Just a Southern Girl… in a Beautiful World
Recently, I traveled to Japan for my tenth business trip. I am a second generation natto soybean supplier into Japan. My father began growing natto in 1983 as he looked to find a way to add value to his crops after the devastating drought in 1981. His forward thinking developed an entire business for my family.
Today, not only do we continue to grow natto on our family farm but we are providing a value added crop to several dozen other family farms in our area.
The Delta Soy Brand was decades in the making. The logo symbolizes the green fields of soybeans in Arkansas with the rising sun of Japan shining upon them. What began as a few fields has been built into a year round, full time business. We are a small company which is a partnership of 2 families and 4 employees plus several different types of specialized consultants which work on the business. We cannot afford full time staff to fill all of our needs so we have worked to develop relationships with many experts to accomplish our goals.
The trip this year was longer than usual at 7 days. This was one of the few trips that we were able to do some sightseeing along with business. The cherry blossoms had just passed their peak, but still so beautiful. The pandas at the Ueno Zoo were amazing! We did have to stand in line for a bit - but so worth it. One of them even climbed up a tree and also got in his swimming pool just as we reached the front row. Full scale entertainer!
The bustling city is always mesmerizing to this county girl. The lights, signs, taxis buzzing by and all the people walking make my head spin. When the traffic light indicates WALK it is as if the rancher has opened the gates to a new pasture. A wall of people escape the curb with swift paced strides on their way to to their destination. The highlight for me is always the food. I enjoy the Japanese food because I love fresh fish and especially sushi, miso soup, and rice which can all be found at most meals. And let’s not forget the coffee - it’s amazing! I also love that there are real china cups and saucers and demitasse spoons in coffee shops. There was even a Noritake cup and saucer in my hotel room! No paper cups and Keurig machine. It is pour over coffee in a real china cup.
In the markets, each product is carefully presented. The fruits & vegetables are individually wrapped such as apples and cantaloupes. The berries, snap peas or cherry tomatoes are strategically placed upon a small tray and wrapped in cellophane. Each piece of fish, pork or beef has been carefully placed for the perfect presentation. Their culture still takes the time to provide a high quality, nearly perfect food item. Even in the convenience store shelves fresh "fast food" such as onigiri (rice balls), fruit, sushi, small bento boxes are easily transported to be eaten on the trail or at home.
We enjoyed sushi, Ramen noodle bowls, teppanyaki, tempura, onigiri & bento boxes. My favorite meal was a very special sushi restaurant. The sushi chef formed each small dish or piece of sushi with great pride & attention to detail. Every bite was perfection. The sushi here is so fresh and full of flavor. Each piece of fish melted in your mouth. The exact amount of wasabi under the fish and the soy sauce simply brushed upon the top of the fish.
Every combination was absolute perfection.
There is no cream cheese, avocado or imitation crab here. Only delicacies that we will not find at home. For dessert, there was a small dish of cherry blossom ice cream. It was just the right mix of tart and barely sweet. Cold and smooth as it melted upon your tongue. Just enough sweet to top off the meal.
The Japanese culture is very quiet and respectful. I am always in awe with every visit and I hope this inspires you to place a visit to Japan on your bucket list!
