Energizing People With Hamamatsu Power Food

The energy of fresh food that gave power to Ieyasu

What has attracted Ieyasu to Hamamatsu so much? Kenichi Akimoto, who owns several restaurants including “Hamamatsu Cuisine: Yadoshita Kichian,” presumes that one of the reasons must have been the rich ingredients that Hamamatsu had to offer.

“In Hamamatsu, there’s almost no preserved foods. That's because fresh fish and vegetables are always available here. I believe that fresh foods have so much energy stored in them. It can be said that consuming such food will also energize you. Ieyasu has lost many battles. Even so, he never committed suicide, and instead lived earnestly, and climbed all the way up to the zenith of political hierarchy. I can’t help but think that the power of food in Hamamatsu significantly influenced his fate. Besides, Ieyasu is said to have been very interested in maintaining superior health, so the region may have been attractive as a source of healthy food, such as unagi.”

Mr. Akimoto is also one of those folks who were born and raised in Tokyo, but moved afterwards to Hamamatsu fascinated by its richness in raw ingredients. He may have been attracted to Hamamatsu stronger because he was from another prefecture.

“My mother’s parents lived in Hamamatsu, so I used to spend my summer vacation there as a child. They must have wanted me, their grandson who came to visit all the way from Tokyo, to eat delicious food. I remember seeing unagi, whitebait, crabs, etc. on the dinner table, and frequently eating oranges. Whenever they took me to go fishing at Lake Hamana, we used to catch a magnificent black porgy, which made me think that it was a fascinating place, even at an early age.

The region was so attractive, with a lot of delicious food, as well as having a comfortable and warm climate. It’s been about 40 years since I came to Hamamatsu, ever since I set out to become a chef. This place has changed my life, and I’m very fond of the raw ingredients of Hamamatsu. After launching my own business and meeting other skillful chefs, I began to see new possibilities of the ingredients grown in Hamamatsu.”

A rich ecosystem nurtured by the peculiar characteristics of a brackish lake

Hamamatsu is especially known for its rich seafood. In 1498, Lake Hamana was widened about 200 meters due to the Meio earthquake, transforming it into a brackish lake where 40 million tons of seawater a day went in and out of the said area due to the tides. It has since become a fishing ground of freshwater organisms, as well as seawater organisms such as porgy, sea bass, octopus, crabs, shrimp, etc. It is said that there are over 800 types of marine animals currently inhabiting Lake Hamana, which is also blessed with minerals contained in high quality water that flows from the mountains via rivers such as the Miyakoda River.

Among them, mud crabs, which are said to be only caught in parts of Shimanto River and Okinawa, are called the “Doman Crab” in this region, and its rich flavor captures the taste buds of many foodies. As the head chef of “Hamamatsu Cuisine: Yadoshita Kichian,” Takumi Okumura describes the wonders of seafood that’s caught in Lake Hamana, as follows.

"I used to work at other restaurants in Osaka, where I also witness great ingredients from all over the country, but honestly, I was surprised at the level of quality of ingredients from Lake Hamana. Sea bass, Japanese flounders and crabs are all rich in flavor. Lake Hamana is also home to prawns, and it seems that some fishes feed on them. I believe that the seafood caught at Lake Hamana exhibits an exceptional quality that isn’t seen elsewhere due to such rich cycle of life.”

Sea of Enshu is also a fishing ground where rare puffer fish can be caught in Japan. Currently, 90% of pufferfish distributed in Japan are farmed, and only 10% are wild, and about 40% to 60% of the wild pufferfish are caught in Sea of Enshu. In 2003, a pufferfish processing plant was established in Kanzanji Town, a hot spring resort near Lake Hamana, which gave rise to a brand called “Sea of Enshu Wild Tiger Pufferfish” using the pufferfish landed at the said water area. Since then, inns near Lake Hamana and restaurants in Hamamatsu City are now able to source safe and fresh pufferfish at a comparably reasonable price.

Lake Hamana is famous for its unagi farms, but there’s another ingredient that has been farmed for over 110 years. It’s known as the Chinese soft-shell turtle. Chinese soft-shell turtles have been well-known as a great source of nourishment and beauty-aid in Japan since the Edo period due to its rich nutrients including amino acids, vitamins, minerals, lipids and collagen, and have been regarded as a luxury food. About 70% of the said ingredient distributed around the country are farmed in Hamamatsu, and are still used today in high-end restaurants in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, etc.

Both men and women of Hamamatsu City have ranked first consecutively in 2010, 2013 and 2016 in the “Health Life Assessment by Major Cities” surveyed by the research team of Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. This is the best proof they have that indicates that their rich food source is empowering the people there. And it can be easily imagined from this data that Hamamatsu's food culture had protected the health of Ieyasu Tokugawa.
Mr. Akimoto, who launched the “Hamamatsu Power Food Society” to further spread the power of Hamamatsu’s food, and is currently serving as their chairman and expanding its activities, concludes with the following statement:

“I believe that the power food of Hamamatsu nurtures people. This is quite apparent by examining the numerous corporations that are significantly expanding in this region.”