Have you heard of “persimmon vinegar”?
Persimmon vinegar is, as the name suggests, vinegar made by fermenting persimmons. In addition to promoting health, it is one of the seasonings that has attracted attention in the media for its unique sourness and umami. One female entrepreneur who is involved in the production and sale of persimmon vinegar is former NTT employee Ito Yuki. After working for NTT and a consulting company, Ito realized her desire to “one day challenge a local business in my hometown of Gifu.” In 2016, she launched “Hariyo’s Persimmon Vinegar,” focusing on the local specialty Fuyu persimmon, the problem of abandoned farmland faced by the sharp decline in agricultural workers, and the food waste problem of persimmons that are discarded due to not meeting the standards. Currently, she is working on the development of multiple products as a circular economy (recycling society) business, centering on the “Hariyo’s Persimmon Vinegar” business.

What is a circular economy? As stated in the “Circular Economy Vision 2020” announced by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, in recent years, in light of environmental constraints such as waste problems and climate change issues, as well as resource constraints such as increasing global resource demand and geopolitical risks, the transition to a circular economy that aims to efficiently and cyclically use resources and maximize added value is considered an urgent issue. In 2011, the “Growth-oriented Resource Autonomous Economy Strategy” was announced, which aims to automate and strengthen the domestic resource circulation system and acquire international markets through the reconstruction of resource circulation economy policies, and it is expected that the production and manufacturing industry will shift to a highly circular business model.

Ito’s hometown, Kaizu City, Gifu Prefecture, is a production area of ​​Fuyu persimmons. He started with a sixth-industry project that utilized farmland regeneration and non-standard persimmons. After that, he realized the potential of circular business and focused on the “seeds” extracted during the production of persimmon vinegar. Roasting produces a coffee-like aroma, so he collaborated with coffee experts to commercialize persimmon seed coffee. In addition, the “moromi lees” that are produced when the persimmon vinegar mash is pressed are provided to quail producers as feed. The acetic acid bacteria contained in the mash are said to be perfect for improving the intestinal environment of quails. However, when they learned that the quails would be disposed of once they stopped laying eggs, they developed a persimmon vinegar moromi curry using quail meat. It is currently popular as “Hariyo no Hori”. They are also working on making cutlery such as tableware using pruned persimmon trees.

“What I realized after starting the persimmon vinegar business is that there are unused resources with infinite possibilities buried all around us. I want to unearth the hidden value, turn it into a product that many people will enjoy, and recycle this wonderful local resource without waste. I want to promote it not only domestically but also overseas!” says Ito. Persimmon vinegar, which is nutritious and flavorful, is attracting attention overseas, and there are inquiries from Europe and Asia.
The persimmon vinegar introduced this time is one example of how product development using local specialties has led to the utilization of materials that were previously discarded. Although there are challenges such as developing sales channels and implementing marketing strategies after commercialization, it seems likely that there will be an increase in circular economy initiatives in the future.

※Translating Japanese articles into English with AI