Irodori Business
Seasonal leaves, flowers, and buds are essential to the art of presentation in Japanese cuisine. Kamikatsu supplies roughly 80 percent of all such decorative garnishes used in Japan through a business initiative called Irodori.
Tsumamono: Indispensable Color
The local leaves and flowers are more than just parts of the landscape. They also become a selection of colorful tsumamono, garnishes that make Japanese dishes aesthetically pleasing and enhance seasonality, as Irodori’s 300-product lineup shows. Many varieties have specific meanings or roles. Plum blossoms signal the arrival of spring, lotus leaves impart coolness in the summer, and red maple leaves, including the koyo maple, the nomura maple, and the chishio maple, carry a feeling of autumn. Nandina leaves are considered essential for celebratory meals due to the belief that they turn hardships into blessings. Pine signifies immortality and longevity as it stays green even in the winter. Bamboo leaves are said to have antibacterial and antiseptic properties and are thus used to keep foods longer.
Elderly Entrepreneurs in Kamikatsu
A cold wave in 1981 devastated the thriving mikan tangerine farms in Kamikatsu, delivering a severe blow to its farmers. In the aftermath of the disaster, Yokoishi Tomoji had the idea of collecting and selling natural leaves to high-end Japanese restaurants known as ryotei. Such leaves seemed to offer a lot of business potential: they are less vulnerable to weather, are abundant in Kamikatsu, are used year-round, and are light enough to be easily carried by the elder residents who make up the majority of the town. In 1986, Yokoishi founded the company called Irodori to do just that, and it has since grown into a ¥260 million-a-year business. Approximately 200 suppliers are registered, around 80 percent of whom are women, and their average age is 70. The success of the business is helping support these older residents, with some making as much as \10 million a year.
The business is run through the Kamikatsu Information Network, an online resource that connects suppliers to customers. The suppliers use smartphones and tablets, which were previously unfamiliar to many elderly residents, to check which restaurants have placed orders and to compete with each other to fill them. Competition is key, as it takes fast thinking and reactions to accept an order before a competitor. The supplier, after securing an order, goes to his or her field to pick the leaves or flowers, packs them attractively (which is a critical step to surviving in the business), and ships them quickly to ensure timely delivery. All of this has reportedly helped many suppliers develop a more positive mindset, find more direction in life, and feel more energetic.
The trees used are not wild, but are cultivated to meet customer demands. They have to produce the right products in the right colors and shapes at the right time, and suppliers use their knowledge and experience to come up with independent farming strategies.
The business story was even made into the 2012 film, Jinsei, Irodori (It’s a Beautiful Life – Irodori). It was shot in Kamikatsu, and some local residents were cast as extras.
