Kazuya Yoshino of Otsuchi Gourmet News

Kazuya Yoshino
Editor of Otsuchi Gourmet News
Aramaki （NPO）

Originally from Kamagaya, Chiba. When the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami occurred, Yoshino was working at a website design company in Tokyo. He learned what happened in the disaster area by reading blog posts. In April 2011, he volunteered in Rikuzentakata and met many people. After returning home, he decided to get more involved and moved to Otsuchi in May that year. Since October 2016 he has been working on “Otsuchi Gourmet News”, a magazine that comes with food.

A magazine connecting producers and consumers

“Otsuchi Gourmet News” is a quarterly magazine packaged together with food items. Subscribers are sent local foods like scallops and oysters, as well as a written description of their producers.

Mr. Yoshino puts a lot of effort into promoting local food. “Otsuchi people like to say there’s nothing special in this town, but that’s not true. Sanriku’s seafood has a really good reputation in Tokyo and other prefectures. People should be proud of it,” he said. The goal of his hard work is to get people to think, “I didn’t realize my town was this wonderful!”

Mr. Yoshino spoke about the importance of building a bridge between producers and consumers. “Showcasing the producers is reassuring for consumers. It’s a chance for people to learn about the ingredients, and rethink their opinions toward food,” he said.

Think of Otsuchi as your home

Mr. Yoshino also spoke with enthusiasm about educating people, to help preserve the city’s beautiful environment for the next generation.

“Lots of people visited after the disaster, but 6 years on we’ve become quite isolated. I hope “Gourmet News” can help renew that connection, so people can think of Otsuchi as another place to call home,” he said.