Fukuoka company tackles abandoned bamboo with record menma produce

Fukuoka-based Takejiro has completed the primary processing of 125 tonnes of salted domestic menma, harvesting approximately 60,000 young bamboo shoots from abandoned forests in Itoshima City and surrounding areas. They have turned overgrown bamboo forests into regional food resources.

Bamboo can grow over one metre per day. This means that abandoned bamboo forests  quickly encroach on surrounding woodlands. This is an environmental challenge since it leads to a loss of biodiversity and increases the risk of landslides due to the shallow root systems of bamboo compared to native trees. Takejiro harvests young shoots before they mature, thus preventing the problems before they appear.

Takejiro also addresses Japan’s heavy reliance on imports for the popular fermented condiment. Currently, over 99% of menma consumed in Japan is imported. The company aims to shift this balance by establishing a large-scale domestic supply chain. Between 21 April and 11 May, the company mobilised roughly 500 participants, including local residents, students, and government officials, to harvest and process the bamboo. The project currently manages 240 hectares of bamboo forest.

The company refers to this system as the Itoshima Model. It focuses on turning forest maintenance from a public cost into a self-sustaining industry. Takejiro already collaborates with producers in 35 prefectures across Japan to share technical expertise and operational knowledge.

“We do not want to simply cut down bamboo,” said Takahiro Koga, CEO of Takejiro Co., Ltd. “We want to connect it to the future as a valuable regional resource. By changing the current situation where most menma is imported, we are growing a new industry that balances environmental protection with regional economic revitalisation.”

Takejiro plans to expand its production capacity to 500 tonnes by 2027. The company also intends to strengthen its nationwide supply system and further promote the Itoshima Model to restore abandoned bamboo forests across Japan.