After a two year hiatus, we have had the good fortune to add to our olive expeditions with a trip to Japan. We were on hand to witness the blossoming of the olive trees on the island of Shōdo in the inland sea of Japan. While we had seen olive trees in summer, at harvest, and in their winter dormancy, this was our first opportunity to see the delicate white-green blossoms with bright yellow pistils. Thanks to Toshiya Tada, Chairman and Founder of OLIVE JAPAN/The Olive Sommelier Association of Japan, who helped to set up our visit and to our host on the island, Takeyasu Kubota who was tireless in showing us everything the island had to offer. Thanks also to the farmers, millers, and scientists who took time out of their busy schedules to talk with us at length about what they saw as their challenges and opportunities. In the end, we were left with a deep admiration for how the Japanese have succeeded under the difficult conditions of humidity and moisture.
Read further to learn some highlights of the 500 year old history of olives in Japan and how modern day farmers are feeding olive products to cattle and tuna to enhance their products.
