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Recollections of Natsume’s Summertime Salt Crafting: Japan’s Remarkably Distinct Approach to Salt Production
Salt triggers a flood of memories. During my time at elementary school, we had a unique salt-making class—a surprising addition to our curriculum, likely influenced by our proximity to Tokyo Bay. Unusual, right?
Our first task involved transforming the school building’s rooftop into a salt field by spreading sand from the schoolyard. It was no easy feat. Then, armed with buckets, we headed to the beach to pump seawater, transporting it back to sprinkle on the salt fields once or twice a week. A laborious process indeed. After repeating these steps for a semester, tiny white salt crystals began to emerge amidst the sand. The collected sand, mixed with seawater and strained, yielded a thick, briny liquid. Boiling it down completed the transformation into salt.
When we tasted the salt we crafted, it left a bitter impression—profoundly bitter, saturated with impurities. The shock went beyond the taste; it was the meager quantity that struck me. Despite investing six months in the process (boiling it down in the science lab), the yield barely clung to the bottom of the beaker. The emptiness of that time remains etched in my memory.
I used to think, “How difficult can obtaining salt be?” … From that day until now, spanning 30 years, every encounter with salt in the supermarket invoked a silent expression of gratitude for its arduous journey.
However, as I delved into the exhibit, I discovered that the salt-making experience I underwent was rather atypical! Presently, the world’s salt production, totaling around 280 million tons annually, predominantly relies on inland salt sources like rock salt and salt lakes. Moreover, only a minority of salt undergoes a process combining (1) thickening seawater to obtain saltwater and (2) boiling it down to yield crystals.
Despite technological advancements and changes in scale, the Japanese salt manufacturing method has persevered as a two-step process—embodied in the actions (1) and (2) described. The exhibition delves into the historical evolution of this method, offering valuable insights. Reflecting on a potential “national character,” I pondered whether the meticulousness of salt production played a significant role. Although I hesitate to label it as troublesome, the sheer time and effort involved are undeniably staggering.
A captivating sight within the exhibit is the reconstructed iron kettle and kettle house of the Kadohana family in the Noto Peninsula. This unique structure is the sole survivor in Japan, showcasing the traditional method of manually sprinkling seawater on the beach for salt production.
