Culture-Shock Encounters with Fishery Experts and Producers

My stay overlapped with students from the Suisanchu College, an intercollegiate group that shares information about fisheries, who were there to learn about kelp fishing. We ended up cooking our meals together. The Suisanchu members were true to their name! Four of the six people I met brought their own fishing rods and tackle. Before going to the supermarket, they had the option of catching their own food!

I was told, "You won't catch anything 80% of the time," but we ended up catching about 10 mackerel. The skillfully prepared mackerel was turned into fried cutlets with shiso leaves and pickled plum paste. It was a thrilling culture shock.

On days we couldn't go fishing, we went to a local fish shop. Before I knew it, they had bought a salmon so big you couldn't hold it with two hands, which surprised me again. But of course, they filleted it in a flash. Amazing. And the meals we all made and ate together were, as expected, delicious. The BBQ with meat and fish from Hiroo was the best. We had a BBQ with Mr. Kikuchi from the farm, Mr. Hoshi the kelp fisherman, and Mr. Nakamura the hunter. With Hiroo seafood like sailfin poacher (hakkaku) and shishamo, Hiroo game meat, and Hiroo beef, being so close to the source of production gave me a renewed appreciation for the meaning of "itadakimasu" (a Japanese phrase said before eating).

Wide roads, vertical traffic lights, rooms without air conditioning, the daily town broadcast, the vast sky, and stars on a clear night. The sea right outside my door. So many farms, so many cows, and wild animals popping up unexpectedly. The production sites are close and vast. I have so many memories, but the environment, so different from my hometown, was full of discovery and excitement. The seafood lunch at Bay Lounge Coffee, the drive to Cape Erimo, and watching the seals were also amazing.

11 Days Full of Encounters

A member of the Community-Reactivating Cooperator Squad researching whether kelp can be used in feed. A writer living a dual-location lifestyle. A dairy farmer who also founded the Piroro Tourism Council to develop the town. A fisherman with a boyish glint in his eye, trying to make the town more interesting. Someone traveling around Japan looking for a place to move. The students from Suisanchu College who came to experience kelp fishing. University students, working adults from inside and outside the town, people who have moved here, people born and raised in Hiroo—in this town of primary industries, so many people with diverse backgrounds gathered in Hiroo.

Hiroo has an environment that makes it easy for complete strangers, whether university students or working adults, to fit in. I heard that not all residents feel the same way and that there are some difficulties, but by actually visiting this town, I encountered its unique character, made discoveries, and enriched my own life.

On a side note, I currently live with my parents. I'm considering finding a job outside my home prefecture in the future, so the experience of cooking, driving, doing laundry, and living on my own in a place far from home was incredibly valuable. I don't want to go home yet. The 11-day stay, which seemed long at first, flew by in an instant, and it still felt too short. I'd love to see Hiroo's winter and its forestry industry. I was able to meet people and find an environment that makes me want to visit again.

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Domingo Local Topics

"Domingo Local Topics" brings you the charm of a region through the "raw voices" of its local people. From unique local shops and student initiatives to community-built events, the content varies by region. We deliver topics from the area that will make you feel closer to the local scene and want to visit.