Something Special from the North:
Fukushima and Tohoku Farmers at Yurakucho Farmers Market 

*Fukushima and Tohoku growers will be at the market until Sunday, May 8^th

Tucked under the overhang of Tokyo Kouku Kaitan is a treasure trove of edible delights. Ruby red strawberries, vibrant green spinach leaves, mountains of translucent white garlic, dusky sweet potatoes and chains of lotus root sit alongside sweet and salty dried fish, pearly grains of rice, and apples perfectly flecked gold and red. A fantastic find at any time of year, these tables heaped with seasonal bounty seem  particularly poignant this spring: each morsel traveled to the heart of Tokyo from Tohoku.

Devastated by the March 11^th earthquake, subsequent tsunami and continuing nuclear crisis, nearly twenty farmers and producers from Ibaraki, Fukushima, Aomori, and Gunma Prefectures journeyed hours south during what would normally be the start of their planting season to show the fighting spirit of one of Japan’s premiere growing regions.  Determined to prove the safety of their food and show the world they are still producing despite all, the growers offered up the best of the bounty from their orchards and fields. Joining the mix of Yurakucho’s weekly Koutu Kaikan Farmers Market spilling down the sidewalk, these northern growers met customers just as eager to show their support for the people of the region.

One woman said as she restocked a table heaped with apples, garlic, and an assortment of vegetables from her parents farm in Ibaraki, that she was surprised and deeply touched by the strong, positive response from visitors.

“Many of them say we are thinking of you, and ‘Gambatte, kudasai!’ It gives me a good feeling,” she said.

And gambatte it is. Like farmers everywhere in Japan, Tohoku growers and producers face the challenges of an aging and declining population, evolving trade policies, and climate change. Despite being a region steeped in agricultural tradition – many of these growers represent anywhere from the 15^th to the 19^th generation to work their land – the trials resulting from the March 11^th earthquake can seem daunting. But it is the perceived taint of radiation that drove this group south to personally demonstrate the continuing quality and safety of their food.

One rice farmer prominently displayed a map illustrating the location of the nuclear power plant and exclusion zone well north of his family’s fields. Another grower quickly responded to a question about where the shiitake in hand were grown with a detailed description of her farmland in relation to the power plant. A third explained that the strawberries sampled that day (some of the sweetest ever, by the way) grew in the protected environment of greenhouses as did the cucumbers he offered. Similarly, at another table heaped with jewel-tone sweet peppers and early tomatoes, it was carefully explained that these came from greenhouse operations. And the spinach and komatsuna greens? Tented over by row covers against deep spring chills, these brilliant leaves had the added advantage of traveling from parts of the prefectures shaken by the earthquake but untouched by radiation.

Waiting in lines three deep with other customers hoping for the perfect head of garlic or box of strawberries was exhilarating and touching. A complement to the regular vendors on hand, the Tohoku farmers added greater variety of some favorites – garlic, apples, rice and mushrooms – but also a few unique offerings – sweet peppers greenhouse grown, lotus root, and beet greens. While Tokyo shakes with periodic aftershocks, these farmers showed a stalwart and cheerful determination to emerge from this crisis stronger than ever that no customer could soon forget. Buying vegetables never felt so right.

Getting there:

Tokyo Koutu Kaikan

@Yurakucho Station
Turn left out of the station and cross the courtyard toward Tokyo Koutu Kaikan. Look for tasty treats under the overhang.

Saturday and Sunday 11am – 5pm*
Monday – Friday 12pm – 6pm (Fukushima and Tohoku growers only)

*Fukushima and Tohoku growers will be at the market until Sunday, May 8^th.