ENOWA Farm

CONCEPT

We cultivate flavors that can be found nowhere else in Japan.

The lands of Yufuin have always been fertile, but Enowa has tilled that land even further in pursuit of ways, through trial and error, to grow seasonal vegetables and herbs that bring joy to our guests. There is a plant that is considered a weed in Japan, but a luxury food ingredient in New York. Enowa Farm also produces that plant to connect you to experiences of beautiful tastes that bring exultation to your body. Here we grow the tastes of mother nature that can only be found in Yufuin.

We leverage the power of this ideal land of Yufuin.

Yufuin was long thought to be inappropriate for farming due to its high altitude and shortage of flat land. However, an analysis of the soil and water here found it rich in minerals. So, while the land is not ideal for mass production, careful and painstaking cultivation results in harvests of vegetables and herbs with concentrated rich flavors. Simply removing the soil and taking a bite releases a complex flavor within your mouth. Come experience the taste of the soils of Yufuin.

Goals of the Farm

You cannot find ingredients that bring delicious flavor bubbling up from within you on the shelves of a market. It is for this reason that we must grow them ourselves. Enowa invited Teruhisa Ishiwari of Ishiwari Farm in Kyoto to develop the farm. The result is a farm where we grow ingredients that possess the original power that nature intended through organic cultivation, without damaging the vegetables or soil. We also work closely with other local producers to cultivate ingredients that represent the treasures of Yufuin. What Enowa cultivates here is not only the foods, but also the people and the future of the community.

ISHIWARI FARM

TERUHISA ISHIWARI

A master grower who turns food ingredients into food treasures.

Teruhisa Ishiwari is a master grower who grows vegetables in a manner that transforms food ingredients into valuable food treasures. Teruhisa Ishiwari’s vegetable growing prowess, that can only be described as magic, enjoys the unrelenting support and praise of three-star restaurants throughout Japan, including his production of the ultimate quality in order made vegetables to contracted restaurants, while also reviving legendary traditional vegetables from stored seeds. Enowa Farm produces seasonal vegetables and herbs under Ishiwari’s direction. We also work to develop new vegetable varieties found only in Yufuin through close cooperation with other local farmers.

Sharing Enowa skill with Yufuin, and delicious Yufuin flavors with Enowa.

The fertile lands of Yufuin produce not only richly flavorful vegetables, but also cows and chickens that grow uninhibited in this blessed environment. And we incorporate these ingredients in the delicious tastes of Enowa. We also share the skills developed at Enowa Farm with local producers. By connecting proactively with these local farmers, Enowa also works on coexistence in the community. Here we introduce just a few of the leading farmers.

Eto Farm (Vegetables)Yuzo Eto
1039-1 Kawanishi, Yufuin-cho, Yufu City, Oita Prefecture
Yuzo Eto of Eto farm comes from a family that has been farming in Yufuin for generations, and he knows the lands inside and out. In addition to using organic fertilizers, Yuzo makes use of many other handmade fertilizers blended from the natural resources of Yufuin, such as fallen leaves from the mountains, bamboo compost, and rice husk charcoal, in order to enrich the soils. He produces such ingredients as watercress, salad greens, onions, okra, and rice, as well as konnyaku and other items.
Yufuin Cheese Factory (cheese)Kenjiro Urata
2706 Kawakami, Yufuin-cho, Yufu City, Oita Prefecture
Originally a dairy farmer, Kenjiro Urata opened the Yufuin Cheese Factory out of his desire to “spread the word as a producer in any way I could about the benefits of dairy products.” He produces cheeses and yogurt in Yufuin using fresh milk brought from his farm in the Oita highlands. The Mattone Rosso cheese produced by Urata won the highest award of the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in the 2009 Natural Cheese Contest.
Yufuin Flora House (Herbs)Oyama
71-1 Kawaminami, Yufuin-cho, Yufu, Oita
Yufuin Flora House is located in the center of the Yufuin basin. Here, between 15 and 20 different types of leafy vegetables and herbs are grown using the local hot spring water. The farm is well known for producing consistently delicous tastes, and the chefs of the many inns and restaurants in Yufuin come to purchase freshly harvested ingredients every morning. Yufuin Flora House also has a glass greenhouse where orchids and other plants are cultivated, as well as accommodations.
Torishou (Chicken)Kazumasa Yamamura
1909 Nakagawa, Yufuin-cho, Yufu City, Oita Prefecture
Kazumasa Yamamura, proprietor of Fukusuke Ramen, began growing chickens after purchasing a poultry farm that had decided to go out of business. Enowa works with Torishou to experiment on the way different feed formulas effect the taste, color, and shape of the eggs, while also working on cultivation methods that emphasize animal welfare and limit the stress and discomfort of the chickens.