Iburigakko Honpo Ogachino Kimuraya

Ogachino Kimuraya's journey began with family-recipe pickle making inherited in the southern Akita mountain village. In 1963 (Showa 38) — founder Jiro Kimura and his wife Hideyo — handling simple pickles like shiso-rolled mountain burdock and bamboo shoot miso pickle — is the origin. Then — developing miso pickles and sake-lees pickles leveraging local wild plants — expanding sales channels to station shops, hot spring inns, and department stores.

The turning point was the fact that "daikon iburi pickle" — made at each home as winter preserved food — was disappearing due to living changes and the spread of wood stoves. Kimuraya — using the family-inherited iburi pickle as a hint — challenged reproducing and mass-producing the method of pickling daikon while smoking. Arranging smoking storehouses with dug-in irori hearths — through repeated trial and error with smoking temperature, fire adjustment, and wood type — established a method to finish into crisp and fragrant daikon — with fire passing through to the core.

Eventually — firewood-smoked takuan "iburigakko" — combining the takuan method centered on rice bran, salt, and zarame — with vacuum packaging and heat sterilization — was born. The packaging — with high portability and storability and suited for tourism souvenirs — was well-received — and spread nationwide as Akita product exhibitions and souvenirs. New products like Akita Yuzawa's chopped pickle "snow-cellar pickle" and miso pickles were also born one after another — and Kimuraya's name became one of the synonyms for Akita pickles.

Meanwhile — discussion was also born over whether "iburigakko" is a general name. Kimuraya — thinking it should protect the regional brand as a whole with set quality standards — rather than brandishing the trademark — steered toward operation based on the GI system (Geographical Indication Protection System) — together with administration and producer groups. Now — "iburigakko" is a GI-registered product — positioned as a legitimate pickle backed by traditional methods and regionality.

Even now — Ogachino Kimuraya — holding the words "fragrance-seeking" — while balancing inherited techniques and capital investment with strengthening quality management — delivers mountain-village flavors that accompany modern living. At smoking facilities where firewood smoke rises and at aging refrigerators — iburigakko and wild-plant pickles quietly accumulate time throughout the year — waiting for the moment they reach the dining table.

A heavy-snow mountain village nurturing a climate suited for pickle making

Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture (former Ogachi Town) — where Ogachino Kimuraya is based — is a heavy-snow region surrounded by mountains on four sides. Snow that piles up — in spring becomes a clear stream — moistening the mountains and fields — raising vegetables and wild plants rich in aroma and full of life force. The pickle culture developed as preserved food for surviving the long, harsh winter — and the rich natural environment — are the foundation of current Akita pickle making.

A long-established maker as the originator of firewood-smoked takuan "iburigakko"

In the era when home daikon iburi pickles decreased due to the spread of wood stoves — challenging mass production using the family-recipe iburi pickle as a clue — commercialized firewood-smoked takuan "iburigakko." Through vacuum packaging, heat sterilization, and improving smoking equipment — has grown it into a signature product also loved as a tourism souvenir. Now — through acquiring the "iburigakko" trademark and engagement as a GI-registered product — known nationwide as Akita's representative famous pickle.

Commitment to additive-free, and the materials' inherent flavor

Kimuraya's product making — based on ancient methods — starts from not impairing the pickles' original characteristics. Not using preservatives, synthetic colorings, antioxidants, synthetic sweeteners, or umami seasonings as much as possible — carefully pickling while committed to material season and freshness. While taking labor and time — accordingly — finishing into items where rice bran and wood aroma, and the simple flavor of daikon and wild plants themselves are felt.

Akita pickle lineup spreading around iburigakko

In addition to the signature iburigakko — broadly developing pickles unique to Akita's mountain village: iburi carrot, mountain burdock miso pickle, snow-cellar pickle, plum pickle, mountain udo pickle, and butterbur sprout pickle. Also actively proposing shapes and seasonings matched to eating method and scene — like commercial slices, furikake, and snack types — making it possible to enjoy "mountain-village flavor" at dining tables and restaurants nationwide.