🍱 Amagi-no-Kawatake

Kawatake (river mushroom) is a precious natural freshwater laver that can only be harvested from the Kogane River in Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture. It has long been treated as a luxury delicacy, and in the Edo period (1603-1867), it was a valuable item offered to the shogun. Its Japanese name is suizenzinori, and it has been eaten as a valuable natural food containing high quality carbohydrates, proteins, and minerals. However, over time, the deterioration of the river's water quality and the decrease in water volume have reduced the harvest, and kawatake are now listed as an endangered species. The Kogane River is a small river, about 2 km long, and the water is about knee-deep. It plays a valuable role as a playground for local children and a place to learn about the environment. Protecting Kawatake means protecting the nature of the Kogane River, and the local government, prefectural government, and local residents are engaged in river conservation activities.