Mint Industry in Kitami

Kitami is the largest producer area of mint. They grow Japanese mint in the area to produce mint oil and mint crystals. You can make varieties of menthol goods with them. The production system of mint oil and mint crystals in Kitami is very unique. Farmers there used to be supposed to steam Japanese mint grass by themselves at home. They could extract about 20g of mint oil from 1kg Japanese mint grass. Each farmer tries to extract as much mint oil as possible. Their effort not only developed their scientific attitudes, but also motivated their children to attain modern academic achievements. No wonder Kitami has thrived and survived as a city in such a remote area without much natural or tourism resources. Bottom-up human resources have been Kitami’s strong point. These days, local governments are busy trying to attract elite engineers and entrepreneurs, but they may move like hot money. Bottom-up development of human resources is the key to local sustainable development.