Fisherman starts producing traditional noshikunbu to preserve local culture

Naoya Osaka, a kelp fisherman in the Minamikayabe district of Hakodate, Hokkaido, began producing noshikunbu this year after establishing a dedicated processing facility.

Osaka aims to revitalize his local area and bring regional kelp to a national audience like other famous varieties. The minamikayabe district produces about 70 percent of the kelp in Hakodate, a city that leads Japan in kelp production.

The local white-cut true kelp, known as shirakuchihama kelp, was historically presented to the imperial court and the shogun. Due to resource shortages, natural kelp is under a three-year fishing ban, so producers currently use farmed kelp. Osaka produces noshikunbu by steaming and flattening dried kelp to reduce stickiness and impurities. Only about 10 percent of local fishermen produce this variety because of the high labor and fuel costs.