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Hikimi wasabi

Hikimi wasabi is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Hikimi wasabi rather than just read about it. In short: Hikimi Wasabi (匹見ワサビ) is a variety of wasabi cultivated in Hikimi Town (now part of Masuda City), Shimane Prefecture, Japan. Wasabi cultivation in Hikimi began in 1818 and by the early Shōwa era (1926–1989) reached an annual production of 300 metric tons (330.7 US tons).

Hikimi wasabi — main illustration
Hikimi wasabi — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Hikimi wasabi belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Hikimi wasabi to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Hikimi wasabi from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Hikimi Wasabi (匹見ワサビ) is a variety of wasabi cultivated in Hikimi Town (now part of Masuda City), Shimane Prefecture, Japan.

Wasabi cultivation in Hikimi began in 1818 and by the early Shōwa era (1926–1989) reached an annual production of 300 metric tons (330.7 US tons). Of the wasabi from Shimane, 90% came from the town of Hikimi At the time, Shimane Prefecture was one of the top producers of wasabi in Japan. The two top areas of wasabi production were Shizuoka Prefecture in the East and Shimane Prefecture in the West. Hikimi's wasabi production declined due to numerous factors, including two large floods since the 1970s, recent generations of farming families choosing different careers, and global warming. In recent years, new residents of Hikimi have been attempting to revive the production of Hikimi wasabi. In 2013, Shimane Prefecture produced 74.5 metric tons of wasabi (70.2 metric tons were soil-grown wasabi, 4.3 metric tons were water-grown wasabi). That is fifth most in Japan, but far behind the top three prefectures: Shizuoka (867.6 metric tons), Nagano (604.7 metric tons), and Iwate (432.7 metric tons). Shimane Prefecture is known for its Hikimi wasabi. Due to this small amount, Hikimi wasabi is now considered to be fairly rare.

Climate Japan, except for the Hokkaido region, is in the subtropical high-pressure belt, a unique area in the world rich in water despite being located at a latitude which often is desert. When winter comes, rainfall often turns into snowfall, and the Japan Sea side of the main island Honshū has one of the highest amounts of snow at that latitude or lower in the world. Hikimi is located in the southwestern tip of this heavy snow fall area in Japan. Snow acts as insulation to help protect wasabi from frost during the winter. Snow also functions as a natural dam, keeping water plentiful, which is good for growing wasabi. Hikimi is also humid and, being in the mountains, has fewer daylight hours throughout the year. A species native to Japan, wasabi was originally distributed mainly around the Japan Sea side of Honshū. It grows much better in areas with high humidity and short daylight hours than in areas with strong sunlight and high temperatures. With all these favorable factors existing in Hikimi, wasabi grows naturally and has been used by the local people since before it was farmed In terms of climate, Hikimi is the best place for wasabi cultivation, but there are concerns about the future of wasabi production in Hikimi. It is said that the average global rise in temperature is 0.68 °C per 100 years (1.22 °F), but the temperature of Hikimi rose 1.1 °C (1.98 °F) in the past 100 years. This means that ideal conditions for wasabi cultivation rose 200 meters in that time, since temperatures decrease at a rate of 0.55 °C per 100 meters. In the past, top-quality wasabi could be harvested even in the lower areas. However, the water temperature gradually has been rising since World War II, and the warmer temperatures have resulted in more damage to the crops from insects. Some farmers are trying to avoid disease and pests by farming fields at higher elevations, but soon they will run out of land to move up to. Moreover, on the Japan Sea side, in recent years there have been torrential rainstorms at a scale never seen before. These large storms wash away wasabi plants and sometimes devastate entire farms.

Cultivation

Water-grown cultivation In Hikimi, water-grown wasabi is commonly grown on farms in the Keiryū style (渓流式, keiryū-shiki, "mountain–stream style"). The water comes from the Takatsu River system, which is one of the cleanest rivers in Japan. The Tatami-ishi style (畳石式 tatami-ishi-shiki, "paving-stone style") is the main style used in Shizuoka, and the Heichi style (平地式 heichi-shiki, "flatland style") in Nagano. These use spring water as a source and are usually constructed on a large scale using heavy machinery in easily accessible locations. On the other hand, Keiryū-style fields use water mainly from mountain streams. The fields are built on a small-scale by hand along mountain streams, making full use of the natural features of the landscape. To access the Keiryu Style fields, people need to be excellent mountain hikers, because the fields are located in difficult to access places

Water-grown wasabi traits

Slow growth Slow growth owes to Keiryū-style cultivation being exceedingly connected to the natural environment. The temperature of spring water (ground water) has little variation year-round. On the other hand, mountain stream water is always exposed to the elements, so the temperature is easily affected by the outside temperature. For that reason, the water temperature in Keiryū-style farming changes significantly according to the season. The water temperature range to grow wasabi is as narrow as 8 to 18.6 °C (the ideal temperature is 12 to 13 °C), and growth stops if it is higher or lower than that. Therefore, water-grown wasabi in Keiryū-style fields goes through periods of growth and rest similar to annual growth rings on trees.

Flavor and appearance The flavor and appearance of Hikimi wasabi are described as:

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Hikimi wasabi: Evaluation of the color and flavor of grated Hikimi wasabi. From left, Hikimi wasabi (Daijin species), Hikimi wasabi (native species) and wasabi from Shizuoka Prefecture (Mazuma species). Each is a three-year-old root. Residents of the Kantō region (in eastern Japan) prefer deep green wasabi; whereas residents of the Kansai region (in western Japan) prefer light green or yellow wasabi.[1]
Evaluation of the color and flavor of grated Hikimi wasabi. From left, Hikimi wasabi (Daijin species), Hikimi wasabi (native species) and wasabi from Shizuoka Prefecture (Mazuma species). Each is a three-year-old root. Residents of the Kantō region (in eastern Japan) prefer deep green wasabi; whereas residents of the Kansai region (in western Japan) prefer light green or yellow wasabi.[1]
Hikimi wasabi: A replica of an old document, allegedly written by the feudal lord Mōri Terumoto (1553–1625). The document is preserved at Myōrinji temple in Yamaguchi Prefecture, and describes how Masuda Motonaga, the 20th feudal lord of the Masuda area, which included Hikimi, during the Edo period, entertained and impressed Mōri Terumoto with wasabi cuisine.[2]
A replica of an old document, allegedly written by the feudal lord Mōri Terumoto (1553–1625). The document is preserved at Myōrinji temple in Yamaguchi Prefecture, and describes how Masuda Motonaga, the 20th feudal lord of the Masuda area, which included Hikimi, during the Edo period, entertained and impressed Mōri Terumoto with wasabi cuisine.[2]
Hikimi wasabi: A replica of the Iwami Gaiki, which was compiled in 1820 by Nakagawa Akisuke, a scholar retained by a Hamada feudal lord. The original book is preserved at Mononobe Shrine, founded in the year 513, in Oda City, Shimane Prefecture. According to the description, wasabi was also called Yamaaoi, produced in the mountain area of Hikimi, and the book also refers to the pharmacological effects of wasabi.[3]
A replica of the Iwami Gaiki, which was compiled in 1820 by Nakagawa Akisuke, a scholar retained by a Hamada feudal lord. The original book is preserved at Mononobe Shrine, founded in the year 513, in Oda City, Shimane Prefecture. According to the description, wasabi was also called Yamaaoi, produced in the mountain area of Hikimi, and the book also refers to the pharmacological effects of wasabi.[3]
Hikimi wasabi illustration
Hikimi wasabi illustration

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hikimi wasabi

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hikimi wasabi claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hikimi wasabi before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hikimi wasabi ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hikimi wasabi

In research
Hikimi wasabi appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Hikimi wasabi in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Hikimi wasabi is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Eutrema, Japanese condiments, Japanese cuisine terms, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Hikimi wasabi outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Hikimi wasabi in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Hikimi wasabi means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Hikimi wasabi out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hikimi wasabi in simple terms?

Hikimi Wasabi (匹見ワサビ) is a variety of wasabi cultivated in Hikimi Town (now part of Masuda City), Shimane Prefecture, Japan. Wasabi cultivation in Hikimi began in 1818 and by the early Shōwa era (1926–1989) reached an annual production of 300 metric tons (330.7 US tons).

Why does Hikimi wasabi matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hikimi wasabi?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hikimi wasabi.

Tags

  • Eutrema
  • Japanese condiments
  • Japanese cuisine terms
  • Plant breeding

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