[Niigata / Uonuma] Local venture Mybase develops near-zero food-mileage Uonuma specialty by partnering with welfare services!

Kuromoji Tea: Online shop available here

Background of the birth of "Uonuma Herb Totonoi Tea"

— Why did Mybase, which aims to revitalize the community by supporting moms, begin developing a Uonuma specialty product?

"I believe the most effective way to make people know and remember a place is through food."

Those words come from Misato Hisada (commonly called Misato), CEO of Mybase, a company operating under the concept of "supporting moms to revitalize the region."

Mybase CEO Misato helping with processing work at a welfare facility

Uonuma City is one of Japan's major heavy-snow regions, yet it offers abundant natural environment and a warm community, making it a comfortable place to raise children. However, no matter how attractive a region is, if people don't know about it, they won't visit and it won't stay in their memories.

View of the Echigo mountains from "Koide Bridge"

— Seeking a new brand beyond rice and sake

"Uonuma is truly a great place for raising children. But unless people learn about it, that quality can't be utilized. Even if someone learns about it once, if there's no ongoing opportunity to interact with the region, the memory will fade. For sustainable development, it's important to keep the name 'Uonuma' present in people's memories."

With that sentiment, Misato continued searching for a new Uonuma brand that could follow the region's image of rice and sake.

"Delicious things make you want to eat them again — that's a natural human feeling. That's why I wanted to find something produced in Uonuma that people would think 'this is delicious.'"

What she encountered was kuromoji, a Japanese native herb that grows wild in the mountains of Uonuma.

Kuromoji has a refreshing, refined fragrance and has long been cherished. Recently it has gained attention for its potential relaxing effects via scent, and this appeal became the trigger for developing "Uonuma Herb Totonoi Tea."

— The staffing challenge faced by a one-person local venture

Although they found the material they wanted to commercialize, the next barrier was the reality of a staffing shortage.

As a newly established local venture, Mybase did not have the recruiting power or the capacity to employ people like a large company.

"The thing we want to deliver is right in front of us. But we lack the manpower to turn it into a 'product.' I desperately thought about how we could do this with the current Mybase."

At that time they were introduced to a multi-functional facility in Uonuma City called "Nanairo."

Exterior of multi-functional facility "Nanairo"

A new regional model born from welfare collaboration

Misato immediately visited "Nanairo" and listened to their story.

"Nanairo," which provides Type B continuous employment support, mainly focused on outdoor tasks such as agricultural work due to regional characteristics. On the other hand, the cutting and processing of tea leaves needed for producing "Uonuma Herb Totonoi Tea" are tasks that can be done indoors.

Because of this, "Nanairo" readily agreed to accept processing work. Thus, product creation in collaboration with a welfare facility began.

Mr. Hoshi, the person in charge at "Nanairo," says:

"Each of our users has strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, we select those who are good at a particular task to be responsible for it. Those assigned feel 'chosen' and take pride in working carefully."

Mr. Hoshi, person in charge at "Nanairo"

Today, a system has been realized where kuromoji harvested in Uonuma is processed in Uonuma and sold from Uonuma. "Uonuma Herb Totonoi Tea" was born as a new regional circulation model that simultaneously utilizes regional resources, links with welfare, and reduces environmental impact.

Discussion about the processing method of "Uonuma Herb Totonoi Tea" at the processing site

Three achievements realized by "near-zero food mileage"

The greatest feature of "Uonuma Herb Totonoi Tea" is that all steps—from harvesting raw materials to processing, productization, and sales—are completed within Uonuma City.

Even for typical foods or local souvenirs, production, processing, and sales sites are often separated. In contrast, "Uonuma Herb Totonoi Tea" harvests kuromoji in Uonuma, processes it at a welfare facility in the city, and sells it at Mybase, which has a base in the city's shopping street.

In other words, all processes until the product is completed are finished within Uonuma City.

This initiative simultaneously achieved the following three things:

1) Circulating value born in the region within the region

2) Creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities by partnering the processing step with a welfare facility

3) Reducing CO₂ emissions associated with transportation

"Uonuma Herb Totonoi Tea" lined up at the processing site

What we aim for is not merely selling tea. We want to create a system that leverages Uonuma's natural resources, involves local people, and enhances regional value.

"Uonuma Herb Totonoi Tea" was born as a new regional specialty that connects Uonuma's mountains and people and links environment, welfare, and the local economy.

Effects of "Uonuma Herb Totonoi Tea"

Generally, kuromoji tea is known for antiviral action, digestive regulation, and relief of chilliness. The background to commercialization also includes the personal experience of Mybase CEO Misato.

"After giving birth to my third child, I repeatedly suffered from cystitis, but when I started drinking kuromoji tea, the symptoms strangely disappeared. Also, every winter my cesarean scar would hurt, but after drinking kuromoji tea throughout one winter, the pain didn't appear — could this be the effect of kuromoji? If so, I must commercialize it!" — this is a personal impression.

Mothers raising children tend to put self-care on hold.

That is why "Uonuma Herb Totonoi Tea" carries the wish that people create time to 'align themselves' even amid busy daily life.

Leaves of kuromoji

Aiming for Mybase as a solution for mothers' concerns

Mybase operates under the concept of "supporting moms to revitalize the region."

Mothers raising children play many roles each day—work, housework, childcare—and the problems and challenges that arise are often difficult to solve alone.

Mybase values not only product sales but creating systems that enrich mothers' lives and spaces that foster connections with the community.

"Uonuma Herb Totonoi Tea" is one of those initiatives.

Utilizing Uonuma's natural resources and collaborating with welfare to circulate value within the region, they hope this product gives busy people even a small amount of time to care for themselves.

We will continue to take on projects that solve regional issues and bring smiles to mothers.

Mybase based in Uonuma Honmachi shopping street (1-28 Honmachi, Uonuma City, Niigata Prefecture)

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