Mirasaka Fromage

Mirasaka Fromage is a dairy farm in the hills to the east of Miyoshi’s urban area. Here, Matsubara Masanori grazes around sixty goats and cows on a mountainside where oak and chestnut trees grow above a grassy meadow. Throughout the year, the cattle eat whatever’s edible, whether it be grass, chestnuts, or bamboo shoots, and the flavour and consistency of their milk reflects their seasonal diet. This in turn affects the flavour of the cheese produced with it. The animals are protected from heat and cold by the trees, which also store water in their root system. Sometimes they come to graze close to the shop.

Masanori learned cattle husbandry in Australia and America, and his experiences in industrial farming in those countries led him to pursue a more natural, humanistic approach in Japan. He also studied cheesemaking in France and Italy, and he’s adapted the techniques he learned to the Japanese context, using herbs and other flavourings available in the countryside around.

This natural approach results in high quality dairy products, and Mirasaka’s goat’s cheese won a prize in France. At the farm shop you can buy milk, cheese, yoghurt, and ice cream.

Information

Name in Japanese: 三良坂フロマージュ
Pronunciation: mira-saka furo-mar-ju
Address: 1617-1 Mirasakacho Nika, Miyoshi, Hiroshima 729-4302