Mr.Shotaro Yoshimi, Tourism Division/ Manager, Chitose City Tourism and Sports Department
– 2-34 Shinonomecho, Chitose City (Chitose City Hall)
*interviewed in June ,2021
As it is delicious,
The challenge of “Lake Shikotsu Chip” that we want to provide with sashimi.
Set in Lake Shikotsu, which has been the best water quality in Japan for 11 consecutive years, “Lake Shikotsu Chip” has started a new step by obtaining a brand name that has hidden the leap forward in the future. Now, we have developed a quick-frozen “sashimi” from the Lake Shikotsu Fisheries Association from Reiwa 2nd year, and it will be released sequentially in order to eat this chip with the same taste as freshly caught. We asked Mr.Shotaro Yoshimi of the Tourism Division of the Chitose City Tourism and Sports Department (hereinafter abbreviated title) about his thoughts on “Lake Shikotsu Chip”.
To make more people know and communicate to future generations.
——— the origin of lake Shikotsu chips in the future.
Yoshimi: In 1892, Himemas were transplanted from lake Akan, which is native to Japan, to Lake Shikotsu. When population farming began in Lake Shikotsu, it was called “kapacep”, which is an Ainu word. “Chip” is derived from “cep”. Then, in 1896, a Japanese name called “Himemasu” was named the following year by a proposal by an engineer of the Fisheries Division of the Hokkaido Prefectural Government to “The Little Red Is Not To The Princess”. In Lake Shikotsu, the name “chip” became popular in the 1912 era, and the name “chip” was established among anglers and locals. The Lake Shikotsu Fisheries Cooperative Association, established in 2007, unified the brand name to “Lake Shikotsu Chip” in order to make Lake Shikotsu’s himemas known to more people and to be transmitted to future generations.
For example, when I give an overview of Lake Shikotsu to people in Tokyo, I sometimes give such an example. “The Yamanote Line is 34.5km per lap, and the outer circumference of Lake Shikotsu is about 40km. Tokyo Tower is 333 meters high and lake Shikotsu has a maximum depth of 360 meters. Both the Yamanote Line and Tokyo Tower enter Lake Shikotsu.” We are excited now for the potential of lakes of this scale.
Branded to give back to the people who protect Lake Shikotsu.
——— of Lake Shikotsu in the same area has long been known to be very delicious. Is there a reason for its deliciousness? Also, please tell us about the background to branding.
Yoshimi: Like Shikotsu is a caldera lake surrounded by primeval forests with few inflow rivers, and as a national park, it strictly regulates the development of accommodation facilities and resorts, and the access of powered vessels such as engined boats that emit oil, and it is the lake that has been crowned the best water quality in Japan for 11 consecutive years because local people have continued nature conservation activities such as picking up garbage (including the surface of the lake and the bottom of the lake).
Lake Shikotsu chip is a beautiful Lake Shikotsu, and because the water is beautiful, there are few small fish that serve as food, and animal plankton is a prey, and because the depth of the water is deep, it lives at a temperature depth suitable for any season, so there is no smell peculiar to river fish, and it becomes a beautiful red body with fat.
Chitose City and lake Shikotsu Fisheries Cooperative Have released 185,000 Shikotsuko chips every year, and the amount of resources has increased, but many of the fruits are found in markets outside the region such as Sapporo and Tomakomai, and already can be eaten in the Lake Shikotsu area, they have not been effectively used as local specialties. Therefore, we worked on branding the “Lake Shikotsu Chip”, which the local community is proud of as japan’s no. 1 himemas, to the people who protect Lake Shikotsu.
“The sushi with chips is by far the best” and was very popular.
——— what Lake Shikotsu Chip will aim for in the future?
Yoshimi: Lake Shikotsu Chip, a summer fish that can be caught during the lifting of the ban from June to August, is served as sashimi, salt grilled and fried at local hotels and cafeterias. The Lake Shikotsu Fisheries Cooperative Association manufactures fish sauce “Hime-Shizuku” for effective use of parent fish after spawning. In the future, “Lake Shikotsu Chip Bowl”, “Lake Shikotsu Chip Temari sushi”, “Three Kinds of Smoked” of Lake Shikotsu Chips, Rainbow trout, and Brown Trout, and “Sashimi” with Freshly Caught Lake Shikotsu Chips will be developed and released sequentially from Reiwa 2020.
I have exhibited Lake Shikotsu Chip at the Hokkaido Fair held several times at department stores in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and it has always been very popular. I tried offering sushi with chips and other sushi at the same time, but it was very popular, saying that “by far the sushi with chips is delicious”.
Originally, it would be possible to realize the potential of Lake Shikotsu Chip by having them eat fresh, but the Lake Shikotsu Fisheries Cooperative Association and the local community are committed to fishing and preservation, establishing a method of preservation in a fresher and closer state, and making every effort to develop products based on the ingredients. With the cooperation of hokkaido university faculty of fisheries and Chitose Aquarium, the Lake Shikotsu Fisheries Cooperative Association is promoting the project with the aim of providing it with live fish, which is the most delicious way to eat, through the Lake Shikotsu Chip Live Fish Project.