Takkomachi proudly announces itself to the visitor as the home of garlic, with garlic-topped streetlights on the roads and garlic-inspired decorations on top of the post boxes. Garlic greets you at every turn, and the tantalizing of garlic in the senses.

Takkomachi traces its history as the home of garlic back to the 1960s, when the local farmers got together and decided to set up an industry that would enable them to remain at home during the snowbound winter months, when they are traditionally forced to relocate in search of casual work. The region had long been considered suitable only for livestock farming, due to the unproductive nature of its volcanic soil. The first step was to improve the soil with organic material. The next step was to select a single variety of garlic suited to the newly improved soil. It was decided to use Fukuchi White 6, a popular variety in the neighboring town of Fukuchimura (present-day Nanbucho).

In the initial stages, the bulk of the garlic produced in Takkomachi was sent no further than the adjacent prefectures. By 1975, however, the hard work of the Takkomachi producers was starting to pay dividends, with Takkomachi garlic evolving into a nationwide brand. Such was its reputation that at one stage it fetched the top market price for garlic at fruit and vegetable wholesaler Tokyo Seika.

Garlic grower Sei-ichi Tanuma describes the strict sorting and selection criteria, and the dedication and commitment needed in order to maintain the quality and consistency standards established by the pioneering farmers of the 1960s. “Why, if you took away the garlic industry there’d be nothing left of us!” exclaims Tanuma. One can see a united commitment to honoring the work of the previous generation for the benefit of the town as a whole. This is the spirit behind the success story of Takkomachi.