This site is an online media that delivers all sorts of trivia about the six Tohoku prefectures, from sightseeing and gourmet spots to local customs, history, and more
Safflower has been cultivated since ancient times as a raw material for dyeing red and yellow colors.
In addition, oil (safflower oil) can be extracted from the seeds
Safflower grown in Japan is primarily used as a dye, but globally it is overwhelmingly cultivated as a source of safflower oil, and most of Japan's safflower oil is imported from the United States
The origin of safflower is unknown, but safflower pigments have been found in clothing worn by Egyptian mummies dating back to around 2,500 BC.
It is believed to have been introduced to Japan from Central Asia via China, and what appear to be safflower pollen and pigments have been discovered at the Makimuku ruins (Sakurai city, Nara prefecture) dating from around the 3rd century and the Fujinoki Kofun (Ikaruga town, Nara prefecture) dating from around the 6th century
Safflower is often planted in relatively warm and dry areas such as Central Asia, so it is resistant to high temperatures and was initially widely cultivated in Japan from southern Japan to the Kanto region
Cultivation of cucumbers is said to have begun in Yamagata Prefecture during the Muromachi period, and from around the middle of the Sengoku period, when cultivation methods to avoid winter were established, the Mogami River basin area of Yamagata Prefecture (hereafter referred to as the Mogami area; parts of the current Mogami, Murayama, and Okitama regions) became Japan's leading production area
The strong connection between Kyoto and Osaka through the Mogami River
The red dye obtained from safflower is an essential ingredient in Nishijin textiles in Kyoto, as well as in cosmetics. During the Edo period, dyes made from safflowers in the Mogami area were recognized as being of the highest quality, and were prized as what we would now call a brand name, "Mogami safflower."
Why did safflower from the Mogami area of Yamagata Prefecture become distributed in Kyoto and Osaka?
There are several factors that contribute to this
First, the Omi merchants . Omi merchants were merchants who were based in the Omi region on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa and traveled all over the country to gather merchandise and bring it to Kyoto and Osaka. Kitamaebune ships, bringing back a variety of goods from the Tohoku region and Hokkaido.
From the "Illustrated Guide to Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces" series, Dewa, Mogami River, Gassan Distant View, Hiroshige Painting, Collection: National Diet Library
Sakata (Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture), a port where Kitamaebune ships stopped, is located at the mouth of the Mogami River. Safflower cultivation areas spread across the middle reaches of the Mogami River, and safflower was transported to the Kansai region via Sakata
The Yamagata domain, which ruled the Mogami region, invited Omi merchants who had been arriving in Sakata to Yamagata, where Yamagata Castle was located, and gave them preferential treatment by granting them land. Without the Mogami River, "Mogami safflower" may never have brought prosperity to the Mogami area
Yamadera encouraged safflower cultivation as a local industry
Another reason why Mogami Benibana flourished was the existence of Yamadera
"Mount Hoju Risshakuji, is an ancient temple founded by Jikaku Daishi Ennin in 860, but for the Omi merchants, it was a Tendai sect temple, just like their beloved Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei. The Omi merchants had no qualms about setting up shop in Yamagata, which was also a temple town for Risshakuji.
Risshakuji Temple, together with the Yamagata Domain, encouraged the cultivation of safflower to support the livelihoods of its many followers and the surrounding people. It is said that in the late Edo period, the Mogami area accounted for roughly half of the nation's production. Moreover, the quality of the safflower produced was so excellent that the price skyrocketed, and it was "100 times more expensive than rice and 10 times more expensive than gold.
The Omi merchants, the Yamagata merchants associated with them, and even the farmers who extracted safflower from the flowers all made huge profits, and the "safflower bubble" continued until the end of the Edo period
"Yamadera and Safflower" has been designated a Japanese Heritage Site as "the safflower culture supported by Yamadera Temple."
Squeeze it lightly, put it in an airtight bag and leave it overnight, then take it out and mash it
The mashed material is squeezed into round mochi shapes and dried in the shade for 7 to 10 days to make "benimochi."
Place the red mochi in a cotton bag and steep it in water overnight
The yellow pigment dissolves in the water and turns it yellow, so squeeze the bag and put it in clean water and soak for about 5 hours. After 5 hours, knead the bag and put it back in clean water
Repeat this process three times a day for about a week, and when the water becomes clear, the process is complete
The red rice cake, from which the yellow pigment has been completely removed, is dried and dissolved in alkaline lye, and then acidic plum vinegar is added to precipitate, completing the red color
Matsuo Basho was moved by the safflowers of the Mogami region and captivated by the scenery
Matsuo Basho traveled from Naruko Onsen (Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture) through Shitomae Barrier near the border and entered Dewa Province (Yamagata Prefecture)
See the beautiful safflower fields at Shimooginoto in Tendo City
"The image of eyebrows and safflowers"
(Looking at the red flowers, I feel a sense of elegance, reminiscent of the eyebrow brushes that women use when applying makeup.)
He left behind the following poem:
Afterwards, we headed to Yamadera Temple, where the sound of cicadas echoed in the beautiful, quiet scenery
"The quietness of the cicadas seeps into the rocks."
He composed this poem and headed to Oishida (Oishida Town), where there is a port, to go rafting down the Mogami River. It was the rainy season, so the river was full of water, and he enjoyed rafting down the river
"The Mogami River flows quickly, gathering the May showers"
Scenes from this period can be seen in the Yamagata Museum of Art's collection of the "Oku-no-Hosomichi Screen" (a nationally designated Important Cultural Property; designated as "Oku-no-Hosomichi, a six-panel folding screen with a pale color painting on paper by Yosa Buson and an inscription dating from the eighth year of the An'ei era"), painted in 1779 by Yosa Buson (1716-1783), and the two "Safflower Screens" (Yamagata Prefecture Designated Tangible Cultural Properties) by Yokoyama Kazan (1784-1837), which depict the cultivation of safflower
Yokoyama Kazan "Safflower Screen" Right panel (top) and left panel (bottom) Collection: Yamagata Museum of Art
Yamagata Museum of Art is a private art museum that opened in 1964 and conducts research, studies, and collections, storing, and exhibiting works, focusing on Japanese and Oriental art, local art, and French art
Yamagata Museum of Art <Information>
Facility name: Yamagata Museum of Art
Address: 1-63 Otemachi, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture
Phone number: 023-622-3090
Opening hours: 10:00-17:00 (last entry at 16:30)
Closed: Mondays, December 28th to January 3rd
Admission fee: Adults 800 yen, High school and university students 400 yen, Elementary and junior high school students 200 yen
Benibana Farmer's House, Former Kashiwakura Family Residence
The Former Kashiwakura Family Residence (Nakayama Town) is the main residence of the Kashiwakura family, landowners who were representative of the Murayama region, a region famous for its safflower cultivation. The site covers an area of approximately 7,600 m2 (2,300 tsubo), and the buildings, including the main house and three storehouses, total an area of approximately 1,412 m2 (427 tsubo)
The oldest Buddhist repository was built in 1770 (Meiwa 7), and the others were built from the early to late Meiji period. It is a national important cultural property
Former Kashiwakura Family Residence <Information>
Facility name: Former Kashiwakura Family Residence
Benibana Farmer's House, Former Abe Family Residence and Mansion
The Former Abe Family Residence and Mansion (Kahoku Town) was built at the end of the Edo period and is a valuable building that has retained almost the same appearance as the mansion of a wealthy farmer who prospered through safflower and rice farming. It is designated as a tangible cultural property by Kahoku Town
Phone number: 0237-72-3613 (Abe Gonnai House Preservation Society)
Opening days: Limited time only (please inquire)
Google Map
Kahoku Town Safflower Museum (former Horibe Shirobei House) is housed in a building on the property of a wealthy merchant
The Kahoku Town Safflower Museum (Former Horimai Shirobei Family Residence) is a museum that uses the mansion of the Horimai Shirobei family, who were one of the wealthiest merchants in Kahoku Town, where safflower cultivation is thriving. The storehouse, warrior storehouse, and temple seal storehouse were all built from the mid to late Edo period
Inside the building, luxurious furnishings befitting a wealthy merchant are on display. The large grounds are planted with safflowers and have been paved with walking paths. In the newly built "Beni no Yakata" (Red House), you can see kimonos dyed with safflowers and Hina dolls imported from Kyoto. You can also try your hand at safflower dyeing
The tourist base of Yamagata City is the former home of a safflower merchant, "Yamagata Marugotokan Beni no Kura (former Hasegawa residence)"
Yamagata Marugotokan Beni no Kura (Former Hasegawa Family) (Yamagata City) is a tourist hub located along Tokamachi Street, which is lined with old storehouses. The building is the storehouse and main house of the Hasegawa family, who were safflower merchants in the Yamagata domain
The Edo period building was destroyed in a major fire in 1894 (Meiji 27) and rebuilt in 1901 (Meiji 34). Currently, the storehouse is a restaurant, the main house and tatami storehouse are a soba restaurant, and the other storehouses are a tourist information center and souvenir shop
Mogami safflower, which has declined since the Meiji period
Mogami safflower was highly popular during the Edo period, and produced many wealthy merchants and farmers, but its popularity rapidly declined when cheap alternative dyes were imported in the early Meiji period. This was compounded by the emergence of chemical dyes, and production of Mogami safflower almost completely disappeared
After that, safflower cultivation continued on a small scale, but finally began to move towards a revival after World War II. In the 1960s, a major cosmetics manufacturer took notice of the appeal of "Mogami safflower," and a contract was signed with the manufacturer, and the cultivation area expanded again
However, this did not last long, and when the cosmetics manufacturer ended the contract cultivation, production volume decreased again, and now production only meets the demand of a few dyeing businesses and plant dyeing enthusiasts who are looking for authenticity
Traditional techniques of safflower cultivation and dye making certified as a Japanese agricultural heritage site
Nevertheless, Yamagata Prefecture is the number one producer of safflower in Japan, and the Murayama region is home to a wide range of safflower blooming landscapes
The technique of making safflower dyes, which has been cultivated over a long period of 450 years, is a valuable agricultural technique in Japan and cannot be allowed to disappear
, which connects history and tradition,a Japanese Agricultural Heritage Site and efforts are underway to protect it.
Japanese Agricultural Heritage "Yamagata's Mogami Safflower: A Link Between History and Tradition"
Phone number: 023-630-2221
Constituent municipalities: Yamagata Prefecture, Yamagata City, Yonezawa City, Sakata City, Tendo City, Yamabe Town, Nakayama Town, Kahoku Town, Shirataka Town
My love of travel led me to work for a travel magazine some time ago, and now I work as a travel writer for an online publication. I have visited all 47 prefectures in Japan, focusing on the Tohoku region, and I enjoy soaking in hot springs and experiencing traditional Japanese culture, including old townscapes, lifestyles, and performing arts and crafts
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