Oyster shells unearthed from the so-called "oyster shell mounts" show that the people living
in the Hiroshima bay region have been eating natural oysters since the Jomon and Yayoi periods.
It remains obscure when the shift toward cultivation occurred, but during the Tenmon period
(1532 - 1554) the first law pertaining to oyster cultivation was devised in Aki region. During
the Kanei period (1624 - 1643) the Niho village Fuchizaki (present day Minami-ku of Niho)
Hirajiro Yoshiwaya developed new cultivation methods (Hibitate).
During the same period the Hibitate cultivation was also developed in Yano (present day
Aki-ward of Yano) and in Kusatsu (present day Nishi-ward of Kusatsu). These areas are said to
have been competing in the development of new technologies.
The Hibitate cultivation is limited to the high and low tide lines, but in 1926 a vertical
cultivation technique was also developed. This led to cultivation in the offing, which during
the Showa period developed into the mainstream method. After the war the use of the sea
limited during the war became possible and caused a shift from the stake to the raft style
cultivation and helped to spread the oyster growing throughout the Hiroshima bay area.
The recent appearance of "oyster ships" travelling up the rivers of Osaka is an attempt at
an expansion of the sales routes. Through all these areas Hiroshima has always flourished as
one of the few oyster growing regions.
Oyster dishes include pickled oysters, "Dote-Nabe", oysters fried in their shells and baked
oysters, all of which are representative culinary feasts of Hiroshima during the winter.
The recent progress in processing technologies led to the development of such new products
as oyster (rice) crakers.
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