Make green peppers eco-friendly in Iwate prefecture in the middle of winter. Such an initiative began in Hachimantai City, Iwate Prefecture. The harvested "Hachimantai peppers" are on sale at some Lawson stores from March 1st.

This initiative was carried out by Hachimantai City, Lawson, and the Hachimantai Geothermal Utilization Project. Summer vegetable peppers are grown in a plastic greenhouse surrounded by snow. Hot water that uses the waste heat of geothermal power generation is used for heating. It is "clean energy" that does not use fossil fuels, and it costs about one-fifth as low as heavy oil.


In fact, the Matsukawa Geothermal Power Plant in Hachimantai was the first facility in Japan to be built for commercial use 50 years ago. Hachimantai has a long history of greenhouse cultivation using geothermal hot water. However, it is said that the number of facilities that are not used is increasing due to the shortage of producers and successors.

This house is a renovation of one of them. The hoses through which hot water flows are lined up in the house so that the outside air can be kept at 20 degrees or higher even below freezing. At the time of the interview, the temperature inside the house was 27 degrees and the humidity was 78%. It is about the same as the rainy season in Kanto. When I went inside with a winter coat, I was soaked in sweat just by walking.


In December 2015, the bell pepper seedlings planted in the three houses grew steadily and were successfully sold. However, the quantity is still small, so we will start selling at two Lawson stores in Hachimantai City. 20 bags will be delivered every Monday. If the yield increases in the future, it will be sold at each store in Iwate Prefecture and 100 Lawson stores (partly) in the Kanto area.


In the future, he wants to try crops other than bell peppers. Iwate prefecture in a heavy snowfall area. If vegetables can be grown ecologically even in winter, producers will be able to earn income throughout the year, and consumers will be able to purchase vegetables in a stable manner. This is an initiative that is worrisome about future developments.