My name is Nagai, and I work at the Suo-Oshima satellite office.
March, April, and May are good months for Suo-Oshima, with many days of stable weather and a little time before the insects become active. Several people, including coworkers and friends, came to visit Suo-Oshima from Tokyo. They always said, "Suo-Oshima is unexpectedly large." That's right, when they heard the word "island," some people thought it was a size that could be easily circled on foot or by bicycle, but it's actually large enough that it takes about 3 to 4 hours by car to circle the island.
Because of its size, the island is perfect for a day trip from nearby cities such as Hiroshima. In this article, we will introduce some of the most popular spots on Suo-Oshima that everyone who visits the island will have visited at least once.
Why is there such a big traffic jam here?
A jam shop that is always crowded with people
On a certain Sunday in April, cars arrived there nonstop, more than I've ever seen before. There were so many cars, cars, cars, that the elementary school grounds that were set up as a parking lot were filled to capacity. The shop I'll be introducing this time, Setouchi Jam's Garden , is just a few minutes' walk from there.
This day happened to be the day of the Setouchi Bread Festa. The island was brimming with people from both inside and outside the island who had come to buy jams from Setouchi Jams Garden, where the festival was being held, and bread from the bakeries that had set up stalls at the festival. (Unfortunately, I couldn't make it this year due to scheduling conflicts, so the photo is from last year. Unfortunately, there were this many people, even with the cloudy skies after the rain!)
Yes, the center of this crowd is Setouchi Jams Garden. It's a hugely popular shop, not only during the festival, but also on weekend afternoons, with people choosing from the many jams on display and relaxing in the cafe.
Of course, I also took my coworkers there when they came over. We enjoyed delicious sweets at a stylish cafe and shopped at a boutique. It was a very satisfying time.
In front of the rows of jams, the members were tasting and comparing them intently, wondering if they were for souvenirs or for themselves. Apparently, they make as many as 180 different kinds of jam each year.
A luxurious soft serve ice cream topped with fresh fruit and special jam. It's absolutely delicious.
To be honest, I was quite surprised when I first found out about this shop. It's in a hard-to-find location off the prefectural road, and only people who go out of their way to find it can find it. On top of that, the jams and sweets are quite expensive (lol). I wondered why so many customers flock to this shop.
I went to the store, bought some jam, and tried the sweets, and I understand a little bit more. It's simply delicious. And the staff at both the cafe and the boutique are very friendly and make the place very comfortable.
This is a restaurant you'll want to visit again and again, something you won't find often even in Tokyo.
Supported by the local community, we support the local community.
Jam making is possible only on Suo-Oshima.
Later, I had the opportunity to speak with the owner, Matsushima Masashi, and I began to understand a little bit about the secret behind the place's charm.
Masashi Matsushima, president of Jam's Garden Co., Ltd. We spoke to him at his company's strawberry greenhouse about his commitment to using locally produced ingredients.
They are particular about using locally produced ingredients when making jam, which also supports local agriculture. Normally, citrus fruits and vegetables for processing are sold at almost no value in the market. By making proper use of these fruits and turning them into a product called jam, they are able to increase their value. Even though they are for processing, they are still important agricultural products that have taken a lot of effort, even if they just look a little odd or are irregular in size and shape. (I have truly felt this since I started growing crops in my own vegetable garden.)
In addition, when there are already producers on Oshima, such as for citrus fruits, they purchase the ingredients from them, and for things that require large-scale equipment and specialized knowledge, such as strawberries, or things that the island does not produce in sufficient quantities to sell as jam, such as blueberries and sweet potatoes, they research and produce them on their own farms. They carefully simmer each one by hand, assessing them one by one.
There was a reason for the price.
The "strawberry jam" and "marmalade" sold at supermarkets are mass-produced products filled with things other than fruit and sugar that we don't know what to do with, and the jam made at Jam's Garden is a different food.
The newly arrived potatoes and citrus fruits are cleaned by hand one by one and boiled to make freshly made jam.
These jams truly help revitalize the entire region. They're delicious, have a seasonal feel, and you always discover something new every time you visit, which is why you'll want to return to the store again and again.
It's cool to do something together with everyone in the community.
I hope that this will be conveyed to children.
What I like about Setouchi Jams Garden and Matsushima's way of thinking is that I only learn about these thoughts and backgrounds after the fact.
Matsushima says that sometimes people in the community ask, "Could this be made into jam?" but she doesn't want it to be the kind of situation where they just say, "We're in a carrot-producing area, so we have some extra carrots, so why don't we make carrot jam?"
"Would I want to buy it myself?" "Is it delicious?"
This idea remains the basis of their product development to this day.
That's why I think both myself and the friends I took to Jam's Garden get excited when we see the many jars of jam lined up. We imagine the flavors from the stylish names of the jams (yes, many of the jams here have flavors other than just fruit, such as chocolate, tea, and vanilla!), and we always compare the many different jams at the tasting corner, wanting to buy them all but ultimately choosing just one after a long and difficult process.
Jam's Garden sells an astonishing 160,000 bottles of jam every year. Because of the nature of my job, it's an occupational hazard that I can't help but convert it into monetary value... (!) Yes, even if they purchase the raw agricultural produce at a fair price, it's still a viable business!
Continuing business is really important and difficult in business. Living in the countryside, I think that while many people claim to be doing things "for the sake of the community" or "for the sake of future generations," they are often so idealistic that it makes me worry about whether they can actually make a living. But that doesn't mean it can continue.
I told Matsushima that I really respected the fact that Jam's Garden has become a business that is rooted in the local community and makes enough profit to remain independent, and this is what he had to say.
Making a profit is important, but I'm happy when the children and students who were born and raised here think that doing something together with everyone in the community is cool.
In fact, as a way of giving back to the community, Matsushima teaches local elementary, junior high and high school students about entrepreneurship as part of his classes. He teaches them about profit and sales structures, how to actually open a store and sell their own products, and how to put together a business plan. (Apparently, a high school student from Suo-Oshima has even won a national award!)
The day may be approaching when graduates who have learned a great deal of wisdom and quiet passion from Matsushima will look up to the cool guy and take on the challenge of starting their own shops and businesses.
While relaxing at Jam's Garden, you can get a glimpse of the future of Suo-Oshima.
Setouchi Jam's Garden
331-8, Suo-Oshimacho, Oshima-gun, Yamaguchi Prefecture
TEL 0820-73-0002
http://jams-garden.com/
Opening times
10:00-18:00 (10:00-17:00 in winter)
Closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays (only open for jam sales on Thursdays)