The seas of Boso come alive with the vibrant blue, increasingly transparent waters and the brown hijiki seaweed that appears on the rocky shores during low tide.
Hijiki has been consumed since the Jomon period and is a familiar seaweed to the Japanese, even mentioned in the "Engishiki" from the Heian period. The hijiki nurtured by the warm climate of the Boso Peninsula and the nutrient-rich Kuroshio Current grows thick, long, and robust. Every year, the spring tide in March marks the harvest season for new hijiki, and local people carefully hand-harvest it. The harvested hijiki is transported by boat to the port and immediately steamed and boiled in factories. (This traditional method results in a fragrant aroma, a soft texture, and a rich umami flavor.)