Although the origin of the name of the former Iwai city is not clear, there is a well with clear spring water called ‘Ishii’, and it is said that ancient people lived near this spring. In the Nara period, this place name appeared as an administrative district called Iwai Township. For this reason, it is said that Ishii’s well is the origin of the place name ‘Iwai’. In the Heian period, Taira no Masakado emerged from the Heike clan, and in 935, he built a residence in Ishii, the place where the name of the place originated. In 939, they defeated Hitachi Province, banished the provincial governors of Shimotsuke and Kozuke, and ruled the eight Edo-period provinces of Kanto, proclaiming themselves new emperors. However, in 940, he was attacked by Fujiwara no Hidesato, Taira no Kunika’s son Sadamori (appointed to Hitachi Daijo after his father’s death) and died in battle near Kitayama, Iwai City.

【製品名（商品名）】

マル岩のねぎ

【種類】

Allium fistulosum L.

【生産地】

茨城県坂東市岩井地区（JA岩井, JAグループ茨城）

【名前の由来】

【主な特徴】

At JA Iwai, “Future Farmer Neckyman（180 cm / 70 kg）” was born with Sentai Heroes as a motif. It seems that he is actively appearing at tasting parties at the market and conducting promotional activities. It seems to be an epoch-making idea that strongly impresses Iwai’s long onion. It seems that Nekkiman came up with the idea of the future farming android, envisioning the arrival of an era in which androids will be entrusted with farming, which is suffering from a lack of successors. It seems that he wanted to draw the attention of children and reduce the number of children who disliked green onions. He made his debut at the “National green onions Summit” held in Bando City in 2013 and attracted attention. He seems to have gained popularity among children, such as handshake events and photo shoots. The project was planned by the manager（Current Director of Economic Affairs and Director of Agriculture）of the farming section at the time, and it seems that the JA employee is dressed as Neckyman. In Iwai, where such new ideas are given shape, it seems that the number of young producers is steadily increasing. It seems that there are many people in their 30s and 40s who quit their jobs and become farmers. Ingenuity to attract new winds is the driving force that moves the generation that will lead the new era. JA Iwai (Iwai District, Bando City) is designated as a producer of fruits and vegetables in Ibaraki Prefecture. Since 1982, the brand designation has been given to production areas that have cleared the prefecture’s strict standards, such as high-quality agricultural products, reliability and safety, and high market evaluations. This system nurtures and designates fruit and vegetable production areas that represent the prefecture and are highly regarded in the market for their reliability and safety, and are able to meet diversifying needs. Summer green onions received designation in 1984, and lettuce in 1991. It seems that about 300 ha of green onions are planted annually. Shipped throughout the year, mainly summer green onions shipped from April to August. The JA seems to have succeeded in revitalizing the region through agriculture by playing a role in connecting producers and consumers. Food and agriculture education is also actively provided, so there must be children who are interested in agriculture and who will be responsible for cultivating green onions in the future. I can see a bright future where we can continue to relay from predecessors to workers. Ibaraki Bando Folk Museum, Sanpo Shuku (Born in 1903 in Nishibori, Niigata City. His real name is Taichiro Mizushima. He has built a unique style of painting, such as flowers, birds, and human figures, and has gained great popularity. After moving to Tokyo, he became a Western-style painter Seiki Kuroda. He later studied under Kokei Kobayashi, a Japanese-style painter born in Joetsu City. Although he was selected for several Teiten and Inten exhibitions, he left painting for a while and lived a life of eating at an old temple in Nara. After that, he spent nearly 60 years devoted to painting until his death.) introduces the world of his works. In mid-October 2022, we will celebrate his 120th birthday as a special exhibition. “Bando City”, Located in the southwestern part of Ibaraki prefecture. It was born on March 22, 2005 by the merger of Iwai city and Sahima town. It borders Noda City, Chiba Prefecture across the Tone River（This is the Tonegawa, also known as Bandotaro. The River Tone meanders [winds its way] through the plains of Kanto）. The center is a flat land called Sashima tableland, with rice fields and upland fields spreading out: Famous for its many flatland forests and the arrival of swan（Every year from late October to mid-March; Cygnus columbianus, Platalea leucorodia, Anas acuta）, rich nature is preserved-Sugao Swamp etc. Located on the border between Bando and Joso. A long and narrow swamp with a north-south width of about 5 km and an east-west width of about 200-500 m. Egawa River, Iinuma River, Higashinire River flow in. Water flows from the Hoshido lock to the Tonegawa River via Sugao Swamp. The sorimachi bank is called kaminuma and shimonuma in border, and walking load is maintained in kaminuma. Pacific climate with an average annual temperature of 15.3 degrees celsius: A relatively warm region with annual rainfall of 1,288 mm. Bando City has a mild climate throughout the year and flat terrain blessed with groundwater, making it suitable for growing vegetables. Lettuce and summer green onions are branded vegetables designated by Ibaraki Prefecture, and are highly popular due to the trust of consumers, boasting top-class production volume nationwide. In addition, Ibaraki Prefecture’s brand tea “Sashima green tea（In 1859, it was exported overseas for the first time, and it seems to have been counted as an important export item along with raw silk. Today, it is a famous tea with a rich aroma and richness that is known nationwide.）”, which is produced in the city, is said to produce a rich flavor, aroma, and richness when processed. Since ancient times, it has been transported to Edo using the water transportation of the Tone River and has been loved by many people. At the end of the Edo period, when the black ships arrived, Japan started to trade with other countries. There is something deeply thoughtful about the fragrant tea, which has a long history as “the first tea that crossed the sea in Japan.” A place related to hero Taira no Masakado who won the eight Edo-period provinces of Kanto (Sagami, Musashi, Awa, Kazusa, Shimousa, Hitachi, Kouzuke and Shimotsuke) in the Heian Period. Called Bando’s Fengyunji, a wish to create an independent country beyond the power of the imperial court: Although branded as a rebel, he broke up with the aristocratic society here: A heart that I admire, trying to build an utopia for living with the people: It is alive in the places that Masakado loved. Iwai’s cantonment, home of the government, Kokuo Shrine built by the third daughter（如蔵尼）to mourn the soul, Enmeiin（神田山如意輪寺延命院-宗介, 来世法師; 真言宗智山派; 篠越山延命院観音寺, 本尊-延命地蔵菩薩）with a body mound, etc. The city is dotted with legends and historic sites. “Masakado Festival” held every November: A magnificent and gorgeous period picture scroll that seems to go back a thousand years is unfolded. “Masakado Half Marathon Tournament” to be held on the day: Many citizen runners participate and compete for good legs on the course related to Masakado. Forefront base for Go-Hojo Family’s expansion into North Kanto: Restoration while utilizing the remains of Sakasai Castle. It is popular as a historical park. Prefectural designated cultural property : 逆井城跡, 昭和60年3月25日指定, 逆井. The castle that remains today is a remains that made full use of the castle construction technique of the end of the Warring States period. He pursued prosperity with Nobunaga’s Azuchi Castle and Go-Hojo Family. In 1590, the castle was abandoned due to Hideyoshi’s conquest of Odawara. And now, more than 400 years later, the moat and earthworks as they were at that time are utilized. Former Iwai City is located in the southwestern part of Ibaraki Prefecture, roughly in the center of the Kanto Plain. It is located within 50 km from Tokyo, and is adjacent to Chiba Prefecture across the Tone River to the south. The topography is generally flat, and most of the geological features seem to consist of pleistocene fields and forests called the Sashima Hills. In addition, paddy fields open up in the alluvial lowlands of large and small rivers. The temperature is relatively warm with an annual average of 13.9°C, and the annual precipitation is around 1,200 mm. Based on these natural conditions, it seems that in the olden days, agricultural management centered on rice, barley, leaf tobacco, tea, and konjac was flourishing. In 1958, the Mefuki big Bridge opened over the Tone River, making transportation to Tokyo more convenient. Established as a main item of Today, Bando City plays an important role as a supply base for fresh vegetables to the Tokyo metropolitan area and local cities. In addition, lettuce, the main item introduced this time, is cultivated mainly in the western region of Ibaraki Prefecture, and it seems that it is cultivated twice a year: spring lettuce (March to May) and autumn lettuce (October to December). Many vegetable farmers mainly employ family labor, and their main crops are two crops of lettuce (spring and autumn) and green onions (summer). As an open-field leaf vegetable production area, it adopts an intensive farming system, and there are many specialized farmers even with a relatively small area of cultivated land (thick layer less than 1 ha). JA Iwai City does not have a section for each vegetable item, and it seems that producers who ship fruits and vegetables to JA are members of the Iwai Agricultural Cooperative Horticulture Section. Since 1998, Ho-Lettuce, which is a general system unified brand in the prefecture, seems to have used a special fertilizer with 50% organic fertilizer. Also, in order to produce quality products, it seems that production focused on soil preparation, such as adding compost, cultivating green manure crops (sorghum), and applying appropriate fertilizers based on soil diagnosis. In addition, in order to avoid continuous cropping failure, a crop rotation system such as lettuce (Asteraceae) sorghum (Asteraceae) long onion (Liliaceae) cabbage and Chinese cabbage (Brassicaceae) seems to be established. Furthermore, for traceability and environmental conservation agriculture, pest control using “hormone”, recording of “fruits and vegetables cultivation management ledger (fertilization / pest control diary)”, shipment of lettuce with no staple cardboard, discharge during lettuce packaging It seems that film scraps are being collected free of charge. One of the characteristics of the shipping system is the completion of the pre-cooling center in 1988, which established a unified sales system (lot expansion) and pre-cooled shipment (added value), and also collected cargo in order to realize early transmission of information (securing sales destinations). It seems that the time was set to 2:00 pm. The standard was simplified in 1995, and it seems that the standard that was divided into 12 classes until then was changed to 8 classes. Lettuce has a short harvesting period of 3 to 5 days and tends to be shipped intensively. I heard that the fruits and vegetables brought to the JA pre-cooling center are sorted by grade onto pallets, cooled to 5°C in a vacuum cooling system for about 30 minutes, and then shipped to markets in major cities on the same day. There are two types of lettuce production at JA: normal product (wrap regular), commercial lettuce by producer registration system (grouping), and high quality lettuce. Lettuce for commercial use is shipped in corrugated cardboard boxes for processing operations, and sales of naked lettuce (unwrapped) began in 1989. Since 2000, some of the lettuce has been connected to returnable containers. In addition, the price is set according to the season (spring and autumn), and the daily shipment volume is allocated to the producers every week. Commercial lettuce seems to be mainly used by large-scale lettuce farmers because it does not require the time and cost of wrap packaging and the price is fixed. High-quality lettuce production began in 1995 and was sold under the brand of ‘Meijin Lettuce’. Is produced by producers who have undergone a certain training course with the goal of reducing chemical fertilizers and pesticides cultivation, and uses organic fertilizers (80% organic fertilizer content) and soil preparation materials independently developed based on cultivation standards. It seems that the use of pesticides was kept to a minimum. In addition, they did not conduct quality inspections at the time of shipment, and if there were complaints from actual users, they would be expelled from the group. Celery is a relatively new vegetable that became popular in Japan around the 1955s. It seems to be cultivated in greenhouses in Shizuoka Prefecture in cold areas and from winter to spring. Celery cultivation began more than 50 years ago in the Nagasu district, a rural area facing the Tone River, in the former Iwai City, where the majority of producers adopt the management system of green onions and lettuce. It seems that the reason for this was that producers in the same area went to study under the late Mr. Jintaro Ito（Edogawa Ward, Tokyo: He started growing celery on his own in 1958, and 64 years ago, he passed away on July 6th, 2009.）, who was a pioneer of celery cultivation and was called the “god of celery.” After learning how to grow celery from a senior farmer who is said to be the most delicious in Japan, the “students of God” returned to their hometowns, and after that they formed a group called “Zensinkai” to work hard. Cultivation is greenhouse forcing and semi-forcing cultivation. Seeds are sown in July, and after 2 to 3 months of raising seedlings, harvesting begins in January of the following year. Celery needs a lot of fertilizer even among vegetables, but its roots have a weak ability to absorb nutrients, and it is also vulnerable to dryness. Apparently not. Once or twice during the seedling raising period, the seedlings are gradually replanted into large seedling pots, grown into large seedlings, and then planted in the field. The celery of Iwai Euro-American Vegetable Zensinkai is an intermediate variety (the most commonly distributed variety with light green stems, characterized by a refreshing aroma) “Cornell 619” and a green variety (with green stems). Cultivar with a strong aroma) ‘Summit’. All the producers are eco-farmers certified, and it seems that they are trying to do farming that does not burden the environment. They are particularly particular about the preparation of the soil, and have been actively applying compost made from cow manure and fallen leaves to create the optimal soil for their growth for over 30 years. Before planting every year, the members themselves conduct a soil diagnosis at the Bando Regional Agricultural Improvement and Extension Center, and based on the diagnosis results, all members discuss the results and determine the amount of fertilizer to be applied, mainly organic fertilizer, according to the condition of the soil. Regarding pest control, the use of pesticides is kept to a minimum, and in the summer when celery is not planted, the greenhouse is closed and solar heat soil disinfection is carried out to suppress the occurrence of soil pests and weeds. Ho-Lettuce was born in 1994 as a unified brand of JA Group Ibaraki. It seems that the producer’s desire to “make lettuce that consumers will fall in love with” is included. In addition to using JA’s original 70% organic fertilizer Ho-Koi Lettuce Premium, we pursue lettuce production with an emphasis on soil preparation, such as compost application, green manure plowing, and fertilization design based on soil diagnosis. In addition, JA Iwai produces Ho-lettuce twice a year, in spring (shipping period: February to May) and autumn (shipping period: October to December). Spring lettuce is cultivated inside plastic tunnels to protect it from the cold, and in order to grow crisp lettuce, the hem of the plastic tunnel is opened and closed every morning and evening to keep the daytime temperature below 20°C. In addition, since 2003, the JA has made it obligatory for producers in the horticulture committee to record the cultivation history of all agricultural products shipped. Producers record the implementation status of fertilization and pest control along with a GAP (Good Agricultural Practice: agricultural production process control) checklist. It seems that they are striving to ensure the safety and security of consumers’ food by preparing a system that can respond immediately to requests from business partners for disclosure of cultivation history. Lettuce loses its freshness easily, and in order to deliver it to consumers as it is in the production area, it is essential to make efforts at the production site and in the distribution process. JA Iwai established a vegetable pre-cooling center in 2020 to deliver fresh lettuce to consumers while maintaining high freshness. I have heard again that the fields are harvested the day before shipment. When removing the outer leaves, the producer leaves 2 to 3 more leaves than the shipping standard in order to maintain freshness. The lettuce brought in by the producer to the vegetable pre-cooling center is inspected, then sorted into pallets according to class, cooled rapidly to 5°C in a vacuum chiller, and then shipped to the market on the same day. More than 20,000 cases are shipped each day during the peak shipping season from March to April, and the staff at the pre-cooling center work quickly to ensure freshness. Ho-Lettuce, (111) Registration number: No. 4952598, (151) Registration date: May 12, 2006, (450) Registration publication date: June 13, 2006 Japan, (441) Publication date: October 13, 2005, (210) Application number: Commercial application 2005-86553, (220) Application date: September 15, 2005, First application date: September 2005 15th, Renewal application date: November 26, 2015, Renewal registration date: December 8, 2015, (180) expiration date: May 12, 2026, Trademark (for search): Ho∞Ho lettuce \ JA Group Ibaraki, (561) Pronunciation (reference information): Ho-letus, JA Group Ibaraki, JA Group, JA Group, (531) Figure classification: 1.15.25; 2.9.1.2; 4.5.1.2; 5.9.12; 5.9. 23 ; 26.4.2 ; 26.4.5 ; 26.4.13 ; 26.4.15 ; 26.4.16 ; 26.4.18 ; 29.1.4.1 ; 29.1.4.2 ; Name: National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations, Address or Residence: Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, Additional information: (591) with color, Legal classification: Amended in 2001, International classification version Indication: 8th edition, (500) Number of classifications: 1, (511) (512) [Classification of goods and services and designated goods or designated services] [Similar group code] 31 Lettuce, 32D01. Iwai, (111) Registration number: No. 1793177, (151) Registration date: July 29, 1985, (450) Registration date: November 27, 1985, (260) Publication number: Showa 59-102254 , (442) Publication date: December 22, 1984, (210) Application number: Commercial application Showa 56-526, (220) Application date: January 9, 1981, First application date: January 1981 9th, Renewal application date: April 16, 2015, (156) Renewal registration date: June 2, 2015, (180) Expiration date: July 29, 2025, Trademark (for search): Rock (Maru), (561) Pronounciation (reference information): Mariwa, Iwamaru, Iwa, (732) Right holder, Name or name: Iwai Agricultural Cooperative, Address or whereabouts: Bando City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Rewrite registration application number: Rewrite 2005 -508828, Date of registration: May 25, 2005, Old class: 32, Law classification: Law revision in 2003, International classification labeling: 8th edition, (500) Number of classifications: 1, (511) (512) [Classification of goods and services and designated goods or designated services] [Similar group code], 31 Vegetables (excluding “green tea leaves”), tea leaves, sugar crops, fruits, 32D01 32D02 32D03 32E01. Ibaraki Prefecture boasts the second largest lettuce production volume in Japan. Bando City, where JA Iwai is located, is characterized by flat land and a mild climate with an annual average temperature of 14°C. The same JA seems to have started growing lettuce in 1966. It goes without saying that they have carved history with their predecessors and greatly contributed to our food and health. Also, taking advantage of the location within 50 km from the Tokyo metropolitan area, the highly fresh lettuce is a barometer.

Early Summer Ichimonji Long Onion（初夏一文字）: From Takii seedlings, it has a beautiful appearance with small leaves and erectness, and the grass shape is small and erect, so management work such as soiling is easy. The leaves are dark green and the soft white part is glossy. Tightness of the neck spring green onions, which starts to move quickly in early spring, seems to have a tendency to split the neck in the latter half of growth, causing disease and reducing the weight of one. By adding black-stalked blood to this species, the neck is tight, and it does not come apart easily, and has a good yield. It seems that the rate of excellent products is high and the occurrence of waste is low because of the high uniformity and fatness.