Oritori Ishigaki City Official Tourism Information Site
Yaeyama Kamaboko, a paste product made from white fish, has its own unique Yaeyama manufacturing and cooking methods and is a beloved specialty of Ishigaki Island. It is used in a variety of dishes in daily life, as a snack with beer or awamori, as a children's snack, or at celebrations, and is enjoyed by a wide range of people.
Founded in 1934, Kamiyaki Ko (Kamiyaki Guwa) is a shop specializing in Yaeyama kamaboko, a specialty product of Ishigaki Island, and has won the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award at the National Kamaboko Competition.
The first founder, Kamado-san, would walk around selling the fish her husband, Kamiju, a fisherman, caught from the sea in a basket on his head. In order to make the most of the leftover fish and not waste it, Kamado-san began making kamaboko through repeated trial and error.
At the time, many people who came to Ishigaki Island from Okinawa's main island and Miyakojima, including pioneers, were poor and suffered hardships. Kamado, who was generous and kind, would share his kamaboko (fish cakes) with hungry people.
"I will take payment from those who have money and give to those in need."
The people who came to the store back then, including the customers who were helped by Kamado in the past, have grown older, and the children have grown up, but they still come to the store to buy kamaboko.
Kamado raised eight children and chose his second daughter, Toshiko, as his successor. Toshiko had been helping out at the store since she was 10 years old, but Kamado never taught her how to make kamaboko. This was because Kamado believed she should "determine the taste on her own and learn how to make it." Toshiko learned how to make it while helping out, and relied on her own palate to inherit Kamado's flavor, which has now been passed down to her children.
Locally harvested sea lettuce (Aosa) is kneaded into the kamaboko dough.
Kamado's grandson, Toshiko's son, Fumihiro Oshiro, guided us around the factory. (Fumihiro is the manager of Kamiyaki Elementary School.)
Mornings at the kamaboko shop start early, with work starting at 2 a.m. By around 6 a.m. the kamaboko is ready and preparations begin for delivery.
The appeal of Ishigaki Island's kamaboko lies in the deep-frying method used. The umami and flavor of the white fish are tightly sealed in, resulting in a juicy and smooth texture. You can enjoy a different taste from steamed kamaboko.
Put the white fish paste into a blender and add the ingredients along with the seasonings and mix.
The minced fish paste is mixed with seasonings and ingredients in a blender, then divided into pieces that can be held in one hand, and the person in charge of frying tears them apart in their hands as they drop into the oil.
The kamaboko is torn into pieces and dropped into the oil, passes through the fryer about three times, and then is cooled slowly over time in a cooler.
Yaeyama soba can be considered the soul food of Ishigaki Island. The soup is made with pork bones and bonito flakes and is topped with kamaboko, pork, and chopped green onions. Yaeyama kamaboko, with its charming, simple, traditional flavor, is an essential topping for Yaeyama soba.
"The basis is to use ingredients from the island and create products that will continue to be loved by the people of the island, but at the same time, I would like to share the things that I have cultivated on this land for nearly 90 years with the whole of Japan and the world, and convey the good things about Ishigaki Island."
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Fumihiro Oshiro
Born April 25, 1965 in Ishigaki Island
I have been exposed to Yaeyama kamaboko since I was born.
After graduating from university in 1988, he started working at Kamiyaki Elementary School.
Expand your network and horizons through activities such as the Chamber of Commerce Youth Division and street association activities.
We always want to help our customers to smile.
» Kamiyaki Elementary School Website
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