Edo-Tokyo Vegetable Harvesting and Tokyo Craft Gin Distillery Trip

Tokyo is a city where diverse cuisines from all over the world gather and evolve.
It is also the birthplace of various ingredients, including traditional Edo vegetables.

The seasonal blessings born from Tokyo’s unique natural environment,
the passion, stories, and smiles of the producers,
and the chefs who weave Tokyo’s food culture with traditional techniques and innovative ideas.

A one-of-a-kind Gastronomic experience in Tokyo
will surely give you new insights into your daily life.

Tokyo Gastronomy Tourism
Enjoy the food nurtured by the climate, environment, customs, traditions, and history of the land, and experience the local culinary culture at the essence of this trip.
The time spent learning, understanding, and savoring will color your experience.

Edo-Tokyo Vegetable Harvesting and Tokyo Craft Gin Distillery Trip

Tokyo is one of the leading metropolises in the world.
Even in such a modern city, there are farmers who continue to grow traditional vegetables and individuals dedicated to sustainable gin production with a belief for food manufacturing.

I went on a splendid food trip, where I had a chance to experience the background and passion of the producers, which gives new insights about Tokyo Cuisine.

Advisor（Left photo）

Tetsuya Shimada
Bistro Ireel Ningyocho, Owner Chef
At the age of 23, Shimada went to France and trained at renowned restaurants such as Olympe (1 Michelin star), Lucas Carton (3 Michelin stars), and L'Arp_ge (3 Michelin stars).
He also trained in various pastry shops and bakeries. After returning to Japan, he worked as a chef in Ikebukuro and Ebisu before opening his own bistro, Ireel Ningyocho, in 2013, where he has served as the head chef ever since.
His French cuisine, using Japanese ingredients, has gained attention, leading to numerous appearances on television and in magazines.

Advisor（Right photo）

Yukiko Tashiro
Cooking Specialist
Tashiro is a professional Vegetable Sommelier and Edo-Tokyo Vegetable Concierge.
She writes columns, creates recipes, and leads seminars and cooking classes, spreading knowledge about the fruits and vegetables she loves.

Local Vegetables of Tokyo

Do you about vegetables such as the Yanaka Ginger, Nerima Daikon Radish, or Naito Chili Pepper? These are all vegetables the people of Tokyo hold dear to their hearts.

The first destination of our tour is Farm Watado, a farm that has produced vegetables from traditional times until now.
The vast farm is located about a 10-minute walk from Heiwadai Station on the Yurakucho Line.

Watado's Passion for Edo-Tokyo Vegetables

We asked Watado, the farm owner, about Tokyo's traditional vegetables (Edo-Tokyo vegetables).

"Edo-Tokyo Vegetables" refer to the vegetables that originated from agricultural seeds and traditional cultivation methods in Tokyo with the majority of seeds being self-sustained or maintained by nearby seed merchants.

You will find Nerima Daikon Radish still freshly covered in dirt and Shintorina, a leafy vegetable spilling out of baskets, at the stands located at the entrance of the farm.

These vegetables are all piled up randomly, each showcasing their own unique and distinctive characteristics.
The vegetables look as if they were just harvested from the neighboring field, each one boasting its own fresh appearance.

Edo-Tokyo vegetables are often irregular in size and shape, making cultivation difficult.
However, Watado is determined to preserve these precious vegetables that have been deeply rooted in the land of Nerima for generations.
With such passion, he continues his efforts to cultivate Edo-Tokyo vegetables.

Watado kindly gave us the opportunity to experience harvesting Komatsuna (traditional Japanese mustard spinach).
There was a scent of soil and deep green as soon as we harvested it.
We felt the power of life from the fresh, lush leaves spreading outward.

※Source: JA Tokyo Chuo Kai site

To the Tokyo Craft Gin Distillery

In recent years, there has been a global boom in alcoholic beverages inspired by the local area, using ingredients associated with the location.

Interestingly, Tokyo also has distilleries producing such special drinks.
As the next destination, we headed to one of them, the Tokyo Riverside Distillery located in Kuramae.

Tokyo Riverside Distillery is near Kuramae Station on the Oedo Line and Asakusa Line, within walking distance of the Sumida River.
As you approach the entrance, its mint green shutter and awning catch your eye.
Surrounding the area are cafes and bars housed in renovated old warehouses and factory buildings.
The building of the distillery used to be a printing factory as well.

There is a stand where you can purchase craft gin for takeout on the first floor of the building.
You can see copper stills beyond the stand.
This time, we were guided through the process of gin production by Miyajima, a bartender and distiller at The Ethical Spirits & Co., the operator of the distillery.

Understanding Sustainability Through Gin

Gin is made by infusing juniper berries (the fruit of the common juniper tree) and botanicals (ingredients for flavoring) into distilled spirits derived from grains, followed by a final distillation process. Interestingly, the main ingredients used in this distillery are by-products generated during food processing, such as cocoa husks and coffee grounds, which are considered unnecessary and typically discarded.

For example, in the case of LAST ELYSIUM, a popular gin from the Tokyo Riverside Distillery, it is made of sake lees, which are produced in large quantities during the process of making Japanese sake.
It is said that about 30_40% of the rice used in making Japanese sake becomes sake lees, but sake lees are often disposed of due to the imbalance between the amount generated and consumed.

Tokyo Riverside Distillery is taking initiatives to upcycle sake lees that would otherwise have been disposed of in response to this situation.
By purchasing and using sake lees in their distilled spirits, they aim to create new economic value for sake brewing, rice farmers, and gin distilleries, thus fostering a circular economy that connects these industries.
It was mentioned that this reflects the idea of sake lees remaining at the end of sake brewing process continuing to the next life, which is symbolically conveyed in their gin.

We moved to the bar located on the second floor of the building after touring the distillery.
We tasted three types of gin produced on the first floor and enjoyed the richness of their aromas while imagining the ingredients before they were transformed into gin.

Taking on new challenges in Tokyo

Kudo from Ethical Spirits mentions that one of the appeals of Tokyo is the ability to take in appealing ingredients from all over Japan, regardless of the region.
What was originally meant to be disposed of within the flow of manufacturing is reborn as gin and restored into a consumable product once again.
Tokyo is considered an ideal location as a hub for this circular production cycle.

Goods from all over the world gather and are consumed daily in Tokyo, the largest city in Japan.
It is an endeavor that started here in Tokyo, aiming for the sustainability of food and the local economy.
I hope that many people will come to appreciate the taste of craft gin, brewed with the distiller's belief.

Time to Interact with Food Products

From the Tokyo Riverside Distillery to the kitchen studio.
We invited Chef Shimada, the owner chef of the natural bistro Ireel Ningyocho in Nihonbashi Ningyocho, to be our instructor, and tasted the Komatsuna (traditional Japanese mustard spinach) cultivated by Watado.

The menu was Traditional Japanese Mustard Spinach potage soup.

According to Chef Shimada, to further increase the flavor of the Komatsuna leaves harvested this time, he added shiso, which is not typically included.
Chef Shimada went through a process of trial and error in creating the recipe to further bring out the uniqueness of the ingredients while also considering the possibility of participants recreating the dish at home.

I was overwhelmed seeing the dedication of the chef exploring optimal cooking methods, thinking of the uniqueness of the ingredient and it made me eager to hear more.

Culinary Trip of Exploration

A trip to explore the behind-the-scenes stories of everyday food products and dishes that we casually eat.
When you spend time at the supermarket or while enjoying a meal at a restaurant, you may not always think of the people behind the products or how they are made.
By understanding the background and messages from the producers, these food experiences transform into something even more delightful.

It is an experience diving into the unknown.
Embraced within the casualness of everyday life, related to an adventure through food.
Why not start such a culinary trip yourself?

（This article presents the implementation report of the project conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government during the 2023 fiscal year, aimed at promoting the appeal of gastronomic tourism in Tokyo）

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