公式ホームページはコチラ：www.nakayama-farm.com
Cheesemaker, Nakayama Farm's Nakayama Milk Kobo
Takehiko Harada TEXT/REINA ABE, PHOTO/NAOKO TAKAHASHIBetsukai, Hokkaido — the town with Japan’s highest raw milk production, where the number of dairy cattle is roughly eight times its human population, making it one of the country’s leading dairy farming powerhouses. Nakayama Farm began dairy farming here shortly after World War II. Today it spans a vast 330 hectares and raises as many as 850 dairy cattle. At “Nakayama Milk Kobo,” the creamery attached to Nakayama Farm, Harada works as a cheesemaker. Originally specializing in microbiology and fermentation, he made a bold decision at one point to travel to France to train in cheesemaking. After two years studying cheese fermentation and aging there, he came to Betsukai.
What kind of cheesemaking is only possible in Betsukai, a dairy farming powerhouse? This is our “Tsuwamon” interview with cheesemaker Takehiko Harada.
Nakayama Farm milks its cows twice a day, morning and evening. The farm's commitment to raw milk quality runs deep — everything from growing the pasture grass that feeds the cattle, to feed design, breeding, calf-rearing, and milking, is handled entirely in-house. This lets them monitor the cattle's condition from every angle, reduce stress, and improve both quality and productivity. Harada says the consistent quality of the raw milk is exactly what makes Nakayama Farm special. Cheese made with fresh raw milk, right beside this kind of dairy operation — that quality of environment shows through in the flavor of the finished product.
Beyond aged cheeses like raclette and gouda, the lineup includes a cheese made with sake lees from Nemuro's local sake, "Kita no Katsu." They've also started making syrup, aiming to put whey — a byproduct of the cheesemaking process — to good use. Harada once finished several test batches all at once, surprising Nakayama Farm's president in the process — his commitment to pursuing quality and flavor never wavers. He told us he wants to keep researching further, to create a cheese that truly draws out the character of Betsukai's milk, and that nothing makes him happier than hearing a customer say it's delicious. Trusted deeply by those around him, this is a cheese with hopes riding on it — not just across Hokkaido and Japan, but perhaps, someday, on the world stage.
Takehiko Harada
Cheesemaker at Nakayama Farm's Nakayama Milk Kobo. Born in Kanagawa Prefecture. Studied cheesemaking in France for two years before joining Nakayama Farm in Betsukai, Hokkaido, where he now oversees the production of cheese and other dairy products.
Nakayama Farm's Nakayama Milk Kobo
307-37 Nakashunbetsu, Betsukai-cho, Notsuke-gun, Hokkaido
TEL.0153-76-3777
www.nakayama-farm.com
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