EDITORIALS
Making Ezo Deer a Local Resource! Jibier Otaki" and "Shikatomo" aim to create a place that connects people and society
Otaki Ward, Date City, Hokkaido, is home to Sankaidaki Falls, which is popular for its beautiful autumn leaves and clear water.
Here are two challenges that are about to be undertaken in this richly natural setting that make the most of the area's charms.
The star of this issue is Mr. Masafumi Amano, who moved to Otaki Ward in 2018 and has been working as a member of the Regional Development Cooperation Team until March 2021.
During his term as a member of the cooperative, he has been conveying the charms of Otaki through photos and videos, and planning events to let people get to know the town while enjoying its outstanding location. One day, while searching for a way to make the Otaki area more useful, he met a local hunter.
The number of deer in Otaki Ward has increased to such an extent that many farmers have had to leave their farms due to the high costs involved. With few hunters left, it has been difficult to come up with a solution. On the other hand, Mr. Amano was impressed by the taste of venison he tasted for the first time after receiving it from a hunter.
Mr. Amano had always been interested in hunting. He obtained his own hunting license and began training as a hunter. In the first few months, he learned the basics of hunting and dismantling methods under the guidance of senior hunters, and has been on his own in the mountains since the spring of 2019. Except for rainy days, he goes out hunting every day before work and has killed more than 50 animals so far as a result of his study in the field. When he goes into the mountains, he wears a watch with GPS on his wrist, a gift from his worried wife.
Having thus improved his skills as a hunter, Mr. Amano's next challenge was to find a way to dispose of the Ezo sika deer he had killed. Deer meat has an image of "smelling like an animal" and being "tough," but that is because of the way the meat is processed. The establishment of "Jibier Otaki" was motivated by the desire to make more people aware of the delicious taste of venison that has been processed quickly and correctly, and to develop it as a specialty of Otaki Ward.
Venison is gaining recognition as a food item that is high in protein, iron, and calories, but it is still not very familiar to many people. One of the reasons for this is the lack of processing facilities. Even if you have gone to the trouble of hunting down Ezo sika deer, if it is not properly processed, its deliciousness will not be conveyed properly. Moreover, because there are no facilities in the vicinity that have been approved by the health department, it is not possible to distribute deer meat to the general public, and until now, all venison in the Otaki area, no matter how delicious, has been consumed by private consumers.
It was in this situation that Mr. Amano came across an old school lunch center that was no longer in use. He renovated it into a meat processing facility and is now aiming to process and sell Ezo sika deer and other game species in the most hygienic environment in Hokkaido.
Mr. Amano hopes that by utilizing Ezo sika deer as a resource, which have been neglected as vermin, it will ultimately reduce damage to agriculture and forestry and roadkill (traffic accidents), and lead to coexistence with humans.
Another challenge being pursued in conjunction with "Jibier Otaki" is the establishment of the "Jibier & Community Cafe Shikatomo.
In addition to providing customers with a lunch featuring delicious venison that he personally harvests and processes, Mr. Amano has another wish for "Shikatomo.
Amano has a 15-year-old son who was born with a developmental disability. She has suffered and overcome many times in the past, as she has been close to the difficulties of life due to the invisible disability.
His son, who once stood on the edge of despair because of his relationships with other people, was able to look forward again because of his encounters with other people. It was also the warmth of the people around them who understood and supported them that helped Amano-san and his wife, who were also suffering from the same problems.
They wondered, "Will our child be able to live happily without us?
Will there be someone to talk to or a place where they can feel safe when they are in trouble?
Using his own experiences, Amano wants to "create a place where any person can connect with people and society at any time. This is the wish that Mr. Amano has put into "Shikatomo.
A place where anyone can become a "tomo" (friend) through the food of "shika" (deer meat), and a place where one can live in peace without being "shikato" (ignored) by anyone. Eventually, we are planning to hold a recipe contest designed by children, and to collaborate with a support facility for children with disabilities so that children from various backgrounds can gain social experience in a safe and comfortable environment.
Shikatomo is scheduled to pre-open in time for GW 2021, followed by lunch hours on weekdays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. A crowdfunding campaign is underway to raise part of the funds for the current opening. Please take a look if you are interested.
h ttps:// camp-fire.jp/projects/view/401868
Here are two challenges that are about to be undertaken in this richly natural setting that make the most of the area's charms.
From vermin to local resource: Ezo sika deer
The star of this issue is Mr. Masafumi Amano, who moved to Otaki Ward in 2018 and has been working as a member of the Regional Development Cooperation Team until March 2021.
During his term as a member of the cooperative, he has been conveying the charms of Otaki through photos and videos, and planning events to let people get to know the town while enjoying its outstanding location. One day, while searching for a way to make the Otaki area more useful, he met a local hunter.
The number of deer in Otaki Ward has increased to such an extent that many farmers have had to leave their farms due to the high costs involved. With few hunters left, it has been difficult to come up with a solution. On the other hand, Mr. Amano was impressed by the taste of venison he tasted for the first time after receiving it from a hunter.
Mr. Amano had always been interested in hunting. He obtained his own hunting license and began training as a hunter. In the first few months, he learned the basics of hunting and dismantling methods under the guidance of senior hunters, and has been on his own in the mountains since the spring of 2019. Except for rainy days, he goes out hunting every day before work and has killed more than 50 animals so far as a result of his study in the field. When he goes into the mountains, he wears a watch with GPS on his wrist, a gift from his worried wife.
Having thus improved his skills as a hunter, Mr. Amano's next challenge was to find a way to dispose of the Ezo sika deer he had killed. Deer meat has an image of "smelling like an animal" and being "tough," but that is because of the way the meat is processed. The establishment of "Jibier Otaki" was motivated by the desire to make more people aware of the delicious taste of venison that has been processed quickly and correctly, and to develop it as a specialty of Otaki Ward.
Gibier Otaki" renovated from a former school lunch center
Venison is gaining recognition as a food item that is high in protein, iron, and calories, but it is still not very familiar to many people. One of the reasons for this is the lack of processing facilities. Even if you have gone to the trouble of hunting down Ezo sika deer, if it is not properly processed, its deliciousness will not be conveyed properly. Moreover, because there are no facilities in the vicinity that have been approved by the health department, it is not possible to distribute deer meat to the general public, and until now, all venison in the Otaki area, no matter how delicious, has been consumed by private consumers.
It was in this situation that Mr. Amano came across an old school lunch center that was no longer in use. He renovated it into a meat processing facility and is now aiming to process and sell Ezo sika deer and other game species in the most hygienic environment in Hokkaido.
Mr. Amano hopes that by utilizing Ezo sika deer as a resource, which have been neglected as vermin, it will ultimately reduce damage to agriculture and forestry and roadkill (traffic accidents), and lead to coexistence with humans.
Community Cafe "Shikatomo
Another challenge being pursued in conjunction with "Jibier Otaki" is the establishment of the "Jibier & Community Cafe Shikatomo.
In addition to providing customers with a lunch featuring delicious venison that he personally harvests and processes, Mr. Amano has another wish for "Shikatomo.
Amano has a 15-year-old son who was born with a developmental disability. She has suffered and overcome many times in the past, as she has been close to the difficulties of life due to the invisible disability.
His son, who once stood on the edge of despair because of his relationships with other people, was able to look forward again because of his encounters with other people. It was also the warmth of the people around them who understood and supported them that helped Amano-san and his wife, who were also suffering from the same problems.
They wondered, "Will our child be able to live happily without us?
Will there be someone to talk to or a place where they can feel safe when they are in trouble?
Using his own experiences, Amano wants to "create a place where any person can connect with people and society at any time. This is the wish that Mr. Amano has put into "Shikatomo.
A place where anyone can become a "tomo" (friend) through the food of "shika" (deer meat), and a place where one can live in peace without being "shikato" (ignored) by anyone. Eventually, we are planning to hold a recipe contest designed by children, and to collaborate with a support facility for children with disabilities so that children from various backgrounds can gain social experience in a safe and comfortable environment.
Shikatomo is scheduled to pre-open in time for GW 2021, followed by lunch hours on weekdays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. A crowdfunding campaign is underway to raise part of the funds for the current opening. Please take a look if you are interested.
h ttps:// camp-fire.jp/projects/view/401868
Writer Profile
Daisuke Sato, Editorial Writer
After working for a travel agency, around the world, and at a travel magazine, he made a U-turn to his hometown Muroran. As Muroran City's first regional development cooperative team, he was involved in the promotion of the city's tourism and the management of outdoor events. Currently, under the trade name of BROCKEN, he works with creators in various regions and undertakes a wide range of projects including magazine and web planning and editing, logo design, and video production.
