The mission of the Oishii Nippon Project is to promote delicious (Oishii) Japanese (Nippon) vegetables all over the world. It was created by Tokita Seed Company, one of the oldest seed companies in Japan. This project connects consumers, growers and Tokita Seed Co to deliver traditional and unique Japanese vegetables from seed to farm to table.
Our Oishii Nippon Project logo was thoughtfully designed with two elements of Japanese heritage in mind. Using ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’ as inspiration, we incorporated vegetables of our Washuko to represent harmony, seasonality and natural abundance. It highlights our ambition to share our Japanese Washoku with the world starting with our six seeds.
Washoku, or food of Japan, has a strong emphasis on seasonal ingredients, balanced natural flavors, culinary technique and aesthetic presentation. We showcase washoku with the many vegetable varieties incorporated into our wave logo. Japanese cuisine and its traditions have spread to all corners of the world, but the rich and unique varieties of vegetables that make Washoku what it is are lesser known. We hope to change that.
‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’ was a woodblock print created by Katsushika Hokusai between 1829-33. He was a gifted artist in ukiyo-e, a genre of Japanese art that flourished during the Edo period. Hokusai’s work is some of the most recognizable art of ukiyo-e and the ‘Great Wave off Kanagawa’ is arguably the most recognizable work of Japanese art. We honor ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’ through our design, with the hopes that one day the rich and unique varieties of Japanese vegetables will become just as widely recognized around the world.
