2022/04/21

As a holy land of Karaage

When I used to live in Tokyo, almost everyone I met for the first time would say "You're from Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture? That's where the famous Karaage comes from, right?"

Nakatsu became famous for Karaage (fried chicken) in 2009 when "Nakatsu Karaage Moriyama" expanded to Tokyo and won multiple championships in Karaage Grand Prix, becoming the catalyst for a nationwide boom. The local shop owners and the town worked together to promote Nakatsu as the "Holy land of Karaage", which helped establish its popularity.

The locals have been eating Karaage like a snack since they were kids, and it's become something like soul food for the people of Nakatsu. It's common knowledge that they don't make Karaage at home, but rather buy it from a shop. Nowadays, there are about 50 Karaage specialty stores in the city.

By the way, the owner of "Nakatsu Karaage Moriyama" is my former classmate from elementary and junior high school. Recently, I visited his shop and reunited with him after about 40 years. I was a bit intimidated by his aura as he appeared before me with a bald head and gold-rimmed glasses, in stark contrast to the cheeky pretty boy he used to be. The walls of his shop are decorated with numerous photos of celebrities who have visited, and he has even appeared on TV a few times. I believe that it's thanks to his unique personality that stands out even among celebrities that "Nakatsu Karaage" has become a nationwide hit.

Nakatsu was dissed by Fukuzawa

Nakatsu City, the hometown of Yukichi Fukuzawa (1835-1901), a renowned reformer who played a pivotal role in modernizing Japan during the Meiji Restoration and founded Keio University, is not widely recognized for its connection to Fukuzawa. One possible reason for this is that, upon rereading his biography "Fukuo Jiden," I recently discovered that Fukuzawa himself spoke unfavorably of Nakatsu, which may have contributed to its negative reputation. According to Fukuzawa, the Nakatsu "clan system was an enemy of parents," and the town was a bastion of conservatism where he was at risk of being assassinated by anti-foreign factions within the clan. He left Nakatsu, kicking up sand with his hind legs, and made up his mind never to come back.

In reality, Yukichi valued his connection to Nakatsu. He opened a Dutch studies school at the Nakatsu Clan's Nakayashiki residence in Edo (now Akashicho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, near St. Luke's International Hospital and the birthplace of Keio University) and traveled to Nakatsu to write "A Message of Farewell to Nakatsu" which became the basis of bestselling book of "An Encouragement of Learning". At the end, he left the thought, "Who would not think of their hometown, and who would not pray for the happiness of old friends?" He also admitted many Nakatsu natives to the school and nurtured talented people who would later play an active role in Japan's modern business world.

Nevertheless, in "Fukuo Jiden," Nakatsu is depicted as a negative example, and as a result, the impression of old-fashioned Nakatsu has not been widely recognized in society. This is my interpretation of the reason why.

Fukuzawa Yukichi is a familiar figure to the people of Nakatsu. There is a "Fukuzawa Street" in Nakatsu, and the former "Fukuzawa Hall" was located where the "Fukuzawa Yukichi Former Residence and Memorial Museum" now stands, where city commemorative events and concerts were held. The old residence has been open to the public since old times, and I have also heard from my parents that Yukichi studied diligently in a small room. However, I did not know until much later that Yukichi had somewhat negative feelings towards Nakatsu.

It became famous for "Kanbei"

In recent years, not only Karaage and Fukuzawa, but also Nakatsu city has become famous. The protagonist of NHK's 2014 Taiga drama "Gunshi Kanbei" was Kuroda Josui. He was a military commander who was given the territory of 6 counties and 120,000 koku in Buzen as a reward for his contribution in the Kyushu pacification, and was considered the most feared by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Nakatsu is the place where Kanbei became a daimyo and built a castle facing the river mouth. Kanbei, who handed over the family estate to his son Nagamasa early on, lived in Nakatsu for 13 years until Nagamasa was given 520,000 koku and moved to Fukuoka after the Battle of Sekigahara.

Kanbei's nickname, Josui, is said to have been inspired by a place name in Nakatsu. He is a well-known military commander from the Sengoku period who had strong connections to the city. During the broadcast of the Taiga drama, many tourists reportedly visited Nakatsu in large buses to see its famous sights.

There is a temple in the castle town called Goganji, famous for its red walls. Nagamasa ambushed the former lord, Utsunomiya Shigefusa, who led a group of country samurai and rebels, and killed him inside Nakatsu Castle. The battle that wiped out Shigefusa's army took place at this temple. Legend has it that the white walls were stained bright red with blood during the battle, and despite attempts to cover the stains with paint, they would not disappear, leading to the walls being painted over with red paint. In his book "Kaido wo Yuku 34," renowned historical novelist Ryotaro Shiba referred to this red wall and wrote that the assassination of Utsunomiya was Kanbei's "lifelong stain," expressing his regret.

The Immortal Fukuzawa Project

This year, a project called "The Immortal Fukuzawa Project" has been launched in Nakatsu City, which is a collaborative effort between the local government and citizens to promote the connection between Fukuzawa and Nakatsu, and it has become a hot topic locally.

Although Fukuzawa's portrait on the 10,000 yen bill will be replaced by Shibusawa Eiichi in the first half of 2024, the project aims to spread the great achievements of Fukuzawa from Nakatsu for generations to come. In this context, a special exhibition entitled "The Splendid People of the Fukuzawa Family" has been held at the Nakatsu City History Museum.

The relationship between Nakatsu City and Keio University has been deepening, and the university appears to be cooperating with this project.

On February 3rd, I attended a lecture by Professor Takashi Hirano, Director of the Keio University Fukuzawa Research Center, held in Nakatsu. This day was the anniversary of Fukuzawa's death, and the mayor, chairman of the city council, and others hold a memorial service and a commemorative lecture every year on this day. As a side note, the Fukuzawa Yukichi Memorial National High School Debate Competition is held in Nakatsu every year, and last year marked the 60th competition.

Why don't you visit Nakatsu City?

Nakatsu City is located in the northeast part of Kyushu, on the border with Fukuoka prefecture across the Yamakuni River. It faces the Suo-nada of the Seto Inland Sea to the east and is located halfway between Kokura in Kitakyushu City and the famous hot springs in Beppu. It is about a 30-minute train ride from both locations. It is also about 1 hour and 20 minutes by express train from Hakata Station, and about 1 hour by car from Kitakyushu Airport and Oita Airport.

Although the transportation is not bad, the reality is that Nakatsu is still far from being a popular tourist destination, especially from Osaka and Tokyo regions. I am uncertain about the percentage of Keio University-related people who have visited Nakatsu.

Nakatsu City is a historic castle town with a charming old townscape, and it is also home to Komo Shrine, known as the ancestral shrine of Usa Shrine, where a beautiful ecosystem is carefully preserved. In addition, if you venture into the mountainous areas, you will come across Yabakei, a scenic spot named by Sanyo Rai, a renowned scholar during the late Edo period. This place was recognized as one of Japan's new three scenic spots a century ago and is famous for its stunning autumn foliage. It was also the setting of Kikuchi Kan's novel "Beyond the Pale of Vengeance," and many literary figures, including Soseki Natsume and Yasunari Kawabata, have visited the area. While I may be biased, I believe Nakatsu boasts plenty of natural and historical attractions for tourists to enjoy.

Conclusion:

One year ago in 2021, I returned to my hometown in Kyushu after almost 40 years. I now live in Fukuoka City. After graduating from university, I worked for a foreign financial institution and later ran a startup company before returning home.

Over the past year, I have visited more than 50 museums, landmarks, and historic sites in Kyushu and Okinawa. Through my travels, I have rediscovered the natural, historical, and cultural treasures of the region and shared my experiences in a travelogue. Moving forward, I aim to contribute to the local revitalization efforts in Nakatsu and Yabakei, particularly from a tourism perspective.

In a previous NHK historical program on Yukichi Fukuzawa, historian Michifumi Isoda quoted the proverb "Parental nagging and cold sake take effect later," and added that he would like to add "Fukuzawa's words" to it. Please visit Nakatsu and stop by the commemorative hall to hear Fukuzawa's teachings.

Finally, I would like to note that Nakatsu is not only famous for its Karaage, but also for its Hamo (pike conger eel) dishes.