The flexible pioneers of this era
As the adage goes, “Culture comes from the frontiers.” Culture is the mark of a frontier land, guided by a pioneering spirit and away from the matured concepts of the mainstream, in pursuit of new values. Ogawa-machi is now renowned as an organic town, but the late Yoshinori Kaneko paved the way for organic farming more than 50 years ago, when it was nothing but heresy.
“People who gather in Ogawa have a strong DIY spirit, and they will turn their hand to anything; this town accepts them as they are” explains Takehiko Yanase, our guide for this trip. We certainly felt that this area has the soil for a new culture to sprout. After commuting from Tokyo for four years and then dividing his time between the two locations for three years, Yanase moved permanently to Ogawa-machi last year. While working on planning and community development drawing on skills he developed while working for an advertising firm, he and his wife Natsumi also run the bookstore “Botabooks”, which is attached to the coffee shop “People”, housed in a renovated stone warehouse. Yanase’s new challenges continue, including the formation of “Une Studio”, a creative boutique with fellow freelancers.
As if in concert with such activities, interesting places have sprung up in the neighboring town of Tokigawa.
Tatsuya and Eriko Aoki, who run “Camping Noniwa” and the outdoor store “Grid,” upped sticks from Tokyo, hoping to “live as if we were playing in nature.” “Camping lodging” is an idea that allows beginners to enjoy camping without worry, as all equipment can be rented and lectures on how to use and maintain it are included.
“Tokigawa is not too touristy or too rural, so we can try out all kinds of things. We want to make Tokigawa an outdoor town.”
I was struck by the way they are shaping the future while living comfortably and having fun.
Connecting strong personalities to make the whole town attractive
Returning to Ogawa Town, we went to a knoll overlooking the town. I recall Yanase’s words: “It’s like an RPG town where you know exactly where everything is: the inn, the tool store, the bar, and so on.”
“Ogawa Machiyado” is a hotel created to capitalize on this compactness.
“Restaurants, stores, bathhouses, and other functions normally housed within a hotel are dispersed among familiar local restaurants and hot springs, creating a new lodging system that provides hospitality to guests throughout the entire town. I want people to experience the daily life unique to Ogawa and stay as if they were living here,” notes Kano Takahashi, proprietress of the “Ogawa Machiyado”.
For dinner, we head to “CURRY&NOBLE Tsuyoi Onna,” a curry shop recommended by Takahashi-san. While The name is certainly unforgettable, the curry also has a taste that is deeply etched in one’s memory. Using mainly ingredients from the town, the dishes are seasoned with only salt and spices, and the multi-layered umami flavor is deeply satisfying. The menu is said to be constantly changing, making this a restaurant one would like to frequent daily.
Ogawamachi, with its easy access from Tokyo, would be an ideal location for a workcation. In 2021, a 100-year-old stone warehouse was reborn as “Coworking Lobby NESTo” to meet the growing demand for relocation and telework.
According to project members Yujiro Minomo and Kazuki Kasahara: “We hope it will be more than just a place to work; we hope it will be like a hotel lobby that connects people with various elements of the town.” My heart fluttered at the thought of being there at the moment when this area was becoming more and more interesting.
Soil enriched by the toils and travails of local residents
Brewers are adding new value to the sake culture by taking advantage of the high quality water from the Mt. Chichibu water source that has supported the sake brewing industry in Ogawa-machi, and by being meticulous in the production of raw materials.
Zakkoku Koubou MicroBrewery is committed to organically growing its own wheat with the goal of creating a self-sufficient beer. Yumiko Suzuki’s father, whom we interviewed, started this self-taught business about 20 years ago.
Now, if it’s wine you are after, head to “Musashi Winery.” The grapes are grown completely organically, without even using the fungicide Bordeaux, which is permitted under Japanese organic standards.
When picked and placed in the mouth, the grapes have a wild intensity and refreshing fruitiness. ‘Beer and wine are ways of expressing this land, but in my case it’s vegetables`’ says Daichi Yanagida of SOU FARM. He has an unusual background, having moved from the garment industry in Tokyo to becoming a farmer. Although his fields are no-tilled, they are not untouched.
“I don’t want to farm for the sake of growing vegetables, I want to enrich this place through my involvement. As proof of my engagement, I leave the traces of the creatures’ activities as they are,” he attests while showing us a Japanese honeybee hive. The bees come to the fields to pollinate them, making the land more sustainable. People, plants and living organisms interact with each other and are connected in a circle.
A journey from person to person, tracing the bonds of intention. What struck me there was the dynamism of the region with its nascent culture nurtured by the activities and approaches of the people who reside there. This frontier land so close to Tokyo is sure to become more complex, stronger and more exciting with each passing moment. One should visit frequently to sense its ‘terroir’.
Tour de Nippon Guide
Ogawa & Tokigawa, Saitama
PEOPLE
Gyokuseisha, Saitama, Hiki District, Ogawa 197
Camp Lodging NONIWA
44-4 Bessho, Tokigawa, Hiki District, Saitama
GRID
275-1, Bessho, Tokigawa-cho, Hiki-gun, Saitama
Ogawa Machiyado-tsuki
176-1 Otsuka, Ogawa, Hiki District, Saitama
CURRY & NOBLE Tsuyoi Onna
171-7 Otsuka, Ogawa, Hiki District, Saitama
TEL： 0493-81-5681
Co-working Lobby NESTo
Saitama, Hiki District, Ogawa, Ōtsuka, ７−4
Zakkoku Koubou Microbrewery
88-6 Otsuka, Ogawa-cho, Hiki-gun, Saitama
TEL：0493-72-5673
Musashi Winery
104-1 Koya, Ogawa, Hiki District, Saitama
TEL：0493-81-6344
A journey into a culture nurtured in an organic village
“Tour de Nippon in Saitama” Sign up Now!
on April 13th and 14th, 2024
Enjoy a fun and finger-licking sojourn in a land rich in nature, conveniently located one hour from the city center. Day 1 takes you to the organic town of Ogawa, where you will climb a knoll overlooking the town, before visiting organic farms and other spots that are generating a new fascination for the town. The second day includes a workshop on outdoor tool making in Tokigawa Town, with a stopover at a shop where you can sample the region’s produce. Ride your bicycle all the way to the idyllic foothills of the Okumusashi mountains. Feel the scent of spring and revel in the new encounters and discoveries of this land.
Tour de Nippon in Saitama:
https://papersky.jp/en/saitama-tour/