Rediscover the culture of Okinawa's "Nuchigusui" land of origin. Vol.1 "Happy More Market" in Ginowan City
Rediscover the culture of Okinawa's "Nuchigusui" land of origin. Vol.1 "Happy More Market" in Ginowan City
"Nuchigusui" (Medicine of Life)
It's an Okinawan dialect, and even though I'm young, I hear it from time to time.
This word is used for delicious food, healthy vegetables, and things like that. When I eat this, I feel like I get more energy. That's the kind of nuance it has.
This series, which travels around Okinawa in search of the "nuchigusui" hidden within the island, was started because GRØN's protein uses Okinawan vegetables.
"Blue Zone" and Okinawa's "Nuchigusui"
A few months ago, Fukushima-san, the representative of GRØN, asked me to go to Happy More Market. When I talk to people who own restaurants or farms, the name is always mentioned.
"I buy vegetables at Happy More Market."
"I'm delivering vegetables to Happy More Market."
What kind of place is it? Full of anticipation, I arrived at the destination and found a huge vinyl greenhouse.
On this day, we had the opportunity to talk with the company president, Mr. Tawada.
When I asked him if he had always been interested in vegetables or farming, he replied, "No, not at all." My father had a large greenhouse (now the Happy More Market), so when he stopped growing vegetables, he decided to start a direct sales store there. But it was so difficult.
This market, which started with such a chance opportunity, is now extremely popular. However, since opening the market, it has been a constant struggle, and for the first four years, it was difficult just to keep the shops running.
The first turning point was when we changed our vegetable suppliers.
Instead of buying from large companies, we started buying vegetables from ordinary people who grow them at home. There are many people in Okinawa who grow vegetables because they "like it". However, when the amount is large, even if you give them out to your neighbors, they may feel annoyed if you give out too many. We reached out to people who had too much of the vegetables they had grown. This was a success.
"Everyone is very happy. We have customers who are happy to buy the vegetables that they had no idea what to do with until now. Farmers are able to hear from the people who buy them."
The second turning point was the introduction of a unique system.
According to Tawada, this is the best store "innovation" that Happy More has ever implemented.
The vegetables and fruits we purchase have a barcode sticker of the color that indicates how they were grown.
"It's grown in natural conditions and has high medicinal properties."
"No pesticides or chemical fertilizers"
"No pesticides are used."
"Something that uses a small amount of pesticides."
It is divided into:
"Most companies don't make this kind of distinction because they're afraid of the risks. We rely on the farmers to self-report. We have a contract that says we won't buy from them again if they lie, but we trust the farmers and have this system in place."
Surprisingly, he says there is no difference in sales whether or not pesticides are used.
"It's important that customers are satisfied with their purchases. In large sales areas, if the vegetables are the same, they will all be displayed and priced the same, regardless of whether they have been grown with pesticides or chemical fertilizers or with much effort. Even if they are grown with only the necessary amount of pesticides, they are still grown with care to be delicious. I think that customers understand this before they buy."
With just a sticker, farmers can communicate to consumers how they grow their vegetables. More specifically, they can show their commitment and confidence. Consumers can then make more detailed choices.
Today, Happy More Market enjoys tremendous trust and recognition among local food professionals.
I was also impressed by the way they communicated with the farmers they sourced from. Many of them were elderly people, but this was a place where they could build connections with the local community. Turning their hobby of gardening into a job must have given them a sense of purpose.
The reason I thought of this is because Fukushima-san from GRØN, who told me to visit Happy More, gave me the theme for this series, which was "Blue Zones."
Okinawa is one of the few regions in the world that has been selected as a place where people live a long life. Although it is no longer a prefecture with a long and healthy life expectancy, the "strong communication between regions" that is common to Blue Zone regions seems to be maintained by the existence of Happy More Market.
Next time, I will write about Okinawan medicinal herbs, which I learned about from Tawada-san of Happy More.
<Store Information>
Happy More Market 1-247-1 Shimashi, Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture, 901-2213
10:00 - 18:00 Closed on Sundays
TEL: 098-896-0657
Website: https://happymore.jp
Photos & Scripts by Mizuki Kadekawa
