Located about 2.5km north of JR Gifu Station, near Gifu Castle, in an area that once thrived as a free market, is Yamamoto Sataro Shoten, an oil shop with a 150-year history. Renovated in 2023, the shop retains a sense of history while boasting a modern design, creating a welcoming atmosphere for everyone.

Yamamoto Sataro Shoten has supported the restaurants in the bustling Yanagase shopping district since the post-war period. Since 2012, they have been developing and selling "Daichi no Oyatsu" (Snacks of the Earth), using carefully selected ingredients as an oil supplier.

A 150-year-old oil shop collaborates with a Japanese confectionery craftsman to create new value.

Founded in 1876 (Meiji 9), Yamamoto Sataro Shoten began as a store selling industrial oils used to protect traditional Gifu Prefecture crafts such as Japanese umbrellas and paper lanterns from mold, insects, and water.

From the mid-Meiji era onward, the demand for industrial oils decreased with the spread of vinyl products, so the company switched to extracting edible oils. However, the oil extraction plant was destroyed during the war. As a result, after the war, the company expanded its sales channels as a wholesale oil distributor.

The current owner is Shinichiro Yamamoto, the fourth generation. Shinichiro inherited the shop at the young age of 23 after his predecessor's sudden death. "I worked hard to keep the shop running, learning from our customers," he recalls.

About 10 years after becoming the shop owner, I met Kimihide Machino, a Japanese confectioner affectionately known as "Matchin," when I wanted to create new value for my oil shop. We hit it off immediately as we were the same age, and together we started making "Daichi no Oyatsu," a snack based on the concept of "a snack that will be loved even 30 years from now."

"Snacks from the Earth" is a recipe of subtraction.

Daichi no Oyatsu (Snacks from the Earth) are all made using Ms. Machino's "subtractive" recipes, allowing you to enjoy the natural flavors of the ingredients. Therefore, only carefully selected ingredients are used. Ingredients are sourced from all over Japan, including Gifu Prefecture.

The first product created by "Daichi no Oyatsu" was "karinto" (a type of Japanese fried dough snack). The dough is made only from wheat grown in Gifu Prefecture, stone-ground whole wheat flour from Hokkaido, raw sugar from Kagoshima Prefecture, free-range fertilized eggs, and baking soda. This is then deep-fried to a crisp in domestically produced rice oil carefully selected by "Yamamoto Sataro Shoten."

Since then, the product line has gradually expanded, and currently, the store offers a wide variety of products, including "Sweet Potato Karinto," "Okara Karinto," "3 O'clock Biscuits," and "Tsubame Sable." The flour and oil used are varied for each snack, maximizing the natural sweetness and flavor of the ingredients.

"This will be my child's first biscuit"—a customer's comment led to the re-release of this product.

"Tomodachi Biscuits," which had been out of production and sales for a long time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, have recently made a comeback.

"Tomodachi Biscuits" use neither butter nor eggs. The ingredients are only wheat flour, raw sugar, wheat bran (outer layer), rice oil, and baking soda. Although confectionery manufacturers told them, "It's impossible to make biscuits without shortening," wagashi craftsman Machino persevered and continued his research, developing a recipe that made production a reality.

"Only Matchin can make this recipe," said Shinichiro.

The impetus for the re-release came from a comment made by a mother with a small child. "When will Tomodachi Biscuits be re-released? I've decided that Tomodachi Biscuits will be my child's first biscuits." Shinichiro says that hearing those words made him decide to re-release them.

Bringing smiles to everyone who picks it up.

Shinichiro explains his reason for being so particular about making snacks:

"Each encounter with our snacks is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We put our hearts into making 'Snacks from the Earth' so that everyone who picks them up can smile."

Just like a journey, each snack is a once-in-a-lifetime encounter. With the hope that these encounters will lead to wonderful connections, I arrange the snacks in the shop today.

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Yamamoto Sataro Shoten

電話：058-262-0432 
住所：岐阜県岐阜市松屋町17 
アクセス：バス停・伊奈波通りから徒歩3分/ JR岐阜駅、名鉄岐阜駅から車で8分 
HP： https://www.m-karintou.com/
SNS： https://www.instagram.com/yamamotosataroshoten/ 

*For details on opening hours and closing days, please check the link above.