[About Aojiru]
There is an “Endo Aojiru Service Stand” near the Ginza Showroom. The freshly made kale aojiru (Japanese green juice) was chilled, rich, and had just the right amount of bitterness, leaving me feeling refreshed.
Aojiru was first created in Japan in 1943 (Showa 18) by Dr. Niro Endo, a medical doctor in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture. During the severe food shortages of wartime, Dr. Endo conceived the idea of utilizing green leaves and wild herbs such as radish leaves, sweet potato leaves, and taro leaves as food to compensate for nutritional deficiencies. These were dried and preserved as food, and later developed into a method of drinking the squeezed juice, which was named “aojiru.”
Initially, radish leaves were used, but further research was conducted to find more nutrient-rich ingredients, and in 1949 (Showa 24), kale was selected as the main ingredient for aojiru.
The Ginza Aojiru Service Stand has been in operation since 1962 (Showa 37) and is run based on the philosophy of Dr. Endo, the founder of aojiru.
"Aojiru is pure and natural. Those who drink it are drinking its essence, and this can lead them to reevaluate their diet and other lifestyle habits. ...Drinking aojiru naturally inspires the desire to consume other healthy foods as well."
According to Dr. Endo, aojiru is one method of consuming vegetables using kale, and it is essential to make it using safe ingredients free from pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Ideally, it should be made and consumed at home, but commercially available products from trusted sources are also acceptable, and it is recommended to consume as much as possible. At the same time, it is important to reduce meat, sugar, and white rice, and reevaluate one's diet to center on “potatoes, beans, nappa, and aojiru.” Additionally, it is ideal for people who have experienced it to naturally spread the word without relying on advertising, and Dr. Endo reportedly maintained a stance of not accepting compensation for activities related to aojiru.
After tasting authentic aojiru, I felt motivated to reevaluate my health.
Endo Aojiru Service Stand
https://www.endoaojiru.com/ginza.html
Ginza Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/ginza.html
References
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%9D%92%E6%B1%81
