meetsHometown!［Local Produce］15OUR FAVORITE TOWN, KOKUBUNJI—RION STAFF SHOW YOU AROUNDRion staff members visit people and places active in Kokubunji and rediscover the charms of Kokubunji. In this issue, we’ll introduce Kokubunji’s farm produce, which is affectionately referred to by its nickname, Kokuvege (Kokubunji vegetables). Mr. Okuda has been involved in promoting Kokuvege from its planning stages and is currently in charge of harvesting and distributing the fruit and vegetables. Here he’ll introduce the many charms of Kokuvege.A restaurant that serves food prepared with Kokuvege produceMr. Okuda delivers Kokuvege produce to between 30 and 40 restaurants, which fly a small white banner with the Kokuvege logo. On the day of the interview, a restaurant is receiving a delivery of Kokuvege, accompanied by a gift of flowers from the farmer.(Left photo: Little Cook; Right photo: Kurumido Coffee Shop)A local farm in KokubunjiFarms in Kokubunji can be found scattered among the residential districts. Many of them operate a produce stand, where people can buy fruit and vegetables fresh from the farm. The produce sold varies daily and seasonally, and consequently the customers can always be pleasantly surprised when encountering new veg-etables. (Photo: Shimizu Farm)Daisuke OkudaNPO Megurumachi KokubunjiMr. Okuda was born in Iwate Prefec-ture in 1974 and raised in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo. While in high school, he began commuting from Itabashi to Kokubunji for a part-time job. Lat-er, he worked at a local newspaper distribution shop for 13 years. Hav-ing participated in local community activities since 2007, he’s been in-volved in the launch of many local initiatives, including making a map, a newspaper, a walking path, a café and the Kokuvege project. Currently, in addition to his profession as coun-selor, he makes rounds in Kokubunji as a delivery person for the Koku-vege Project.Coordinated by Sanae TanahashiAt restaurants in Kokubunji, you’ll often see banners that proclaim: “Kokuvege menus served here.” The proportion of land in Kokubunji City accounted for by farmland is among the highest in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Agricultural and livestock produce from local farms in Kokubunji are affectionately referred to as Kokuvege. Urban agriculture in Kokubunji is characterized by small-scale farms and a wide variety of agricultural and livestock produce.Farming in Kokubunji has roots in the rice paddy development policy implemented during the Edo period(approx. 300 years ago), with many farmers boasting of the long history of their family business farming the same land over generations. The traditional circular agriculture, including practices like collecting fallen leaves for compost, also seems to have been passed down. Local people named their produce as Kokuvege, because of their attractive features. They aren’t just any locally produced vegetables.In 2016, a project was launched to encourage restaurants to incorporate local vegetables into their menus, aiming to raise awareness of the produce. Traditionally, vegetables were sold through collectively op-erated shops or vegetable stands in front of individual farms, making it difficult for restau-rants to buy local produce. This was one of the issues that needed to be resolved to keep the project on track. To resolve this issue, Mr. Okuda and his team started the Kokuvege delivery system. They made the rounds tak-ing orders and delivering the vegetables from farmers to restaurants.Urban farming means that the vege-tables required by restaurants may not be available year-round. They may not be of a consistent shape and size—not like the vege-tables restaurants typically buy. Nevertheless, Okuda and his team diligently approached both farmers and restaurants. The Kokuvege business steadily expanded. “A chain bakery shop in the Kokubunji station building now sells focaccia topped with seasonal Koku-vege as part of their regular menu,” says Mr. Okuda. “The vegetables delivered may not be uniform in size and shape, but the baker has learned to accommodate these differences and successfully makes delicious bread.” The fact that even chain stores have started using Kokuvege produce is proof that the appeal of Kokuvege can compete with advantages of a stable supply and uniformity. It is evidence that Kokuvege has taken solid root and has earned the trust of the local community.Mr. Okuda emphasizes the appeal of Kokuvege: “First of all, the vegetables are fresh. When you bite into freshly-picked vegetables, even the moisture within seems filled with the energy of life. In this environ-ment, where vegetable producers and cooks know each other as community members, both parties are motivated.” The advantages of “local production for local consumption” are often said to lie in the freshness of the vegetables and the bond between producers and consumers who know each other in real life. Kokuvege is a perfect example.“I’ve never come across anyone who has turned down something or reacted negative-ly when they hear that Kokuvege produce is used. I’m honored to be a part of something that inspires nothing but positive responses.”After interviewThis issue’s theme"How can local farmers and restaurants get connected?" Many obstacles stood in the way of getting this ven-ture off the ground. Motivated by their strong desire to promote awareness of the benefits of Kokuvege, Mr. Okuda and his team continued promoting them at events and festivals in the city. The circle of sympa-thetic people expanded steadily. Now, nearly 90 restaurants offer Kokuvege on their menu. Listening to Mr. Okuda’s story, I got a feel for the face-to-face relationships built by Kokuvege. It adds a different kind of richness to the food when one appreciates the farmers and the cooks who made the food and the personal bond between them.(Yuki Okabe, RION Technical Journal Staff)From farm to restaurant: The culture of delivering local produce for local consumptionRionKOKUBUNJI
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