Shiga Prefecture
Two traditional cultures of Shiga Prefecture have been registered as national folk cultural assets
1. Registered tangible folk cultural property “Koga medicinal manufacturing and sales tools” 2. Registered intangible folk cultural property “Omi’s Narezushi manufacturing technique” Agency for Cultural Affairs, Council for Cultural Affairs (January 20) https://www.bunka .go.jp/
The traditional culture of Shiga Prefecture, “Koga medicinal manufacturing and sales tools” and “Omi’s Narezushi manufacturing technology” will be registered tangible on January 20 (Friday) after deliberation and resolution by the Cultural Council of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. It was registered as a folk cultural property and a registered intangible folk cultural property.
“Koga medicinal” is widely used as a home remedy under the name of “Okigusuri” and has continued to support local health and hygiene until modern medicine became widespread.
“Nare-zushi” is well-known for “Funa-zushi” made from nigorobuna, but it is a preserved food made by fermenting various freshwater fish caught in Lake Biwa and the rivers around it with lactic acid. “Honmoroko”, which represents Lake Biwa, is now at its peak fishing season.
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Making Narezushi
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Pickled Funazushi
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Manufacturing and sales tools for Koga medicinal products
Comments by Governor Mikazuki and others, and an overview of the cultural properties are as follows.
■ Daizo Mikazuki Comment from the Governor of Shiga Prefecture This time, Koga Prefecture’s ‘manufacturing and sales tools for Koga medicinal products’ has been registered as a national tangible folk cultural property, and ‘Omi’s narezushi manufacturing technique’, which can be said to be soul food, has been registered as a national registered intangible folk cultural property. It is a great pleasure for the people of Shiga Prefecture to receive this report.
“Tools for manufacturing and selling Koka medicinal products” is one of the Omi medicinal products, and “Koka medicinal products” are especially famous as household medicines.
In addition, the prefecture’s narezushi is a Shiga-style food culture in which various lake fish such as crucian carp, carp, moroko, and sweetfish are pickled and eaten. This narezushi culture has regional characteristics and family tastes, and a wide variety of cultures are spreading.
The steady succession of these industries and food culture has led to this registration, and I would like to express my sincere respect to everyone involved.
With the registration of this cultural property as an opportunity, it will become a source of pride for many people in the prefecture, including those involved in agriculture, fisheries, food processing, pharmaceuticals, and consumers, and will increase the momentum to pass it on to future generations. We expect that we will contribute further to various aspects such as improving the vitality of the region and promoting tourism.
We would like to continue working together with everyone to ensure that this precious cultural property will be handed down for many years to come.
■Kunihiko Kuwamura, Chairman of the Shiga Food Culture Research Association’s comment: https://shigasyokubunken.com/
The Shiga Food Culture Research Group has been researching and researching traditional foods and local ingredients that have been passed down in the lives of the Shiga region, and has been working to pass them on to the next generation. In the midst of this, the “Omi no Narezushi manufacturing technique” using fish from Lake Biwa, including “Funazushi” handed down in Shiga, has been registered as a registered intangible folk cultural property by the country. I am very happy to meet you.
Lake Biwa, the largest freshwater lake in Japan, is located in the center of Shiga Prefecture, and from the fields and mountains that surround it, people come to eat a variety of foods such as rice, vegetables, potatoes, beans, and seafood from Lake Biwa called lake fish. Shiga’s unique traditional food culture has been passed down through the combination of lake and land ingredients such as prawn beans, amenoio rice, and eel junjun, as well as fermentation techniques such as narezushi and pickles. rice field.
Among them, narezushi, which is made by fermenting rice and freshwater fish to improve the shelf life and make it even tastier, is said to have been brought to Japan from Southeast Asia along with rice cultivation. The reason why it has become widespread in Shiga Prefecture, even in Japan, is that the techniques and wisdom have been passed down through the abundant lake fish and rice, abundant water, seasonal climate conditions, and people’s lives.
In the process of making narezushi, various microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria and yeasts work, the dehydration effect of salt, the prevention of oxidation by blocking oxygen, the absorption of nutrients, and the improvement of flavor. It is a great surprise that long before the rationality of the theory was scientifically elucidated, the method was discovered through human experience and passed down.
The narezushi manufacturing technology registered this time is literally an intangible thing that does not exist as a thing. am. In recent years, the diversification and efficiency of food have been prioritized, and people tend to shy away from traditional food that is simple, time-consuming, and has a peculiar taste. On the other hand, the funazushi classes held in various places are all successful, and there is a growing interest in Shiga Prefecture’s traditional fermented food. We hope that this registration will trigger more people to take an interest in narezushi, and that it will be passed down from generation to generation as a treasure that Shiga Prefecture can be proud of.
■ [Registered Tangible Folk Cultural Property] Tools for manufacturing and selling Koka medicines
・Owner: Koka City, Shiga Prefecture (stored at Koka City Kusuri Learning Center) http://www.kusuri-gakushukan.com/
・ Number of items: 2,488
-Purpose of registration-
From the middle of the early modern period onwards, household medicines in Japan developed in areas such as Etchu-Toyama, Yamato, Omi, and Hizen-Tashiro. It has continued to support local health and sanitation for a long time.
This case is a collection of materials that clearly demonstrate the establishment and regional development of the pharmaceutical industry.In addition to the actual situation of pharmaceuticals in Koka, the activities of pharmaceutical merchants derived from the bidding of Yamabushi (mountain priests). You can see the reality. It is noteworthy in terms of understanding the local industry, as well as considering changes in the pharmaceutical industry and trade in Japan. -Explanation of Cultural Properties-
This is a collection of tools used in the manufacture and sale of one of the Omi medicines known as ‘Koga medicines’, known as home medicines. It is said that the medicine business in this area began when Yamabushi of Koka carried medicine as souvenirs when they proselytized in various places, and since the modern times, it has developed as a major industry in the Koka area. This collection includes tools used in each process of drug manufacturing, such as sorting and compounding drugs, and making pills, as well as tools used for drug sales, such as bags and personal items used during peddling, as well as products distributed by customers. It consists of advertisements, etc.
■ [Registered Intangible Folk Cultural Property] Omi’s Narezushi Production Technique
-Purpose of registration-
Narezushi, which is made by fermenting fish, is an old form that predates the spread of hayazushi using vinegared rice in the early modern period. This case is a representative example of this tradition, and it has a long history, and even today it continues to be widely manufactured throughout Shiga Prefecture. Utilizing the abundant fish caught in Lake Biwa and surrounding rivers, the manufacturing technology for processing it so that it is suitable for long-term storage has remarkable regional characteristics. It is noteworthy when considering the transition of
-Explanation of Cultural Properties-
This case is a manufacturing technology of “Nare-zushi” which uses freshwater fish caught in Lake Biwa and its surrounding rivers and fermented with lactic acid. Funazushi made with nigorobuna is well-known, but it is made using not only crucian carp but also various other fish such as lotus, moroko, sweetfish, and loach. It has a unique sour flavor and is mainly eaten during events such as the New Year and festivals.
In the case of crucian carp, fish whose scales and internal organs have been removed is marinated in salt and rice for a certain period of time to allow fermentation to proceed. In the case of small fish such as lotus and moroko, the number of days to pickle is short, and in the case of large fish such as carp and trout, large bones are removed before pickling. The method of making it has been handed down from generation to generation.
Details about this release:
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000073.000059463.html