2016 Volume 68 Issue 2 Pages 100-114
The nuts of the Japanese horse chestnut tree （Aesculus turbinata Blume） have long been a traditional ingredient of rice cakes in mountainous regions of Japan. This food culture associated with the horse chestnut gradually declined because of the changing social situation in mountainous areas. However, in recent years, due to commercialized production, they have become popular products at Roadside Stations, MLIT registered resting and touristic service stations, which are widely spread across the country. This study aims to document the commodification of this local resource on a national scale by focusing on the availability of horse chestnut rice cakes at those Roadside Stations across Japan. Telephone interviews with employees at 964 stations clarified that horse chestnut products, such as rice cakes, rice crackers and fried cookies were sold in about one-quarter stations. The fresh horse chestnut rice cakes were mainly made by individual producers and producer cooperatives. The other preserved products were mostly produced by private companies. We also found that the horse chestnuts for the products were either locally gathered or purchased from other regions through procurement networks.
