Showa Village Friendship Exchange Project Konjac Potato Growth Diary 2023

Yokohama City has been cultivating and harvesting konjac potatoes from Showa Village in Yokohama Park since 2014 as a friendship and exchange project with Showa Village in Gunma Prefecture. This event was held for the first time in a long time since 2019.
This year, in collaboration with Yokohama Municipal Motomachi Elementary School (Naka Ward), we planted this plant in Yokohama Park with the cooperation of the Yokohama Greenery Association.

Showa Village, Gunma Prefecture, a friendship exchange local government in Yokohama City, has the highest production of konjac potatoes in Japan!

In this growth diary, we will update the growth of konjac potatoes from planting in Yokohama Park to harvesting with photos, so please take a look.

Click here for planting (PDF: 208KB).

　We practiced cooking in the home economics room using konjac potatoes harvested and dried the other day with 6th graders at Motomachi Elementary School. .
It was made while being taught by a konjac manufacturing company in Showa-mura.
First, wash the konjac potatoes, remove the mud, cut them, and pour them in a mixer with lukewarm water. Next, divide the liquid konjac into a plastic bag with a chuck for one person (250g) and let them sleep for a while. After that, mix calcium carbonate (coagulant) dissolved in water, put 10cc in a plastic bag, rub it quickly and evenly and mix. After mixing, konjac is placed on the edge to form. Put the formed konjac in a plastic bag in a pot with boiling water and boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Take out the boiled konjac and remove the coarse heat to complete it. You can put water and keep it for a few days. In some cases, kitchen knives and fire were used, but we all worked together to make delicious konjac while having fun. Everyone was talking happily about what kind of food they would use when they brought them home.
　Finally, thanks everyone at Motomachi Elementary School sang the school song. It was a wonderful chorus that felt the weight of the 150th anniversary of our founding.

　This year, we resumed cultivation of konjac potatoes in Yokohama Park for the first time in a long time, but thanks to this, we were able to practice cooking safely.
Through konjac potatoes, it became a business that allows you to know about Showa-mura, a friendly exchange local government with Yokohama City. .
This is the end of this year's konjac diary. Thank you very much for watching to the end.

　It was finally a long-awaited harvest day, and as well as planting, a sixth grader at Motomachi Elementary School dig potatoes.
The weather was very good and it was a good harvest day. The dug konjac potatoes were getting bigger and bigger.
The children were absorbed in searching for treasures and enjoyed digging konjac potatoes.
The dug konjac potatoes are brought back to Showa-mura once, washed and dried.
Next month, we plan to conduct cooking training at Motomachi Elementary School using dried konjac potatoes.

　In autumn, all the leaves fell. At first glance it seems to have died, but
Please be assured that the growth of the potatoes has stopped and preparations for harvesting have been reached.
It's less than three weeks to harvest. Are you growing safely?
I'm really looking forward to it.

　There is a place where the leaves have fallen a little, but it looks the same as last month.
It was just over a month to harvest. There's only a few left.
I hope you will be safe until the day of potato digging.

　This year, the intense heat continued even in September, so the konjac potatoes of Ikuko (Kigo) became root rot and became a little lonely.
The dead part has been removed.
I'm growing up well in the first year. I hope you will grow up to the harvest safely as it is.

　This year, there is little rain and the terrible heat continues every day, but it is growing powerfully.
The konjac fields are conspicuous in the park because the blue shines even from a distance.
However, there was something that fell down from the base. Didn't you endure this year's unusual temperature?
After confirming with Showa Village, it seems that mold has grown at the base because the soil became hot and humid.
It is said that it will not be transmitted, but the dead part has been removed. I hope that the rest will grow well until harvest.

　As the heat of over 30 degrees continues every day, it is growing well without losing. It's like a small forest.
The color of the leaves was also darker. The typhoon is approaching, but I hope you will bear it.

　In the first year of konjac, the leaves spread finely. It's very powerful.
The rainy season will start soon. In summer, you will grow in plenty of sunshine.

　Leaves came out of all the potatoes. The scenery has changed much compared to last week.
It is growing steadily after absorbing the rain in the rainy season. The leaves are likely to spread in a few days.

　Leaves have come out! Did the rain the day before encourage growth? It's cute because it stretches up.
The left is the first year of konjac, and the right is the photo of Ikuko. Many of them have leaves for Ikuko.
On this day, there was a baseball game at the stadium, so there were a lot of people, and some people stood and looked at the field.

　The rain of the rainy season and the blessings of the sun are growing quickly. The buds are coming out of all the potatoes.
There were a lot of potatoes that were about to open. And I'm looking forward to seeing the leaves open in a few days.

Left: Konjac potatoes repeat "planting and harvesting" about three times. This is the baby of konjac potato "Kigo".
　　It's about 10 centimeters long.
Right: This is a first-year konjac potato. When planted this year, it will be a second-year konjac potato. About 7 centimeters in diameter.

In addition, when a second grader is planted, it becomes a third grader konjac potato and becomes a size that can be shipped. About 10 to 12 centimeters in diameter.
※Originally, it takes another year to ship, but this time it is omitted because there is no problem for second graders to eat.

Upper left: Plow the soil.
Nakagami: Cut it out to make ridges.
Upper right: Plant konjac potatoes at equal intervals (emptied for two konjac potatoes) in the hollow of the ridge.
Lower left: They are also planted.
Nakashita: Cover the soil in a mountain shape so that the cultivation area of konjac potatoes can be distinguished from the passage. At this time, fertilizer is also sowed.
Lower right: Planting is completed! A signboard (provisional) is set up around the field to complete it. ※At a later date, everyone at Motomachi Elementary School will make a new sign!

　We started cultivating konjac potatoes in Yokohama Park jointly with Motomachi Elementary School. (Click here for summary of planting (PDF: 797KB) (Yokohama-shi press release document))
The day of planting was blessed with fine weather, and we were able to safely plant about 200 first-year konjac potatoes and about 100 raw children.
Please watch the growth together.