Agehamasiki salt manufacture of Noto

In the Agehamasiki salt manufacture, the workman who makes the natural salt is called "Hamaji". "Hamaji" is said, "It takes ten years to acquire the tide scattering" and "The pursuit of the taste is eternal".

The Agehamasiki salt manufacture is a salt manufacture technology of the one of the mysteries of an art for a long time for 400 years or more. The water of the sea is drawn up in the refinement of the natural salt, the seawater is shouldered in the shoulder, and seawater is opened to the big tub that is called "Sikoke" at the center of the salt farm. The drawing up work of seawater draws up 72 liters (60kg or more) around once. The seawater of 630 liters or more is collected in "Sikoke" repeating the work many times at a lot of time that is.

Nature in seawater and Noto

Seawater in Noto drawn up by technology "issouake" of "Hamaji" is scattered on the salt farm with the hand of "hamaji" like the fog. Ten years or more are taken technologies until the scenery the appearance seen only in the Noto salt farm village, and come to being able to scatter it like the fog like drawing round shape. "Agehamasiki salt manufacture" cannot manufacture salt at rain. Carrying out the tide scattering manufactures salt while forecasting the weather by "Longtime intuition of Hamaji" like "Nanatsujima", how to see the horizon, and the appearance etc. of the cloud.

Salt manufacture that spends intuition and time of "Hamaji"

The manufacturing method of the natural salt that has been explained up to now and the technology of "Hamaji" are only parts until "Agehamasiki natural salt" can be done. As for "Agehamasiki natural salt", it is deliberately manufactured salt by longtime intuition and the technology of "Hamaji" of work etc. to put "Komazarae" that causes "kansa" (sand that attaches seawater) from the ground and "Kansui" (water with high salinity concentration) in the boiler, to spend 23 time or more, and to evaporate moisture.

Technology and culture are experienced.

In "Okunoto endenmura", it leaves at the present age when 400 years or more passed as for the taste of the natural salt that "Hamaji" to say nothing of the thing to value the technology and the culture of "Agehamasiki salt manufacture" that has been explained up to now manufactured salt by an own hand, and it keeps telling it.

I would like you to hear the voice of "Hamaji" of "Okunoto endenmura" that keeps leaving the taste of the technology, the culture, and the natural salt of "Agehamasiki salt manufacture" and telling it. I want you to experience the technology and the culture of "Agehamasiki salt manufacture" hearing the voice of the desire etc. of "Agehamasiki salt manufacture" of speaking with a local accent and "Hamaji" of okunoto.

narrator ：Toya Ryoichi(hamaji)　

date ：February 12, 2010

interviewer ：「Is this tradition the mysteries of an art?」

hamaji：「The boss dies and seven years already. When I became a disciple, the boss did not teach anything. It had been said in old times, "See and remember". The boss said "Hear it if there is a thing that doesn't understand. It is not said what to be done separately. " It was taught while being gotten angry. 」

interviewer ：「How much will it take by becoming independence?」

hamaji：「It was said that it took ten years to becoming also of what independence in old times. It will be remembered to some degree in 5 or 6 years. The problem is a taste. The ascertainment judges it of I. It was not possible to do easily though it was taught,"Put out the fire according to this timing. "first.」 The technology is needed to make a mellow salt though everyone can make the salt at once.

okunoto endenmura Legend technology Photograph

Seawater is drunk by "Arasiooke".

① Seawater is carried by "Arasiooke", and it collects in "Sikoke". "Arasiooke" is 36 liters. It is 72 liters for two.

Comment in "hamaji"

・The weight carried at a time exceeds 60kg. It is serious heavy labor.
・Only small number of workmen can do "Issouake" of a difficult technology that puts seawater in "Sikoke" by using the reactionary in the tub.

Seawater is scattered on the salt farm by "Uchioke".

②The carrying of seawater from "Sikoke" to "Uchioke", and scattering on round shape like the fog are the knacks. The seawater of 180 liters is scattered by 630 liters by 270 liters as 50 tsubos in the salt farm in autumn in summer in spring.

Comment in "hamaji"

・Carrying out the tide scattering sees and decides the appearance of "Nanatsujima" the day before. The weather on the next day is forecast by "Nanatsujima", how to see the horizon, and the appearance of the cloud.
・It takes ten years to master the tide scattering.

Sand is collected by "Eburi".

③ "Kansa" is caused from the ground by "Komazarae", and "Nui" is collected by "Ebiri".

Comment in "hamaji"

・"Komazarae" is not done usually. The salt that adheres to sand drops though "Kansa" comes to collect easily, and it becomes easy to work. The finish of the salt worsens.

"Tarefune" is made, and sand is put.

④ "Kansa" is put in the inside by assembling "Nui", making "Tarefune", and using "Komi".

Comment in "hamaji"

・Little sand that remains on the corner is beautifully collected, too and it puts it in "Tarefune". It was learnt in old times, "This is money".

"Kansui" is taken out of "Tarefune".

⑤ Seawater is put on that putting "mushiro"on "Kansa". While absorbing the salinity that adheres to sand Seawater flows to the bottom of "Tarefune". Water with high salinity concentration that has come out is called "Knasui".

Comment in "hamaji"

・The salinity concentration of seawater is three percent. The density is given up to 15 percent by the work of the salt farm. A huge amount of seawater and firewood are needed though the salt can be done even if seawater is condensed directly. It is men of old times' to take the salt efficiently wisdoms.

"Kansui" is put in the tub.

⑥ As for the water turned on from "Nui", respectively, the salinity concentration is different. Water with high density to "Mioke" the fourth cup is used to manufacture salt. Water with low density of the fifth cup is turned to the next work, and sprinkled on "Kansa" of "Tarefune" with seawater. "Kansui" is put in the tub.

Comment in "hamaji"

・In general, it is originally said, "Fuhyou" though it is called the gravimeter. It is a tool to measure the density, the specific gravity or the density of the liquid directly by the measurement that floats on the liquid and reads the scale.

Sand is scattered on the salt farm by using "Hane".

⑦ Sand is scattered on the salt farm by removing the board of "Tarefune", and using "Hane". The turning point is applied by "Komazarae", and the sand side is made to become to the average.

Comment in "hamaji"

・When "Komazarae" is put, sand is evenly averaged while drawing yen centering on "Nui". The thickness of sand was not able to be done evenly, and it was often angry in old times. It was made to do over again many times.

The boiler combustion is done.

⑧ It moves to the boiler of about 600 liters, it gets rough for about six hours, and it burns. It gets rough, the burnt water is put in "Douoke", garbage and impurities are removed, and it puts it in the boiler. To evaporate moisture, it condenses it for about 17 hours.

Comment in "hamaji"

・The room temperature when the boiler is burnt summer has gone up up to 60 degrees. It is a state of the low temperature sauna.
・Firewood uses the cryptomeria to which the flame is weak. A soft flame is suitable for the boiler combustion of the salt though the pine etc. are used like the kiln of pottery until boiling.
・The boiler combustion works without sleeping all night long. It always pays attention to the flame. A little carelessness ruins the taste of the salt.

The salt is taken out.

⑨ The salt of about 180 kilograms can be taken from "Kansui" of 1080 liters. If the salt that was able to be taken is moved to "Ideba", it leaves on the fifth about the fourth, and the bittern is cut, a pure-white salt is completed.

Comment in "hamaji"

・The timing of the finish of the salt is the most difficult. Appearance of flame and forecast of remaining heat, etc. After the salt becomes like softball, too, shape is changed as many as three times. Timing is ascertained from the change in the shape of the salt and the remainder condition of the bittern. It is even too early or should not be too slow. It becomes the salt of a painful taste by a little lapse of judgment. It fails still sometimes. It is a re-doing.

Salt farm scenery etc.

Comment in "hamaji"

・It comes to "Okunoto endenmura" to play once! The salt is made, it experiences, and the material pavilion is seen!