Beloved salt farmer killed in Noto Peninsula earthquake; A student farmer pledges to preserve the traditional method

Courtesy of Rei Nakamide Kenichi Nakamai

By Erika Iwami and Mao Nakayama / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

7:00 Japan time, February 22, 2024

SUZU, Ishikawa — Salt farmer Kenichi Nakamai, 77, died when his house collapsed during the Jan. 1 Noto Peninsula earthquake in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, but those who learned traditional trade techniques from him are determined to keep them alive.

Nakamai used Agehamashiki Seien salt cultivation techniques, which are unique to the Noto region, and his salt is said to have a gentle sweetness, which reflects his personality.

“Nakamae generously taught us, outsiders to the region, his methods and techniques,” said Rei Nakamide, a woman who learned Suzu salt production techniques from Nakamai. “To repay his kindness, we will never let this tradition die.”

Nakamide, 76, the president of a regional revitalization company in Kaga, Ishikawa Prefecture, went to her salt production facility on February 14 for the first time since the quake.

Nakamide realized that the shoreline had moved away from the facility as a result of ground uplift caused by the earthquake. When I lifted one of the sheets covering a salt field on the beach, I found cracks about 3 centimeters wide, extending several metres. Fortunately, the production facility, boilers and seawater purification tanks were not damaged.

Nakamide said she thought Nakamai protected them.

Producing ajhamashiki salt is a method that involves throwing seawater over a sand field and letting the sun evaporate the water, leaving only the salt, which is later boiled in a cauldron. In the northern Noto Peninsula region, about 20,000 tons of salt are said to have been produced annually at its peak, which was between the end of the Edo period (1603-1867) and the early Meiji era (1868-1912).

The government had a monopoly on salt, and the influx of cheap imported salt reduced the number of salt producers in the region to just one in the 1960s. However, with the end of the government's salt monopoly in 1997, the traditional method of salt cultivation remained in place. Around this time, Nakamai, who was running a construction company at the time, began producing salt.

The salt produced by Nakamai was neither too coarse nor too fine and had a mild sweetness. Fascinated by the taste, Nakamide asked Nakamai to teach her the art of salt making. It took about a year before Nakamai approved the request.

The method of salt cultivation is usually passed down only among local residents. However, Nakamai, who treated everyone equally, spent a year teaching Nakamide's employee. Nakamai even helped them design the salt and cauldron fields.

“I heard there was some backlash in the community, but he stood up for us,” Nakamide said.

When she heard that Nakamai died in the earthquake, she felt as if she had lost a parent.

New pumps and other works are required to resume salt production. The road ahead is uncertain, but she said she will never give up.

“We will continue to move forward step by step,” Nakamide said. “Nakamay will remain in our hearts and we will continue to pass on this history [traditional method]”.

The Yomiuri Shimbunri Nakamide, in the foreground, and her female employee look at cracks in a salt field caused by the Noto Peninsula earthquake, in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, on February 14.

Kazuo Miyazaki, head of the Kansai Suzukai Group, a group based in the Kansai region of people from Suzu, handcrafts Kakimochi rice crackers using salt produced by Nakamai and delivers them to those who had to evacuate Suzu. There are only about 500 grams of Nakamai salt left. If Miyazaki used salt to make kakimochi using 90 kilograms of rice he prepared, almost all of the salt would disappear. But Miyazaki thinks Nakamai would be happy to know he was being used to help bring a little joy to the people of the Noto area.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos