A special exhibition is being held at the Shimanto City Museum to raise awareness of the green laver harvested from the Shimanto River.
Natural green laver harvested from the Shimanto River is beloved for its rich flavor and is a regional specialty.
The exhibition features displays of comb-like fishing equipment used to scrape green laver from the riverbed, providing insight into the traditional green laver fishing method that dates back to the Meiji period.
The exhibition also clearly explains the differences between green laver and seaweed, which are often confused. For example, green laver is harvested primarily from wild plants and used to flavor dishes, while hitoegusa seaweed is cultivated in the river and eaten in tempura, affectionately known as seaweed in the region as aosanori.
The sharp decline in green laver harvests is believed to be due to rising water temperatures. For this reason, a fishery company in Shimanto City is embarking on a new initiative in 2024 to pump up cool underground seawater and cultivate green laver in land-based facilities, aiming to ensure a stable supply of this local specialty in the future.
(Tourist from Kanagawa)
"I'm from Kochi, so I was familiar with the word 'aosa' (sea lettuce). I always thought there was a difference between 'aosa' and 'aonori', but I had no idea how or why. I've since discovered they're completely different. I'm looking forward to seeing green laver continue to be cultivated (through land-based aquaculture)."
The special exhibition runs until November 11th at the Shimanto Local Museum in Nakamura, Shimanto City.
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