Today, April 1st, Broccoli Designated as a Staple Vegetable! Tottori Prefecture, Home to Japan's Only GI-Registered 'Daisen Broccoli,' Promotes Its Appeal

Today, April 1st, 2026, broccoli has been designated as a national staple vegetable. Tottori Prefecture is home to "Daisen Broccoli," the only broccoli in Japan registered under the Geographical Indication (GI) Protection System. To mark this milestone, Tottori Prefecture will widely promote the deliciousness and appeal of Daisen Broccoli both within and outside the prefecture through the release of a PR video, the development of special menus in Omotesando, Tokyo, and the promotion of a spot known as "Broccoli Shrine" in Nanbu Town, Tottori Prefecture.

Broccoli is a vegetable commonly enjoyed at dinner tables nationwide, and its designation as a staple vegetable reaffirms its importance. On this national occasion, Tottori Prefecture will leverage its strengths as a production area to promote the value of broccoli from Tottori, a food paradise.

*Staple vegetables are those designated by the government as important for national life due to their high consumption. By becoming a staple vegetable, the government provides supply and demand forecasts, promoting planned production and shipment in producing areas. Furthermore, there is a mechanism to support producers if prices fall significantly, which leads to stable production and, as a result, consumers can expect less price fluctuation and easier access to the product.

At the heart of this initiative is Daisen Broccoli. Daisen Broccoli is the only GI-registered broccoli in Japan, highly praised for its cultivation utilizing the black volcanic soil at the foot of Mt. Daisen, its rich flavor, strict quality control, and efforts to maintain freshness. Supported by the long-standing efforts of its producers, it has earned a high reputation as one of Tottori Prefecture's representative agricultural products.

In addition to its deliciousness, broccoli is also gaining attention as a vegetable that can be easily incorporated into daily meals amidst growing interest in healthy eating. Tottori Prefecture aims to promote Daisen Broccoli not merely as an agricultural product, but as a symbol of Tottori's nature, agriculture, producers' skills, and culinary richness.

As part of this PR campaign, a PR video highlighting the appeal of Daisen Broccoli will be released soon. The video will feature actress Yuno Nagao, who was appointed as a "One-Day Oshi-goto Navigator" for Shigeru Mizuki's birthday festival on March 8th, promoting the deliciousness and appeal of Daisen Broccoli in a friendly and fun way as her "oshi" (favorite). The goal is to make Daisen Broccoli feel more familiar to people of all generations.

Furthermore, "TRATTORIA Niwa" in Omotesando, Tokyo, plans to offer a special menu featuring Daisen Broccoli. This menu will be crafted by Chef Akira Watanabe, known as the "Evangelist of the Fields." By providing an opportunity for people in the Tokyo metropolitan area to actually taste the appeal of Tottori Prefecture's broccoli, the prefecture aims to widely convey the value of Tottori as a production area.

Additionally, Kyakujinja Shrine (Ohara Shrine) in Hara, Nanbu Town, Tottori Prefecture, is known as "Broccoli Shrine" and is attracting attention as a unique and impressive scenic spot. Beyond its deliciousness, the broccoli from Tottori Prefecture also boasts intriguing stories and landscapes that make you want to share them with others. Tottori Prefecture will promote the appeal of Daisen Broccoli from multiple perspectives, including such unique local topics.

On this milestone day of April 1st, Tottori Prefecture, as the producing region of Japan's only GI-registered "Daisen Broccoli," will once again convey its value and appeal nationwide. Tottori Prefecture will continue to widely communicate the charm of Tottori, a food paradise nurtured by its dedicated producers, through various angles such as food, tourism, and newsworthy topics.

Daisen Broccoli Broccoli produced in Daisen Town, Saihaku District, Tottori Prefecture, and its surrounding Daisen mountain foothills (Hiyoshi-zu Village, Nanbu Town, Hoki Town in Saihaku District; Nichinan Town, Hino Town, Kofu Town in Hino District; and Yonago City in Tottori Prefecture) is registered as Daisen Broccoli under the GI (Geographical Indication Protection System).

Daisen Broccoli, cultivated in the fertile black volcanic soil of the Daisen mountain foothills, is characterized by its strong sweetness and tenderness. Furthermore, by utilizing the geographical conditions of an annual average temperature of approximately 15°C and an average day-night temperature difference of approximately 8°C, a stable shipping system for 10 months, excluding summer, has been established.

The craftsmanship cultivated over 55 years of the production area's history, dating back to 1971, uncompromising quality control, and thorough efforts by the entire community have earned it high praise from consumers.

*What is GI (Geographical Indication Protection System)? The "Geographical Indication Protection System" is a system that protects the name of products that possess qualities, social reputation, and other characteristics nurtured by natural, human, and social factors unique to that region, as regional intellectual property. It is administered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and registered products are allowed to display the "GI Mark," with the government protecting their brand value by excluding imitations.

Broccoli is a Healthy Vegetable Low GI value and sugar content: Broccoli has a very low GI value of around 25 (according to food GI value lists, etc.) and extremely low sugar content of approximately 1.1g per 100g, making it a food that does not significantly raise post-meal blood sugar levels.

Rich in dietary fiber: It is rich in dietary fiber, which slows down sugar absorption and helps suppress the rise in post-meal blood sugar levels.

Insulin-supporting components: Specifically, a component called "sulforaphane" has been shown in studies to help improve blood sugar levels and insulin resistance in diabetic patients.

Recommended for "Veggie First": Eating it at the beginning of a meal can help suppress a rapid rise in blood sugar from subsequent meals.

*What is a food's GI value? The GI value (Glycemic Index) of food is an indicator that quantifies the speed at which blood sugar levels rise after eating. It is expressed as a relative value with glucose as 100; the lower the value, the more gently blood sugar rises, and the higher the value, the more rapidly it rises. Low GI foods (55 or less) are considered effective for diet, blood sugar control, and diabetes prevention.

Daisen Broccoli PR Video Release To commemorate broccoli's addition to the staple vegetable list, Tottori Prefecture has produced a "Daisen Broccoli PR Video" featuring Yuno Nagao, who was appointed as a "One-Day Oshi-goto Navigator" for Shigeru Mizuki's birthday festival on March 8th, as her "oshi" (favorite). The video will be released soon. The release date will be announced later.

Yuno Nagao Profile Date of Birth: October 15, 2016 (9 years old) Debut: 2018 (started activities at 1.5 years old) Debuted as a child actor in the drama "Cold Case 2 ~The Door to Truth~" (WOWOW) broadcast in 2018.

<Dramas> ◇ 2025 "Kidnapping Day" (TV Asahi) ◇ 2026 "Glass Ring and Band-Aid" (Hokkaido Television) and many others <CMs> SoftBank, Meiji, Koikeya, and many others <Movies> ◇ "Amelie and the Rain Story" to be released on March 20, 2026 ◇ "High School Family" to be released in autumn 2026 or later <Other> ◇ 2025 Shogakukan DIME Trend Award "Best Character Award" recipient

Daisen Broccoli's "Kutakuta Peperoncino" "TRATTORIA Niwa," an Italian restaurant in Omotesando, Tokyo, will offer a limited-time special menu item, "Kutakuta Daisen Broccoli Peperoncino," using Daisen Broccoli.

It features abundant Daisen Broccoli stewed until tender, combined with whitebait, and a peperoncino seasoned with garlic and chili peppers.

Restaurant: TRATTORIA Niwa, Italian Restaurant, Omotesando, Tokyo Address: Omotesando LAB 1F, 3-5-43 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo Chef: Akira Watanabe Known as the "Evangelist of the Fields," Chef Akira Watanabe is a big fan of Tottori and has deep knowledge of Tottori's food paradise ingredients, including not only vegetables but also Tottori Wagyu beef and fish. Born in Saitama Prefecture in 1965. His childhood dream was to become a chef. He trained at numerous restaurants and spent a long period in Italy. After returning to Japan, he served as the first head chef of the legendary restaurant "TABLEAUX" in Daikanyama, among other achievements.

*Restaurant interviews and chef media appearances are possible. Please contact the PR office.

Broccoli Shrine: Kyakujinja Shrine (Ohara Shrine) A shrine standing alone in the middle of rice fields. It is also commonly known as "Broccoli Shrine." Its appearance changes with the seasons, making it a hidden gem for photography all year round. This shrine is also said to bring good fortune for wart removal. It is believed that warts will fall off if you apply the morning dew collected on the leaves of the evergreen tree within the shrine grounds.

Address: Hara, Nanbu Town, Saihaku District, Tottori Prefecture

Locally Sourced and Consumed Curry using Daisen Broccoli, etc. Tottori Prefecture and Ezaki Glico, which produces Premium Juku Curry and other products at its Tottori Prefecture factory, are collaborating to develop a curry recipe. They are currently developing a "Tottori Prefecture Locally Sourced and Consumed Curry Recipe" that utilizes Glico's strength in reduced-salt curry roux and ingredients like Daisen Broccoli. The release date will be announced later.

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