Get to Know Hamamatsu

Introducing the finest sweets using Hamamatsu’s specialty “Ungiimo”! Summer recommendation is “Unagiimo Mont Blanc Soft”

“Unagiimo” is a Hamamatsu-produced sweet potato that is grown using powdered fertilizer made from the remains of eel bones and heads left over from the processing of eels.

The aged “eel sweet potato” increases its sweetness by baking it, reaching a sugar content of about 40 degrees.

Sweets such as pudding, soft serve ice cream, and dorayaki that make use of the original ingredients are very popular. You can purchase the products at the Unagiimo Store stores in Hamamatsu Station, Hamanako Service Area, Togoshi Ginza Shopping District in Tokyo, and some products can be purchased by mail order.

▲Unagiimo Store Hamamatsu Station Store

▲Unagiimo Store Hamanako Service Area Store

This month’s recommended sweets will be introduced using “Unagiimo”🍦

Landscaping company x Hamamatsu specialty eel = “Unagiimo” is born!

Mr. Takuma Ito, who developed “Unagiimo”, is in charge of the recycling department that composts pruned branches at “Cosmo Green Niwayosho”, a landscaping company in Minami Ward, Hamamatsu City.

While selling compost, Mr. Ito realized that there were few people involved in agriculture and that there was a lot of abandoned farmland, and he thought, “Is there a system that can make agriculture profitable and continue farming?”

Why not utilize Hamamatsu’s specialty “eel” in agriculture? With this idea in mind, we started cultivating sweet potatoes by using eel residue, which would normally be thrown away, as powdered fertilizer.

Since then, we have succeeded in creating a brand of “Unagiimo” that emphasizes the uniqueness of Hamamatsu, and are now developing a business that covers everything from cultivation of fresh potatoes to the 6th industry of processed products.

In 2013, we established the Unagiimo Cooperative to create an environment where producers and processors can work with peace of mind. Mr. Ito continues to support Unagiimo as the chairman of the Unagi-imo cooperative.

The production scale of Unagiimo has expanded year by year, and currently about 230 tons of eel potatoes are produced annually in a field of about 10 hectares.

In addition to processed products, we also export raw potatoes to overseas countries such as Taiwan and Hong Kong, and are working to increase the number of fans of Hamamatsu brand sweet potatoes, Unagiimo overseas.

Why is "Unagiimo" so delicious?

Eel residue, which is usually thrown away, contains many ingredients necessary for sweet potato growth.

Among them, zinc and manganese contained in eel residue are ingredients that can be expected to give sweet potatoes a deep sweetness. Delicious sweet potatoes are grown through the synergistic effect of nutritious eel fertilizer and sandy soil suitable for sweet potato cultivation.

Furthermore, the sweetness of the harvested “Unagiimo” increases when they are stored in a special storage facility for more than two months. We manage our products according to our association’s own standards to ensure consistent quality, so we can deliver products with consistent taste.

“Unamo” PR ambassador for “Unagiimo”

Unagiimo’s character “Unamo” is so popular that he has a fan club!

It has a cute expression and is also used as a motif for souvenirs.

Unagiimo sweets ranking! !

5th place Golden Kiwami Potato

2017 [Fuji no Kuni New Product Selection] Gold Award Winner.

Sweet potatoes without additives. The “Goku” potato, which is made by slowly baking honey-filled sweet potatoes with butter, fresh cream, etc., has a stable taste and has had many fans since its release☆

4th place Unamochi

These are sweets with the motif of “Unamo”, the PR ambassador for “Unagiimo”. The chewy rice cake is filled with eel, potato and soy milk cream, giving it a cool and chewy texture. The cuteness that looks great on SNS can also be enjoyed with your own eyes.

3rd place: Unagiimo dorayaki

Dorayaki filled with sweet potato paste can be stored at room temperature, so it is also recommended as a souvenir. A delicious dish that makes use of eel and potato ingredients☆

2nd place: Unagiimo pudding

Rich sweet potato pudding with no additives.

Plenty of eel and sweet potatoes are carefully pasted by hand and mixed into the dough, giving the pudding a smooth texture that resembles a sweet potato. Gentle sweetness that makes you want to eat it every day ◎

1st place: Unagiimo Mont Blanc Soft

100% pure Unagiimo Mont Blanc is freshly squeezed on top of rich eel and potato soft serve ice cream!

The sweetness of eel and potato honey with a sugar content of over 40% intertwines with the rich soft serve ice cream to create an exquisite sweet. The taste has been upgraded by adding roasted sweet potato powder and Mongolian rock salt, which goes perfectly with the eel and potatoes, to finish the dish.

A message to our readers from Mr. Takuma Ito, Chairman of the Unagiimmo Cooperative Association

“Unagiimo” is working with the aim of increasing farmers’ income and revitalizing the region. If everyone enjoys the food and supports us, we will get closer to our goal. We appreciate your continued support, little by little.

This month’s recommended sweets are sweets made with the sweet and delicious Hamamatsu brand sweet potato “Unagiimo” 🍮 Some products are also available for purchase through mail order. Please check our website for more details! !

・Unagiimo Store Hamamatsu Station Store

May One West, 6-1 Sunayama-cho, Naka-ku, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture

Business hours: 8:00-21:00 (open all year round)

・Unagiimo Store in TOKYO

1-5-5 Toyomachi, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo

Business hours: 10:30-19:30 (occasionally closed on irregular holidays)

Access: Across from Togoshiginza Milk Shop

9 minutes from Togoshi Station on the Toei Asakusa Line

11 minutes walk from Togoshi Ginza Station on the Tokyu Ikegami Line

14 minutes walk from Osaki Station on the JR Yamanote Line

・Unagiimo Store Hamanako Service Area Store

Sakume, Mikkabicho, Kita Ward, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture