To know. To feel. To communicate.
We visited a lemon farm on Ikuchijima Island in the Seto Inland Sea.

Nice to meet you, I'm Hatanaka from the Production Department.

It's been three months since I joined Monosus.
Since joining the company, I have been involved in projects at Google as part of Monosus' production department (directing Google-sponsored events and productions, etc.), but then, like a shooting star, an offer came my way to create a website for citrus farm Tatemichiya, a lemon farmer on Ikuchijima Island in Hiroshima.
Today I would like to talk about my experience visiting for that interview.

Agriculture is science. Correctly understand the mechanism by which lemons grow naturally.

This time we interviewed Suga Hidekazu, the owner of Citrusfarms Tatemichiya on Ikuchijima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture.
Suga says this is how he understands the meaning of the phrase "shindo fuji" when it comes to farming.

The body and the soil have the same function. If humans eat too much, they will gain weight and become more susceptible to adult diseases, and the same is true for trees. In order for the tree to bear delicious and healthy fruit, it is important to strengthen the tree's vitality through the proper supply of nutrients.

What should we do to grow healthy, safe and secure trees, leaves and fruit?
So he started making soil charts. He analyzes the soil twice a year and scientifically calculates the necessary nutrient mix by knowing the nutrient status of the soil. By providing the right amount and mix of nutrients and managing the soil to activate the beneficial bacteria, he strengthens the tree's natural vitality.
By doing so, it is possible to practice agriculture without the need for pesticides or chemical fertilizers. By teaching how to grow trees and fruit not by intuition but as data, and by creating a manual for a year's work, it is possible to pass on efficient and stable agricultural management to the next generation. He says that agriculture that uses "science" is also useful as a solution to the problems of successors and abandoned farmland.

This is a very personal opinion, but up until now, agriculture has still retained the traditional style of hard work. I had a strong image of whether one could make a living doing it. Through this interview, Mr. Suga's desire to convey to future generations that there is still a lot of potential in the primary industry and that it is an interesting job has greatly changed my own values about agriculture.

What I really want to convey through lemon cultivation: Learning about food with the intention of growing food

A lemon tree in March with plump fruit.

As mentioned earlier, growing crops without pesticides is difficult to do as a job unless you have scientific knowledge and experience. (That's why Suga is working on digitizing the data for the next generation.)

So why did he decide to try the thorny path of growing lemons without using pesticides?
In the past, "delicious" and "safe and secure" were the same thing. Why is this no longer the case? It is not just the fault of agricultural cooperatives and pesticide manufacturers, but also the people who choose to eat them themselves who are to blame.
Suga says.

The background to this is that as demand increased, in order to ensure a stable supply of uniform agricultural products, pesticides and chemical fertilizers began to be used to improve the efficiency of agricultural production in line with large-scale market distribution.
This is often seen as a bad thing, but it is simply the balance of supply and demand at work. If those who make it, sell it, and eat it cannot choose for themselves what is good for them, they will not be able to understand the original taste of food.

I want people to understand what it means to "eat" using their own standards.
Suga also holds workshops to teach people how to eat and use lemons in a safe and secure way (Suga's salted lemon recipe is also published in the " bonus corner " at the bottom).

"I want people to learn about food and think about what it means to "eat" through lemons, even the skin of which is delicious. That's why I make lemons that are delicious to eat."
Hearing Suga say this made me think again about the meaning of the phrase "itadakimasu."

The word "itadakimasu" (thank you for the meal).
Thank you to everyone involved in the meal. "Itadakimasu" is a way of expressing gratitude to those who cooked the food, the producers who grew the vegetables, fruit, and rice, and everyone else involved in the meal.
In addition to meat and fish, we believe that vegetables and fruits also have life, and we express our gratitude for the life in our food by saying "itadakimasu" (thank you for the meal). To "receive" life means to make that life your own.

We understand this, but living in affluent Japan, we take "eating" for granted. When we think out loud about "receiving life," we not only feel gratitude for life, but also feel that our thoughts about the ingredients we eat inevitably change. I'm still not at the point where I can talk about what it means to "eat" using my own standards, but my trip to Onomichi made me strongly want to think about it in my own way.

At Tatemichiya Lemon Farm overlooking the Seto Inland Sea

lastly.
I want to share Mr. Suga's philosophy on agriculture and what he wants to spread. I felt the power and passion during the interview, and I was reminded of this through the website. I want to share this with many people, digest it in my own way, and create a website that will be a frontline tool for passing it on to new generations.
During my stay, I also had the opportunity to meet and interact with people in the town at the various shops that Suga showed me around, which helped me to broaden my personal connections.

What can we do to revitalize the local community? People from different professions connect with that idea. There are many different ways for each person to connect with society. I felt that moment firsthand.
One thing I felt throughout this reporting trip is that my own involvement with society through website production can also play a part in the power of website transformation in the community.

bonus.

One-year-old salted lemons preserved by Mr. Suga

Salted lemons given to me by Suga-san. (Salted lemons)
This is truly delicious and addictive.
It can be used as a dressing, and goes great with meat or fish.
We ate it as it was, but we were thinking, "It would be the perfect snack to go with alcohol, I want to drink!"

Moreover, the citric acid contained in lemons is said to improve carbohydrate metabolism and also help break down fat!
I learned how to make it, so if you'd like, please give it a try.

Bonus: Enjoy your project to the fullest? Monosasu's business trip style
~Onomichi, Shimanami Kaido Cycling Journey~

Ikuchijima, where Suga lives, is a mecca for cyclists, and is located right in the middle of the Shimanami Kaido. I thought, "I have to go by bicycle!" and set off on my 35km bike ride from Onomichi to Ikuchijima.
Of course I put all my effort into my work, but I also put all my effort into having fun. Isn't that a good business trip style? So, as a special edition, I would like to tell you about my unusual cycling journey (?!).

Onomichi: A hillside overlooking the sea, dotted with temples, beautiful nature and a historic landscape

Onomichi is famous for the Shimanami Kaido.
Many people are probably familiar with cycling routes that offer beautiful views.

This may come as a surprise, but one of the project members, a senior member of the production department, has his family home in Ehime, and he cycled over 70km from Onomichi to Imabari to visit his hometown.
A senior who is also a cycling enthusiast suggested that we cycle from Onomichi to Ikuchijima for this interview. What do you think?
So, I was invited to go for a drink on the way home.
It was said so casually that I replied that I would join them without thinking much about it, but when I found out later how far it would be, I was shocked.

The Shimanami Kaido cycling trip begins from Onomichi to Tatemichiya on Ikuchijima Island!

First, rent a cross bike at the Onomichi Bicycle Rental Terminal, then take a ferry from Onomichi to Mukaishima to head to the departure point.

Yamauchi (left) and I (right) got our cross bikes at the Onomichi Bicycle Rental Terminal.

Waiting for the ferry to Mukaishima at Onomichi Port (left), the courtyard (middle), and Takeda (right)

To get from Mukojima to Ikuchijima you have to cross two bridges.
The Shimanami Kaido is unobstructed. With the scorching sun beaming down on me, my body is already beginning to boil, but my goal is to reach the first bridge.

We continued on the flat road for a while. I thought to myself, "This might be easier than I expected," and happily took a commemorative photo with the first bridge, Innoshima Ohashi Bridge, in the background.

What, you didn't hear me? How far does this uphill climb continue?
An uphill climb towards the entrance to Innoshima Bridge, where we took the commemorative photo earlier.
Once we reached the top of the hill, we were just one step away from the Innoshima Bridge. Just when we were about to give up, we were greeted by a tropical landscape.
All your fatigue will disappear in an instant.

The first bridge is the two-storey Innoshima Ohashi Bridge (1,270m)

It's been a while since we've seen shade! It's so refreshing to race through the wind along the tunnel-like road!

As you travel through Innoshima, an area closely associated with the Murakami Suigun, Shimanami Beach appears before your eyes.

The uphill climb from Innoshima to Ikuchi Bridge felt endless, as if time had stopped...

Monosus members pedaling their bikes hard up the hellish slope leading to Ikuchi Bridge

After speeding through the forest road, you will come across the second bridge, the stylish cable-stayed bridge "Ikuchi Ohashi" (790m).

The Seto Inland Sea as far as the eye can see. All the members got off their bikes and were entranced by the beautiful scenery.

After crossing the Ikuchi Ohashi Bridge, we finally landed on our destination, Ikuchijima Island. As we glanced at the mysterious object, we found ourselves sipping on the handmade gelato "Dolce." After riding more than 30km under the scorching sun, our bodies were burning with heat and fatigue, so we decided to try some Setoda's famous lemon gelato!

It's about 35km from Onomichi to Ikuchijima. The hills along the way are really tough for a body that is not used to exercise. But the beautiful scenery and the sense of fulfillment and accomplishment are even more impressive. I would not have been able to feel this if I had just gone by car or train. I really felt glad that I rode by bicycle.
We safely arrived at our destination, the lemon farm "Citrus Farm Tatemichiya"!
Mr. Suga treated us to some delicious salted carbonated water, even though we were exhausted and exhausted. We gulped it down, feeling like we were coming back to life, and were able to get to work on the interview with renewed vigor.
Thank you so much for everything, Suga-san!

Suga's homemade salted carbonated water. The fizzy carbonation refreshes the throat and replenishes the sodium lost through sweating.