ARTICLES
Turning Ezo Deer into a Local Resource! "Gibier Otaki" and "Shikatomo" Aim to Create a Place Connecting People and Society
Otaki Ward in Date City, Hokkaido, is a place popular for its beautiful autumn foliage and clear streams, including the famous Sankai Falls.
We'd like to introduce two new initiatives, leveraging the area's local charm, that are just getting started in this nature-rich location.
Our protagonist is Masafumi Amano, who moved to Otaki Ward in 2018 and served as a member of the Community-Reactivating Cooperator Squad until March 2021.
During his term, he conveyed the charm of Otaki through photos and videos and planned events to help people get to know the town while enjoying its stunning location. One day, while searching for more ways to contribute to Otaki, he met a local hunter.
Crop damage from the overpopulation of Ezo sika deer is a serious problem in Otaki, and the rising cost of countermeasures has forced many farmers to leave the business. With a shortage of hunters, finding a solution has been difficult. On the other hand, when Mr. Amano tasted venison for the first time, a gift from the hunter, he was deeply moved by its deliciousness.
Already interested in hunting, Mr. Amano decided to get his own hunting license and begin training as a hunter. For the first few months, he learned the basics of hunting and butchering under the guidance of a senior hunter, and he began going into the mountains on his own in the spring of 2019. He hunts every day before work, except on rainy days, honing his skills in the field. To date, he has successfully hunted over 50 deer. When he enters the mountains, he wears a GPS-equipped watch, a gift from his worried wife.
As Mr. Amano's skills as a hunter improved, his next challenge was how to process the Ezo deer he hunted. Venison often has a reputation for being "gamey" and "tough," but he says that's due to improper processing. His desire to let more people know the true deliciousness of properly and quickly processed venison and to develop it as a specialty product of Otaki led to the establishment of "Gibier Otaki."
Although venison is gaining recognition as a high-protein, high-iron, low-calorie food and the gibier boom is growing, it is still not a common household ingredient. One reason for this is the lack of processing facilities. No matter how many Ezo deer are hunted, their true flavor cannot be conveyed without proper processing. Furthermore, because there were no public health center-approved facilities nearby, it was impossible to sell the meat through general distribution channels. Until now, all the delicious venison in the Otaki area was consumed privately.
It was in this context that Mr. Amano came across an unused school lunch center. He is now renovating it into a meat processing facility, aiming to process and sell gibier, including Ezo sika deer, in one of the most hygienic environments in Hokkaido.
Mr. Amano hopes that by utilizing the Ezo sika deer, which have been regarded as a nuisance, as a resource, it will ultimately reduce damage to agriculture and forestry, decrease roadkill incidents, and lead to a better coexistence between humans and wildlife.
Another challenge he is undertaking alongside "Gibier Otaki" is the creation of the "Gibier & Community Cafe Shikatomo."
While it will be a place to serve customers delicious venison lunches that he has hunted and processed himself, Mr. Amano has another wish for "Shikatomo."
Mr. Amano has a 15-year-old son who was born with the unique characteristic of a developmental disability. He has stood by his son through the struggles of living with an invisible disability, facing and overcoming numerous challenges.
After his son once stood at the brink of despair due to difficulties in his relationships with others, it was new encounters with people that helped him look forward again. And for Mr. and Mrs. Amano, who had been struggling just as much, the warmth of the understanding and supportive people around them became their pillar of strength.
"When we, his parents, are gone, will he be able to live happily?"
"Will there be people he can turn to for help, or a safe place for him to be?"
Using his own experiences, Mr. Amano's wish for "Shikatomo" is to "create a place where anyone, at any time, can connect with people and society."
It's a place where anyone can become "tomo" (friends) through "shika" (deer) meat, and a place where no one is "shikato"-sareru (ignored) and can feel safe. In the future, he plans to hold recipe contests designed by children and collaborate with support facilities for children with disabilities to provide a safe environment for them to gain social experience.
"Shikatomo" is scheduled for a soft opening during Golden Week in 2021, after which it will begin lunch service on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. A crowdfunding campaign is currently underway to raise part of the startup funds. If you're interested, please take a look.
https://camp-fire.jp/projects/view/401868
We'd like to introduce two new initiatives, leveraging the area's local charm, that are just getting started in this nature-rich location.
■ From Pest to Local Resource: The Ezo Sika Deer
Our protagonist is Masafumi Amano, who moved to Otaki Ward in 2018 and served as a member of the Community-Reactivating Cooperator Squad until March 2021.
During his term, he conveyed the charm of Otaki through photos and videos and planned events to help people get to know the town while enjoying its stunning location. One day, while searching for more ways to contribute to Otaki, he met a local hunter.
Crop damage from the overpopulation of Ezo sika deer is a serious problem in Otaki, and the rising cost of countermeasures has forced many farmers to leave the business. With a shortage of hunters, finding a solution has been difficult. On the other hand, when Mr. Amano tasted venison for the first time, a gift from the hunter, he was deeply moved by its deliciousness.
Already interested in hunting, Mr. Amano decided to get his own hunting license and begin training as a hunter. For the first few months, he learned the basics of hunting and butchering under the guidance of a senior hunter, and he began going into the mountains on his own in the spring of 2019. He hunts every day before work, except on rainy days, honing his skills in the field. To date, he has successfully hunted over 50 deer. When he enters the mountains, he wears a GPS-equipped watch, a gift from his worried wife.
As Mr. Amano's skills as a hunter improved, his next challenge was how to process the Ezo deer he hunted. Venison often has a reputation for being "gamey" and "tough," but he says that's due to improper processing. His desire to let more people know the true deliciousness of properly and quickly processed venison and to develop it as a specialty product of Otaki led to the establishment of "Gibier Otaki."
■ "Gibier Otaki": Renovating the Old School Lunch Center
Although venison is gaining recognition as a high-protein, high-iron, low-calorie food and the gibier boom is growing, it is still not a common household ingredient. One reason for this is the lack of processing facilities. No matter how many Ezo deer are hunted, their true flavor cannot be conveyed without proper processing. Furthermore, because there were no public health center-approved facilities nearby, it was impossible to sell the meat through general distribution channels. Until now, all the delicious venison in the Otaki area was consumed privately.
It was in this context that Mr. Amano came across an unused school lunch center. He is now renovating it into a meat processing facility, aiming to process and sell gibier, including Ezo sika deer, in one of the most hygienic environments in Hokkaido.
Mr. Amano hopes that by utilizing the Ezo sika deer, which have been regarded as a nuisance, as a resource, it will ultimately reduce damage to agriculture and forestry, decrease roadkill incidents, and lead to a better coexistence between humans and wildlife.
■ Community Cafe "Shikatomo"
Another challenge he is undertaking alongside "Gibier Otaki" is the creation of the "Gibier & Community Cafe Shikatomo."
While it will be a place to serve customers delicious venison lunches that he has hunted and processed himself, Mr. Amano has another wish for "Shikatomo."
Mr. Amano has a 15-year-old son who was born with the unique characteristic of a developmental disability. He has stood by his son through the struggles of living with an invisible disability, facing and overcoming numerous challenges.
After his son once stood at the brink of despair due to difficulties in his relationships with others, it was new encounters with people that helped him look forward again. And for Mr. and Mrs. Amano, who had been struggling just as much, the warmth of the understanding and supportive people around them became their pillar of strength.
"When we, his parents, are gone, will he be able to live happily?"
"Will there be people he can turn to for help, or a safe place for him to be?"
Using his own experiences, Mr. Amano's wish for "Shikatomo" is to "create a place where anyone, at any time, can connect with people and society."
It's a place where anyone can become "tomo" (friends) through "shika" (deer) meat, and a place where no one is "shikato"-sareru (ignored) and can feel safe. In the future, he plans to hold recipe contests designed by children and collaborate with support facilities for children with disabilities to provide a safe environment for them to gain social experience.
"Shikatomo" is scheduled for a soft opening during Golden Week in 2021, after which it will begin lunch service on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. A crowdfunding campaign is currently underway to raise part of the startup funds. If you're interested, please take a look.
https://camp-fire.jp/projects/view/401868
Writer's Profile
Editor/Writer
Daisuke Sato
After working at a travel agency, traveling around the world, and working for a travel magazine, he made a U-turn back to his hometown of Muroran. He was involved in promoting tourism and managing outdoor events for the city as Muroran's first Community-Reactivating Cooperator Squad member. Currently, under the name BROCKEN, he collaborates with creators from various regions, undertaking a wide range of projects including magazine and web planning/editing, logo design, and video production.
