A Challenge to Harness Local Resources
Shiretoko Shibetsu Maruwa Foods is a food business born from Maruwa Shinwa Construction, a construction company based in Shibetsu Town, Hokkaido.
Located in the Kawakita area, about 10 minutes by car from downtown Shibetsu, Maruwa Shinwa Construction handles a wide range of projects, including new home construction, renovations, and public works.
Alongside its core business, the company launched Shiretoko Shibetsu Maruwa Foods as part of its Local Resource Development Division, under the theme of
“Developing and selling dried bonito-style flakes made from locally sourced chum salmon using the traditional Tebiyama (direct fire) method.”
This initiative has been officially recognized as a Local Resource Utilization Project by both the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Today, the company develops and produces a variety of food products utilizing local salmon, including flakes, soy sauce, and noodle soup base.
Shibetsu Town – The Sacred Land of Salmon
Shibetsu Town, where Shiretoko Shibetsu Maruwa Foods is located, lies along the central coast of the Nemuro Strait.
The area is known for its thriving fishing and dairy industries, with salmon being one of Japan’s most prominent catches.
Just offshore from Shibetsu, the waters of the Nemuro Strait are relatively shallow—less than 20 meters deep.
Strong coastal currents stir up nutrients from the seafloor, and rivers fed by the Shiretoko Mountain Range bring in additional minerals from the land. In winter, drift ice from the continent further enriches the sea, creating an exceptionally fertile environment for marine life.
Each autumn, salmon return to the rivers that flow into the Nemuro Strait, repeating their natural migration.
Since the Edo period, Shibetsu salmon have been widely recognized as a premium product, known for their rich flavor—so much so that they were once offered as tribute to the shogun.
Salmon lie at the heart of the rich marine resources the Nemuro Strait provides. For over 10,000 years, salmon have been an essential part of Shibetsu’s food culture, supporting daily life and local traditions.
Even today, it's said that most residents of Shibetsu can easily prepare an entire salmon themselves.
That’s how deeply salmon is woven into the culture, history, and daily life of the community.
Why is a Construction Company Making Salmon Flakes?
It all started with the activities of the "Beautiful Village Shibetsu Soba Production Research Group", which company president Mr. Tamura is actively involved in.
The group was formed with the idea that handmade soba noodles could help revitalize the community. Each year, people from different industries come together to cultivate, harvest, and make soba from scratch through trial and error.
During this process, they began to question whether they could improve their soba dipping sauce, which had been made using traditional bonito flakes.
That led to a new idea:
"Could we create flavorful flakes from local Shibetsu salmon instead?"
Through a fortunate connection with Yamaju Masuda Shoten Co., Ltd. in Yaizu, Shizuoka—a company skilled in the traditional Tebiyama (direct fire drying) method for making katsuobushi—they received training and guidance in the artisanal technique. This marked the birth of their own salmon flakes.
They repurposed an unused warehouse, building a Tebiyama-style drying furnace, a rapid drying chamber, and processing facilities. With this, the in-house production system for salmon flakes was complete, and full-scale sales were launched.
Tebiyama-Made Salmon Flakes: “Hana Fubuki”
Their flagship product, Hana Fubuki, is a premium salmon flake made using the Tebiyama method.
While most of the product is distributed to ramen and udon restaurants, hotels, and other foodservice businesses, growing demand from individual customers has led to the development of retail packaging.
They have also released dashi packs and gift packs for memorial occasions, both of which have been very well received.
Their products have been featured in various competitions, TV programs, and magazines, earning praise for their mild and refined umami flavor.
President Tamura saids
“We will continue to stay true to our local ingredients and traditional methods, and keep working steadily to deliver authentic, high-quality flavor.”
