MOBILE HONEY-MAKING TRADITION BEATS ODDS IN JAPAN

Since he was in kindergarten, Eita Nishitarumizu traveled Japan with his beekeeper parents as they sought out the country's most flavorful honey. Now 26, Eita, whose family runs the Nishitarumizu Bee Garden based in Minamikyushu, Kagoshima Prefecture, is the one his family relies on to traverse the Japanese archipelago from their home in the south to Bifuka, Hokkaido, in the north to produce the high-quality honey they sell.

Known as migratory beekeepers, their method became widespread in Japan after the Taisho period (1912-1926). But the number of beekeeper families has dwindled due to a graying populace and fewer plants that produce the all-important nectar, Takuya Kojima wrote for Kyodo news agency.

Called translocation beekeeping, the method involves hives being set up in various parts of the country during specific seasons of the year, allowing the resident bees to venture into the countryside to collect pollen and forage nectar from targeted species of plant from which they produce high-grade honey. The system provides a stress-free life for the bees, allowing them to do their job as well as they can, and it gives the migratory beekeepers, who pack up their hives at the end of the bloom and move on to the next place, a product superior to most others.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, there were 4,270 applications from migratory beekeepers wanting to traverse Japan's prefectures in 1985, but that number dropped to 2,477 in 2018, revealing the shortage of carriers. The area of nectar-producing plants also fell by more than two-thirds from approximately 370,000 hectares in 1985 to 120,000 in 2018. Even so, Eita believes there is a lot of uncharted territory for those who allow themselves to be caught in the migratory beekeeper honey trap. "There is a strong image of beekeepers falling under the three 'D' jobs -- demanding, dirty and dangerous -- but I want to appeal especially to the younger generations using social media as a tool. It would be great to have more colleagues who understand how fascinating it can be to work with honeybees."

The Financial District would like to learn more from its audience. Can you please give us feedback on this article you just read. Click Here to participate in our online survey.