Creating a base for fun rural tourism through agriculture! The story of "Inosan Farm" that is creating a movement in the hot spring resort.

Aoyama Highlands

Inokura Onsen is a complex facility for the hot springs, a restaurant, and Tourist farm. "Inosan Farm" is located in one corner of the site, you can enjoy blueberries in the summer (July-September) and Strawberry harvesting experience in the winter (December-April).

"Inosan Farm" is run by Takayuki Okada. He was born as the second son of the founder "Inokura Onsen"(currently run by his brother Yasunori Okada). He was raised in Hakusan-cho, graduating from local high school. He studied material chemistry engineering at university, and after working for a company in Marunouchi, Tokyo, returned to his hometown and started farming blueberries and strawberries. He felt something was wrong in urban life.

Mr. Okada: Since I was a child, he was troubled with atopic dermatitis, and my parents were careful about food. When I started working in Tokyo, I became sick. I think there are various causes, but I wondered if the water disagreed with me. In childhood, I drunk the water from the well, so I believed water and food were important.

The experience of the effects of water and food on his body led him to start a business locally. He quit the company and started farming with his friend from university.

Mr. Okada: Yamagata Prefecture, where I spent my college days, is famous for cherries, and my friend's father was a cherries farmer. The agricultural methods I learned there were epoch-making. In order to increase the yield, he put the whole tree in the refrigerator to cool it and staggered the harvest time. I believed that sowing seeds and harvesting fruits was the only way to farm. I thought that there were various ways for agriculture, so I became interested in agriculture.

Mr. Okada: When I started farming in 2009, I focused on blueberries. There was a reason related to my physical constitution.

Mr.Okada: It's a personal experience, but when I ate blueberries, I felt that the itching of atopy had subsided a little. When I looked it up, I found out that it had the effect of suppressing the itching component called "histamine", and I thought "blueberries are interesting!". Besides, blueberries didn’t need tilling the soil, but were grown in pots, so I felt the possibility that they could be started without any agricultural methods.

Mr. Okada started farming, but there were no experts around him. As a result of searching for my own strengths in order to farm in a new style, he came up with the idea from material chemistry that I studied in a university.

Mr. Okada: When I started farming, I couldn't rent a field because of the regulations on the Agricultural Land Law. Since he can not rent more farmland, he had no choice but value-added agriculture. Unless the quality was improved and the agricultural methods were easy to grow, I had no profit. Blueberries and strawberries fitted the new farming style.

Currently, from July to early September, we are harvesting blueberries from 1000 pots of trees on Inosan Farm.

In 2016, we started cultivating strawberries with no residual pesticides, and now we are exporting them overseas.

Furthermore, when he left his hometown and lived in Tokyo, he again realized the quality of the food in Mie Prefecture, and wondered if he could invite people to get to know the production area.

Mr. Okada: What I really think about farming is that GI certification (geographical indication protection system) is a good example overseas, but it is rare to see only the quality of things. "Who, where, and what kind of thoughts" is made is evaluated. In Japan, superficial numerical values such as sugar content and prices are still the evaluation criteria, but I feel that they will change on a global scale in the future.

He started a direct sales office "Yamanoue" adjacent to the farm in 2020 as a new initiative. There, he also sells raw blueberries, seasonal ice cream and juice, jams, vinegar, and other processed products made by local farmers.

Mr. Okada: Here, we are developing products that can only be tasted here, using blueberries and strawberries that are unique to farmers who can grow and understand the difference in taste.

The ice cream has a smooth texture, with the freshness and sweetness of the blueberries combining well with the vanilla ice cream. The blueberry juice contains the whole flesh of the blueberry and is a luxurious and satisfying way to directly taste the flavour of the ingredients.

Mr. Okada has been energetically expanding his range of activities for 12 years since he became a farmer, so he has certain thoughts.

Mr. Okada: I export agricultural products overseas because I want them to visit here from abroad. But I can't invite inbound tourists alone. I start to convey the goodness of this area with my friends.

In October 2021, Mr. Okada launched group "Landing in HAKUSAN" with his friends living in Hakusan-cho, such as Inokura Onsen, a friend who runs a guesthouse, and an artist living in the area.

By increasing the number of migrants through Farm stay * and having them come to visit from overseas inbound tourists, we will form a community consisting of migrants and local people, and enjoy the natureand culture of Hakusan Town for tourists.

Members of the general incorporated association ”Landing in Hakusan”

* Farm stay is a trip to a farming, mountain and fishing village. A trip to stay in the rural area and enjoy meals and experiences unique to the area during your stay.

Mr. Okada: I can accept tourists mainly in agricultural experience. Actually, I am also a hunter, so I got permission for the restaurant business so that I could also serve Jibie cuisine. By working on efforts with my friends, we would like you to visit Hakusan-cho and feel the goodness of the Japanese countryside.

I am afraid of personal affairs, I have a desire to improve my hometown. However, it takes action to actually start moving. Mr. Okada met agriculture and will opens up new avenues. He also talked about his future dreams, saying, "I want to connect agriculture and welfare. " Mr. Okada's eyes were shining brightly, and he gave me energy to start moving for the local community.


Okada: I don't think it makes sense if I'm not shining and moving. I have to enjoy Rural life!


If wonderful persons liven up the countryside of Japan, there is great potential for shining and you can enjoy traveling in the countryside with various charms.

 Inosan Farm（いのさんファーム）

〒515-2622  148 Nakanomura Hakusan-cho, Tsu city, Mie prefecture.

HP https://inosan-farm.co.jp 

Covering day: September 11,2021
Written：Canny (WEB MAGAZINE OTONAMIE)
Photo：Yutaka Matsubara（https://matsubara-yutaka.com/）

This article is a translation and reprint of the content created by the project of Departmentof Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Mie Prefectural Government.

Original article: https://www.sato.pref.mie.lg.jp/feature_news/