Hello! I’m Tabeena, a big fan of traveling and eating around Kumamoto.So, everyone, when you hear “delicious foods from Yatsushiro,” what comes to mind?

Yatsushiro is a major farming region, known for tomatoes, banpeiyu (a giant citrus fruit), and many other vegetables and fruits that rank high nationwide. With the Shiranui Sea to the west, vast rice fields in the center, and the Kyushu Mountains and clear rivers like the Kuma and the Hikawa to the east, Yatsushiro is blessed with beautiful natural surroundings. It’s truly one of Japan’s leading agricultural regions!

In this fifth feature of our “Yatsushiro’s Delicious Foods Tour,” we’re focusing on something surprising bananas grown in Yatsushiro. We’ll introduce gourmet dishes made with Takaki Co., Ltd.’s bananas, where you can buy them, and an interview with one of the local producers.

The bananas grown by Takaki Co., Ltd. in Yatsushiro City are cultivated without using pesticides or chemical fertilizers, safe and eco-friendly.

First, let’s take a look at where you can buy or enjoy Takaki’s bananas.
(We’ll talk more about their passion for banana cultivation in the interview section later 🐝)

You can find Takaki’s bananas at the following places:

1.Pocket Marche (ポケットマルシェ)

Pocket Marche is an online marketplace connecting farmers and consumers directly.

Their bananas are currently sold out due to popularity, but you can still purchase their delicious “Kumagawa Kyuryu Rice,” grown with the pure waters of the Kuma River.

2. Trattoria Passione

“Trattoria Passione” – An Italian Restaurant in Hikawa Town.

In November last year, their dessert “Homemade chocolate gelato with caramelized Yatsushiro organic banana” featured Takaki’s bananas.

3.Pâtisserie Georges Marceau(パティスリージョルジュマルソー)

Pâtisserie Georges Marceau is a pastry shop by the famous French restaurant Georges Marceau, which also provides cuisine for JR Kyushu’s luxury train “Seven Stars in Kyushu.” Their dessert “Caramel Banana” (available at Lalaport Fukuoka) uses Takaki’s fully pesticide-free domestic bananas — offering a perfect balance of sweetness and gentle tartness! Each store has a different lineup, so be sure to check their Instagram for details.

We interviewed Ms. Asuka Takaki from Takaki Co., Ltd., who plays a key role in supporting agriculture in Yatsushiro! The bananas featured in this article are grown by Ms. Asuka Takaki of Takaki Co., Ltd., based in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture. We asked her about what inspired her to become a farmer, her passion for growing crops, and her hopes for the future of Yatsushiro’s agriculture.

🍌 Reason for Starting Farming

Ms. Takaki

I’m the seventh generation of a farming family. Because our family has always been farmers, I naturally grew up thinking I would take over the farm one day. Some might call it “brainwashing,” but since I never disliked farming, I had no resistance to the idea.

At university, I majored in rice cultivation. I studied under a wonderful professor who specialized in natural farming methods and researched an ancient rice variety called green rice.

Although our family farm practices conventional agriculture, I learned a lot from that experience. Actually, bananas aren’t our main crop; we primarily grow rice and open-field vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli. We found that one of the plots of land we had purchased wasn’t suitable for vegetables, and it seemed wasteful to leave it idle.

Coincidentally, my father’s friend had banana seedlings, so we decided to plant them. Another coincidence was that a friend of mine worked for a seedling company that handled banana plants everything lined up by chance, and we started banana farming as a way to make good use of that land.

Before COVID-19, I sometimes traveled to Singapore and Hong Kong for business. I thought bringing cabbage or broccoli as a gift wasn’t very exciting. That’s when I realized bananas could make a fun and impressive gift something eye-catching and easy to use for promoting our farm. That idea also inspired me to start growing them.

🍌Takaki’s Commitment

In banana cultivation, we use rice bran, rice husks, and large amounts of banana leaves and stems as natural fertilizer. We’ve also started a ‘Banana Owner System,’ exploring ways to generate income while keeping costs as low as possible.

For rice production, we sterilize the seeds using only hot water, and use drones to apply treatments efficiently and systematically at the right timing during growth. In open-field vegetable farming, we actively conduct comparison tests using new varieties.

🍌 The Passion Behind Yatsushiro’s Agriculture

I participate in all three project teams, and each one is truly interesting. In the Clean Agriculture Project Team, we’re studying how to make use of underutilized resources such as sewage and food waste that were previously incinerated.

Another strength of Yatsushiro is that members can experiment with various crops for demonstration trials. I hope we can collect good data while also reducing environmental impact. Since I don’t know much about other crops, I’m constantly amazed by the knowledge of other members and learning so much from them. I want to continue participating in these projects as a place for mutual learning and exchange.

Yatsushiro’s agriculture is currently facing serious challenges — including rising production costs, a shortage of successors, and limited sales channels. In August 2022, to tackle these issues, Yatsushiro City, JA Yatsushiro, and Kumamoto Prefecture joined forces to launch the “Smart Agriculture Yatsushiro☆Future Creation Conference.”

Local young farmers, including Ms. Takaki, are divided into three project teams conducting research, studies, and demonstration projects. Although the teams focus on different areas, their shared goal is clear — creating profitable agriculture and securing future successors.

They’re working hard to build a new model of agriculture — one that’s accessible to young people and women and supports diverse ways of working. You can find project updates, reports, and more details on the official Instagram of the “Smart Agriculture Yatsushiro Future Creation Conference.” Be sure to check it out!

https://www.instagram.com/yatsushiro_smart_agri/

So, what did you think of the fifth installment of our “Yatsushiro’s Delicious Foods Tour”? Stay tuned for my next post. See you soon!

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The above was translated and adapted from an article on our Japanese-language sister website ALT Kumamoto. For the original content, see the article below!

【九州屈指の農業王国！】やつしろのおいしいもの巡り〜高木さんのバナナ編〜