “the Rose City,” in Hiroshima Prefecture.

Organic Edible Roses Free from Chemicals

Machimoto is a farmer who grows organic edible roses in Fukuyama. His farm is at the foot of a mountain on the western edge of Fukuyama City, away from car exhaust gas but close to plenty of spring water. “It was about fifteen years ago when we came up with an idea of creating a unique souvenir of Fukuyama, the Rose City. That’s how I started growing edible roses,” explains Machimoto.

Fukuyama – a City of One Million Roses

There are one million roses planted in Fukuyama. Back in 1956, the residents planted one thousand roses to help restore peace in their minds after about eighty percent of the city property had been burnt down during the war. Through the efforts made by volunteers, the number of roses grew to one million in 2016. The area where the roses were originally planted has become “Rose Park” and still delights visitors.

Global Shift to Organic Farming

Machimoto leads the way into his farm. “Roses in this farm are grown only with spring water. We can get it from the mountain because there are no houses or fields above this point. If chemicals are used in the fields, they flow downstream. Domestic wastewater contaminates rivers and streams, too.” Greenhouses are nowhere on Machimoto’s farm, and roses are grown outdoors instead. They are also fertilized organically and never chemically by making the best use of nature’s blessings.

He could produce three times as many roses if he used pesticides to prevent insect infestation. “But,” continues Machimoto, “The farm would become a plant factory if we only focused on efficiency. Greenhouse cultivation would ensure a stable production but would require fossil fuel to control temperatures. Pesticides would ward off insects but would cause soil contamination. Think about how roses are pollinated; it’s insects that carry pollen as they are lured by the scent of roses. If they are killed by pesticides, roses won’t be able to attract them. Such an unnatural environment won’t help roses develop their true scent.

“In Japan, mass production and consumption have taken their toll on the natural environment. I think that’s very bad,” stresses Machimoto. The agriculture sector worldwide has already begun shifting toward organic farming. For example, a declaration made overseas states that only roses that can be cultivated organically for at least three years can be newly registered. In France, the reduction of agricultural chemicals has become a national priority. “People are making serious efforts in countries like Germany and France. The world is already shifting its focus back to nature and the environment, and the Japanese, too, should rediscover respect for them. People like us who are surrounded by nature should take the initiative for that purpose.”

Roses as Medicinal Herbs

Now Machimoto makes a cup of rose tea for me. A gorgeous aroma of natural roses fills the air as he pours hot water over a rose teabag. Its bright blue color captivates my eyes, and then, with a few drops of lemon juice, the color turns beautiful pink; the sugar content and the pH level of tea influence its color.

“If you like, you can sweeten your tea with rose jam. Smells good, doesn’t it? This is the natural aroma of the rose – quite different from artificial flavors. In Japan, colors and shapes of roses are important, but in France, roses are considered good only if these qualities come with a good scent. Aroma is missing from the criteria for appreciating roses in our country.”

“There are hardly any authentic edible roses in Japan. Some farmers are growing edible roses with reduced pesticides, but they are a far cry from genuinely organic roses. Rose tea, which has no caffeine, regulates our bodies’ digestive system; essentially, roses are medicinal herbs. As you know, people drink coffee everywhere in Japan, but I don’t see any reason why the tea culture shouldn’t gain value as well. We should promote the culture of naturally grown authentic edible roses throughout Japan.”

Rose Foods and Drinks Taking off in Fukuyama

As if to echo Machimoto’s philosophy, edible roses are gaining popularity in Fukuyama. One example is Nouvelle Vague, a French restaurant housed in a private residence that sticks to using local ingredients. Machimoto’s roses are no exception, and the full course dinner served here culminates with a dessert made with them.

Nobuhisa Takata, the chef-owner, says, “Machimoto’s roses were the answer to my quest for a cuisine only Fukuyama could offer. I make mousse with Machimoto’s organic roses and mix it with berry or yogurt smoothies. Their long-lingering aroma makes them perfect ingredients for desserts since our patrons can enjoy taking it all in after a meal.”

The next stop is Craft Heart Brewery, a microbrewery in Fukuyama. One of the popular items on its menu is Castello Fukuyama Rosé, a brewed beer infused with Machioto’s roses.

“The beer has a touch of acidity and a distinctive rose aroma. We serve it as a draught beer right from the tap, but we can also pour it into takeout bottles. The rose petals in the beer are pleasing to the eye, and its fruity rose aroma is enjoyable as well,” says　Kotaro Hamaoka, a brewer at Craft Heart.

Machimoto’s roses have also found their way into Fukuyama’s special sweets. Benkyodo, a Japanese confectionary established in 1929, offers rose-shaped Bara Manju (rose cake), which has been popular as a souvenir of Fukuyama. “We use natural rose extract for Bara Manju, and its subtle rose aroma is quite enjoyable,” explains Haruki Monden, president of Benkyodo.

He adds, “The tradition requires that sweets served at the tea ceremony be free from strong-scented ingredients such as flowers. The idea is not to let sweets make a statement but rather to let their colors and shapes evoke imagination about the charms of the four seasons. This means that people who taste sweets are free to use their own interpretation to appreciate them. These days, however, tea-ceremony rooms are no longer a familiar sight, and people don’t want to be fettered by tradition. To meet the needs of the times, I think we need to create sweets that are enjoyable in terms of their taste as well as aroma.”

“We have been periodically updating the taste and the recipe for Bara Manju, but we almost gave up after making many failed attempts to create a balanced taste, we almost gave up. It was around that time when we found Machimoto’s roses. We were convinced that those roses would make it possible to produce good manju. In the future, we would like to create sweets – Japanese style or not – so that our customers will have more opportunities to enjoy the scent of roses.”

Why not visit Fukuyama and savor the local people’s passion about and the history behind the blooming edible rose culture?