The cyclic agricultural method: From the Jomon Period to the future A swidden passed down to Shiiba village

Shiiba village’s swidden -Shiiba village , Oita prefecture

“Burning the mountain gives it life.”
These are apparently the words of people who have carried out the slash-and-burn method.
Let us travel about another 40 minutes over mountain roads from the center of Shiiba village, a secluded spot in the ravines of the mountainous backbone of Kyushu.
This will take us to the Mukaiyama area where Masaru Shiiba and his wife Michiyo live, and they continue even now to use the slash-and-burn method of agriculture, a method used in Japan since ancient times, said to have been in use since the Jomon Period, on their swidden.
I want to introduce the operations of people who have passed down the traditional dishes made with crops cultivated in swiddens with the slash-and-burn method of agriculture in the “Takachihogo-Shiibayama Site”, designated in 2015 as an example of a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System.

The only people who are continuing with this in Japan are Mr. Shiiba’s family.
The slash-and-burn method of agriculture is very positively seen around the world.

Right in the height of summer, in the early part of August. Having ascertained that it hasn’t rained the day before, and that the wind on the day is not overly strong, a prescribed burn is going to take place on the steep inclines of the mountains stretching to the Mukaiyama area of Shiiba village in the Higashiusuki District of Miyazaki prefecture. Easily burnable vegetation is cut with a sickle and other implements and a fire break is created, then chants and sacred sake for the mountain gods are prepared, and prayers are offered. The area burned at one time is from 30 ares to 1 hectare. After waiting for the fire to die out, buckwheat seeds are sown before the day is over.
It is said that the only people in Japan now continuing with this primal agricultural method from 5,000 years ago are Masaru and Michiyo Shiiba who operate “Minshuku Yakihata” in the Mukaiyama area. The slash-and-burn method, an example of cyclic agriculture, does not use agricultural chemicals or fertilizer, relying instead on making the most of the power of nature, and it is very positively seen around the world. They have continued to use this agricultural method uninterruptedly in order to ensure provisions which can be stocked up as preserved foods for his family in their life in the deep intermountain area.

The Mukaiyama area, where Mr. Shiiba’s swiddens can be seen dotting the landscape

Mr. Masaru Shiiba

Local species of vegetables continue to be grown in Shiiba village with the cultivation methods that have been handed down from generation to generation.

The swiddens that Mr. Shiiba has inherited have a set cycle. In the first year, a swidden that has been burned is used to grow buckwheat, which requires a large amount of nourishment. In the second year Japanese millet or foxtail millet. In the third year azuki beans from the pulse family to enrich the soil. In the fourth year it is soybeans. The millet grown in the swiddens is harvested in autumn every year, and stored carefully after threshing. After growing crops there for 4 years, they plant and grow chestnuts and oaks for over 20 years, so the field is burned is some 25 years later. Doing this allows the forest to regrow and the soil to recover.
“This is the place we burned last year on the 3rd of August. It has an altitude of about 855 m or so, I guess,” says Mr. Shiiba. Besides the local species of buckwheat which have been used for over 50 years for seed gathering, Heike turnips and Heike daikon seeds are sown in various places, and we can see the green leaves which have come through the winter, poking through the soil here and there. Mr. Shiiba pulled out the daikon, saying “This year it hasn’t snowed so it’s still small.” “Let’s make some grated daikon with this tomorrow morning. It may be a little hot still, though” he beams.

The prescribed burn taking place every year in August

The first year buckwheat was cultivated.

Heike daikon, seeds of which were sown last year

While the soil is being allowed to rest it is turned into a forest, and coexistence with animals is a very important aspect.

In places that are not used as swiddens, deciduous broad-leaved trees such as Japanese cypresses and chestnuts grow. What Mr. Shiiba places great importance on is coexistence with the animals living on the mountain. “You know, if we make a proper eating place for wild boar, they don’t come and eat the crops in the fields” he explains. Mr. Shiiba actually left Shiiba village temporarily but around 20 years ago he did a U-turn and went back. “In this kind of place, I can grow what I eat myself” he says curtly.

Clockwise from top left: foxtail millet, adzuki bean, soybean, buckwheat and Japanese millet seeds

Wild vegetables harvested in the mountains. This will be made into tempura and miso soup.

Millet grown in the swidden and wild vegetables picked in the mountains　　　　　　The traditional dishes lined up at a meal are full of a wholesome, rich flavor.

So I stayed at Minshuku Yakihata run by Mr. Shiiba before the beginning of spring according to the traditional Japanese calendar. At dinner, the traditional dishes that have been passed down in Shiiba village are lined up. Segoshi (small, fine slices) of yamame trout and seared locally raised chicken. Kimpira style “sauteed and simmered” dried bamboo shoots. Boiled daikon and sweet potato, bamboo shoots, konnyaku and shiitake. Wild vegetables pickled in sanbaizu (vinegar, soy sauce and mirin). Cumquat. Tempura of daikon leaves and wild vegetables such as annual fleabane, mugwort, mukubo kazura, Jersey cudweed, Japanese parsley. Pickled long stamen chive and yuzu. Dumplings made with buckwheat boiled until soft are put in “wakudojiru”, soup stock made with burdock and shiitake and dried sardines. Tofu containing seasonal vegetables made by the local tofu maker. As dressing for the konnyaku we have sauce made with plums stored after harvesting in June. Without exception, the dishes have a simple but wholesome, rich flavor.
So the following day at breakfast, there was miso soup with the Heike turnip picked the day before accompanied by grated Heike daikon. Just like Mr. Shiiba said, the grated daikon is slightly spicy, whose powerful flavor stimulates the palate to make us tuck into the Japanese millet rice.

This is an example of dinner if you stay overnight.

The yamame trout grilled with salt on the hearth is also delicious.

The wakudo in “wakudojiru” is a Shiiba village dialect word for a frog. The name for buckwheat dumplings comes from the fact they look like a frog.