**Toshima camellia oil, an essential ingredient in all CHANT products.**
This time, we visited **Toshima, an isolated island in Tokyo** to see its birthplace.
It is one of the Izu Islands, with a population of only about 300 people.
Despite being a small island, it is **one of Japan's leading camellia producing regions**, having cultivated camellias for over 300 years.
Most of the islanders are camellia farmers, and **careful camellia cultivation, with a focus on organic and hand-picked methods**, is still practiced today.
"Camellia = Oshima" is well-known, but Toshima's camellia is 100% Japanese native yabu-tsubaki (wild camellia). It is cultivated organically and hand-picked, resulting in **very high quality**, making it a hidden gem for camellia lovers.
On this trip, guided by Mr. Kato of the Toshima Agricultural Cooperative, we gained a deep understanding of the camellia fields, island life, and the sentiments behind camellia oil.
🚢 How to get to Toshima and the island's "sense of distance"
There are three main ways to get to Toshima.
- Takeshiba Pier → Jet ferry to Toshima
- Takeshiba Pier → Oshima → Helicopter to Toshima (route with the lowest cancellation rate)
- Chofu Airport → Cessna plane to Toshima or Oshima
Toshima's pier is easily affected by weather, and there are days when jet ferries cannot dock.
Therefore, the "Oshima → helicopter" route is the most stable.
This time, we also went to Toshima using this route.
The island also has unique spots such as Japan's smallest 2-lane bowling alley and the island's only artificial beach.
Despite being a small island, it is full of charms that entertain visitors.
🌺 How camellia oil is born — Farmers' "true effort and time"
In Toshima, harvesting begins by waiting for the camellia fruits to ripen and fall naturally.
Instead of shaking the trees to drop them,
They wait for the moment they fall naturally, and hand-pick them one by one from the soft soil.
This method is a careful process essential for maintaining the quality of the camellia.
What surprised me was the sound. The camellia seeds, harvested in a full basket, made a high, beautiful rattling sound as they rubbed against each other with every movement.
When you crack open a camellia seed and look inside, you'll see a vibrant yellow color, proof of the abundant camellia oil it contains.
The harvested camellia fruits are transported by each farmer to the oil extraction plant, and the extracted camellia oil is purchased by the agricultural cooperative.
This system supports the stable quality of Toshima camellia oil.
💧 Camellias growing on an island without rivers — The "story of water" behind organic cultivation
The reason Toshima's camellias are grown **organically** is due to the island's unique "water situation."
Toshima has **no rivers**.
Therefore, there are no rice paddies, and rice cultivation is impossible.
The island's domestic water supply is provided by:
- Processing seawater
- Using water from reservoirs that collect rainwater
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