Komatsu Minami Elementary School

Tucked away in the Katsushika Ward, Komatsu Minami Elementary School isn’t just any school. It’s a testament to the enduring spirit of Edogawa’s komatsuna legacy. Komatsu Minami Elementary School stands as a quiet observer in a ward known for its agricultural heritage. Now, you might be wondering, what’s komatsuna? It’s Japanese mustard spinach, a leafy green that’s practically royalty in Edogawa. This area, now bustling with nearly 700,000 people, was once a patchwork of rice paddies and vegetable fields. Komatsuna, a hardy and quick-growing crop, became a staple, perfectly suited to the smaller farmlands that emerged as the city grew. Komatsu Minami Elementary School’s story is intertwined with this agricultural shift. The very name “komatsuna” echoes the area’s history. Legend has it that Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune, on a falconry trip to Nishi-komatsu-gawa village (now part of Edogawa Ward) in 1719, tasted a delicious soup featuring this unnamed leafy green. Impressed, he christened it “komatsuna” after the village. Imagine the shogun, enjoying a simple yet flavorful komatsuna soup, unaware of the legacy he was creating. This seemingly small act cemented komatsuna’s place in Edogawa’s identity. This legacy extends to Komatsu Minami Elementary School. While the school itself might not have specific ties to komatsuna cultivation, it exists within a community deeply shaped by it. The children who attend Komatsu Minami Elementary School are growing up in a ward that celebrates this humble vegetable, from udon and soba noodles to curry and even chiffon cake. They are surrounded by a community that has found a way to thrive through specializing in urban farming, much like the Ishikawa Noen farm, which has focused solely on komatsuna, harvesting it five to six times a year. Komatsu Minami Elementary, in its own way, carries on this tradition of resilience and community spirit. It represents the next generation growing up in the shadow of the komatsuna legacy, a symbol of Edogawa’s agricultural past and its vibrant present.