About Osaka

“Tsumura Honten” in Matsubara city in Osaka prefecture runs an integrated operation which involves rearing ducks, meat dressing, processing, and sales of duck meat. It was established in the early Meiji era. It occupies a rare position of being the only specialty shop remaining in Kansai while duck rearing farms are being eliminated. The fifth owner Mr. Yoshihiko Tsumura says, “duck is written as ‘house duck’ in kanji, meaning breeding improvement of wild duck for domestication. Ducks have repeated crossbreeding for improvement.” It was his great-grandfather who applied the kanji for a crossbreed between wild duck and domestic duck, and made it public. Originally ducks would fly in order to change their habitat. So they developed strong antibodies and are resilient against diseases. “We don’t have to give them antibiotics as with chickens. Customers feel secure when they eat duck meat,” says Mr. Tsumura. He goes on to add “We feed them with chemical-free feed, and rear them by free-range farming in a well-ventilated environment. The traditional method is the best for rearing birds and providing safe meat after all.”