Jul 6, 2025
BY Amna Bibi
Ishii farm is a shining example in Japanese agriculture. Known for their imaginative approach to farming, Ishii farm embraces technology and tradition equally to produce high-quality and eco-friendly products, especially konjac. We had the chance to try their konjac gummies and they were surprisingly delicious! Let’s hear more about their story.
A breathtaking view of the Ishii Farm – Photo Credit: Ishii Farm
I’m Kunihiko Ishii, from Showa Village in Gunma Prefecture. Showa Village is a scenic
location that is affiliated with “The Most Beautiful Villages in Japan.” In such a place, we cultivate konjac potatoes and use them to create unique gummies that help clean your teeth.
A booklet page showing the history of the Ishii Farm – Photo Credit: Ishii Farm
I’m the fourth generation of konjac farmers. Konjac is internationally known as an unusual vegetable. We must dig up and replant them for three years in order to cultivate them. Once I took over the family business, I began to strongly feel that “it’s a shame to keep such a hard-earned vegetable only in Japan!”
Being a farmer in Japan, konjac potatoes could only be sold to domestic wholesalers. If we wished to introduce konjac abroad, we needed to become a manufacturer. Thus, we began our new project to become one. First, we started to produce konjac products for household consumption, while always having the idea of producing konjac gummies in mind. And here we are now, selling konjac gummies abroad too.
Vegan Konjac Gummies – Photo Credit: Ishii Farm
I began making these gummies after meeting some children in Peru.
The tribe that I met with doesn’t have the habit of brushing their teeth in their entire lives. I was very sad to learn that even though I gave them chocolate and other candies with only good intentions, they were still doing harm to their teeth. This astonishing encounter was a major paradigm shift in my life. I could not get this out of my head, and I was always thinking about how I could potentially make such candies that’d do no harm. Eventually, I came up with the idea that I might be able to make gummies with konjac, which we produce on our own farm.
Making gummies from konjak was not an easy feat. It took four years from prototype to final product, and twelve years from their actual conception. From our hope of children having safe food to eat, we do not include sugar. They are made from konjac, fruit juice, and erythritol, a sweetener that is naturally derived from corn that does not cause cavities. The ingredients are quite simple, aren’t they?
They are mostly available online. However, our products are also available at some physical stores such as Kagurazaka Vegetable Projects in Tokyo and Japan Department Store at Red Brick Warehouse in Yokohama.
Steps of making Konjac gummies – Photo Credit: Ishii Farm
It starts with soil preparation. All konjac potatoes, the raw material of our products, are grown on site at our own farm. We take as much care as possible to eliminate environmental impact during our cultivation and produce the best of the konjac for your loved konjac gummies.
The growing konjac plants – a pretty view – Photo Credit: Ishii Farm
While not always available, farm tours can be arranged. Please contact us to schedule a visit. You can experience planting in the spring and digging in the fall. In summer, there is nothing to experience because the fields are under management, but why not refresh yourself by cycling or driving in the Akagi Highland area instead? So please be our guests whenever you can, and we’ll try our best to make your experience memorable!
Konjac pork belly and Chinese cabbage roll finished off with okonomiyaki sauce – Photo Credit: Ishii Farm
With konjac, there are a variety of tasty foods you can make with it. Firstly, please try Ishii Konjak as sashimi. Then, I recommend a pan-fried version of it. It also tastes delicious when breaded and deep-fried as karaage. Our konjak goes well with vinegar, so I also recommend marinating it in balsamic. Please note that these recipes won’t work with all brands of konjak.
Delicious Konjac Fritters – Photo Credit: Ishii Farm
My wish to help children eat gummies without having cavities hasn’t changed. Instead of eating foods that cause cavities, I’d like to spread the new idea of consuming foods that keep your teeth clean. And so, I’ll always be looking to make my konjac gummies more tasty for the children so that they are loved more, rather than the traditional chocolates and candies.
Konjac making, Base 1 – Photo Credit: Ishii Farm
Konjac making, Base 2 – Photo Credit: Ishii Farm
Gunma Prefecture has wonderful outdoor activities and hot springs. For example: Gunma Safari Park, the Oze Highlands, Minakami Rafting, and Lake Shima. Our prefectural character, Gunma-chan, is quite cute too. We have one of the only four Häagen-Dazs factories in the world. Our soul foods include miso manju, Mizusawa udon, and more.
That said, if you are ever visiting Gunma prefecture, I highly recommend the restaurant “Fan x Dalcuore” in Takasaki.
Konjac is a plant unique to Asia. It is quite different when compared to the usual vegetables. That’s why I think you should try konjac, which can be transformed into a variety of dishes.
Additionally, Showa village in Gunma Prefecture is not a place you would normally visit on a trip to Japan. So why not take this chance to experience our local culture too while visiting us!
Follow Ishii Farm on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imo_konjac_/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IMOkonjac/
Blog Website: https://www.imo-konjac.com/
Featured Photo Credit: Ishii Farm
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