Preserving the Disappearing Home Taste of Northern Kyushu for the Future: Hand-Processing 7,500kg of White Melons. Preparation Begins for 'Uri Asazuke', a Product with a 4-Month Waiting List, Offered to Meiji Jingu Shrine for Over 20 Years.

Nara-zuke Salon Abe Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chikujo Town, Fukuoka Prefecture; President: Katsunori Abe) will begin preparing its seasonal product 'Uri Asazuke' from June 16, 2026.

Uri Asazuke is a traditional pickled vegetable that was once commonly made in households across northern Kyushu. In recent years, opportunities to make it at home have decreased, and it is becoming a lost regional food culture. Our company has preserved this flavor since its founding in 1986 and has been offering it to Meiji Jingu Shrine for over 20 years since 1999.

Uri Asazuke, the origin of our store, is a popular product that receives orders even before production begins. This year, orders started coming in from May. This year, we will use approximately 7,500kg of white melons from contracted farms in Tokushima Prefecture and approximately 4,800kg of sake lees. After a 3-month aging period, we plan to start shipping sequentially from September.

This preparation work is only done once a year, from mid-June to mid-July, offering a valuable opportunity to cover and photograph the traditional Uri Asazuke making process.

[Preparation Overview for This Year]
- Total preparation amount: White melons approx. 7,500kg
- Sake lees used: approx. 4,800kg
- Preparation period: Mid-June to July 2026
- Daily preparation amount: approx. 1 ton
- Shipping start: Scheduled for mid-September 2026
- Offering to Meiji Jingu: Continuing for over 20 years since 1999

[Schedule]
1. Pre-treatment & Salting
① June 16 (Tue) 9:00-14:00
② June 19 (Fri) 9:00-14:00
③ June 22 (Mon) 9:00-14:00
④ June 25 (Thu) 9:00-14:00
⑤ June 28 (Sun) 9:00-14:00
⑥ July 1 (Wed) 9:00-14:00
⑦ July 4 (Sat) 9:00-14:00
⑧ July 7 (Tue) 9:00-14:00

2. Pickling in Sake Lees
① June 20 (Sat) 9:00-14:00
② June 23 (Tue) 9:00-14:00
③ June 26 (Fri) 9:00-14:00
④ June 29 (Mon) 9:00-14:00
⑤ July 2 (Thu) 9:00-14:00
⑥ July 5 (Sun) 9:00-14:00
⑦ July 8 (Wed) 9:00-14:00
⑧ July 11 (Sat) 9:00-14:00

3. Location
Nara-zuke Salon Abe Workshop, 1100-4 Oaza Higashihata, Chikujo-machi, Chikujo-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture

4. Inquiries & Applications
Nara-zuke Salon Abe Co., Ltd. (by phone or email)

Continuing to Preserve the Disappearing Home Taste of Northern Kyushu
Uri Asazuke is a seasonal pickled vegetable made by briefly pickling white melons in sake lees, offering a juicy texture and refreshing flavor. Until the Showa era, it was made in many homes in northern Kyushu, but due to changes in lifestyle, nuclear families, and an aging population, opportunities to prepare it at home have decreased. The number of businesses producing Uri Asazuke is also declining year by year, leaving few to carry on this regional food culture. Nara-zuke Salon Abe continues to manufacture it every year since its founding, driven by a desire to pass on this inherited food culture to the next generation.

The Product That Was the Origin of Nara-zuke Salon Abe
When Nara-zuke Salon Abe was founded in 1986, the first product it handled was 'Uri Asazuke'. With a shorter aging period than Nara-zuke, it allows the texture of freshly harvested white melons to shine, endearing it to many customers. It is still made today using the same method as at the time of founding.

All Preparation is Done by Hand
The white melons used come from contracted farms in Tokushima Prefecture, totaling approximately 7,500kg. During the preparation period, about 1 ton of white melons are processed per day, eventually using about 4,800kg of sake lees to finish the Uri Asazuke. All preparation is done by hand. It starts with seeding, followed by salting. Then it is pickled in sake lees, taking about 3 months to perfect the flavor.

About 4 Months from Order Start to Shipment
Sales of Uri Asazuke begin every September. In recent years, orders have been placed before sales start, and this year we began accepting reservations in May. For barrel-packed products (7,700 yen to 10,300 yen), the number of reservations from May to September typically reaches about 100. Annual sales volume is approximately 20,000 sheets.

Representative Comment
Katsunori Abe, President, Nara-zuke Salon Abe Co., Ltd.
'Uri Asazuke is the origin of our store and a summer taste beloved in homes across northern Kyushu. It was once made in every household, but that culture is gradually being lost. We believe our role is not just to make pickles, but to pass on the food culture rooted in this region to the next generation. This year again, we will carefully prepare each batch, delivering the seasonal flavor along with the region's culture.'

Company Overview
Nara-zuke Salon Abe
Our Nara-zuke brand concept is 'The Resonance of True Quality'. We use only domestically sourced ingredients and no additives, based on the meticulous work of each craftsman. Our flagship brand, Nara-zuke 'Kohaku-shin', is a product that maintains traditional methods while adapting to modern tastes, characterized by a lighter and cleaner flavor compared to conventional Nara-zuke.