His hobbies include mountain climbing and climbing, so he moved from Tokyo to Minami-Alps.
Engaged in agriculture as a member of the regional revitalization cooperation team in 2015.
Encountered the world of beekeeping and became fascinated as he learned about the ecology and function of honeybees, and became independent as a female beekeeper in 2018.

At the foot of Mt. Kushigata, honeybees fly around freely near the hive where they are placed.What a peaceful landscape!
Naomi Umezawa, a woman who watches over such bees like her beloved child.
A female beekeeper and producer of the original brand "730 HONEY" (Namio Honey).

"The giant hornet is about to come out, so I have to surround it ...".

Bees are always in front of Mr. Umezawa's eyes, muttering so worriedly.
"Why beekeeper?"
All of the answers were filled with Mr. Umezawa's love for bees.

"Currently, beekeeping is mainly stationary, but I am transposing and moving the hive to beekeeping. Right now, there are bees working here and at Lake Kawaguchi," he smiles.
He said he was moving the hive from the idea that "there are flowers around the bees throughout the year, which is a happy environment for bees."
I really love honeybees, and I can feel the feelings I cherish.

Umezawa-san will become a beekeeper from the beginning!I didn't have a strong will, but originally worked for a company in Tokyo.
"My hobbies were mountain climbing and climbing, so I used to go to Yamanashi and Nagano every Friday night, so I pretended to be tired and working on Monday (laughs). It's full and sowa sowa. That's why I worked properly for three days on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (laughs). "

Mr. Umezawa, who was exhausted from such a life, decided to move. I left Tokyo in 2015 and moved to Minami-Alps as a member of the community building cooperation team.

"I felt really light (laughs). If I spend a lot of time on Saturdays and Sundays climbing mountains and then returning to Tokyo, I think I should live."

It was this light feeling that changed Mr. Umezawa's life by 180 degrees.

It is said that the mission of the regional revitalization cooperation corps support project in Minami-Alps was to engage in agriculture because it was under the jurisdiction of the Agricultural Administration Division and aimed at securing and revitalizing new farmers.
Among them, Mr. Umezawa experienced the cultivation of grapes for brewing and beekeeping.Both had fresh surprises and discoveries, but it was the job of a beekeeper that caught the heart of Mr. Umezawa.

"Anyway, the honeybees were interesting! When I was observing all day, the honeybees were really amazing. I was surprised at the ecology I didn't know. In the meantime, I witnessed the sense of crisis of the decrease in producers. I wanted more and more people to know about the scenery that spreads out in front of me. "

The decisive battle of Mr. Umezawa, who decided to live as a beekeeper, was dropped.
"If you do the same thing as beekeeping, you don't have to be me. Everyone has tools and fields. But I'm a woman, I'm alone, I'm immigrating, and everything is overwhelmingly disadvantageous (laughs) ). I thought that the beekeeping that I dare to do is meaningless unless I do something different and what other people do not do. "

Mr. Umezawa's pursuit of "a new form of agriculture".
It is to create an environment where bees can live happily.Mr. Umezawa believes that it is the beekeeper's mission to raise bees so that they can work to the maximum during the flowering season.

"When I try it, there are a lot of problems. It's really difficult," says Umezawa.

First, the problem of people.After all, bees sting, so it's hard to get a hive because they're scary. The second problem is bird and beast damage.Honey, which is a favorite of bears, may attract bears. The third is phytotoxicity.
Mr. Umezawa's ideal is to make organic honey that does not use pesticides around the birdhouse or acacia.

"Only beekeepers keep insects in nature. So in a sense, bees are an environmental indicator. Just because people don't count dragonflies and fireflies, there are more other insects. It should be gone. Not all pesticides are bad, but I think we have to strike a balance where insects and human life can coexist. "

In Japan, where there is a rainy season, it is quite difficult for farmers who are struggling every day to provide a stable supply of high-quality agricultural products.It is said to be particularly difficult only in areas with many fruit trees.

"In order for honeybees to survive, the cooperation of farmers and local people is essential. You can tell us the day to disinfect by getting along with your neighbors, or change to pesticides that have less effect on honeybees. Or ... It's sober, but it's built on that stack. "

Anyway, the work of bees is amazing!Its ecology is also amazing!
I want to make that great product as it is.
I want to convey the greatness to more people.
Mr. Umezawa's honey brand "730 HONEY" was born from such thoughts.
Instead of "Naomi", I named it "Namio" which was also a nickname.

"The only honey that bees can work hard to collect is a spoonful. Because it's such a precious honey, I didn't dare to modify it, and bottled it as natural as possible with simple filtration."
Umezawa's honey is all unheated and additive-free.
When unheated, the honey enzyme has antibacterial and antioxidant properties that are gentle on the body.

"Honey changes the composition of the nectar by the worker bees sucking and collecting the nectar of the flowers and secreting enzymes in the stomach called the honey stomach. Return this to the nest and hand it over to the" gatekeeper "honey bee. This time, the worker bees of the internal work group blow the wind with their wings to blow off the water, and finish the honey with a sugar content of 78% or more and a water content of 20% or less. I wait for this work of the bees without heating and concentrating. In other words, it's all handmade by bees !! "

The honey made by Mr. Umezawa has a great reputation for its natural, mellow and refreshing taste!
Honey containing the live enzymes of honeybees is a gem that only honeybees can make.That's why Mr. Umezawa says, "I think honey basically belongs to honeybees."

"In an era when honeybees die from overwork, but can you really feel happy when you eat the honey made by such honeybees?"

Because honey is their preserved food in preparation for the time when flowers disappear, honey filled with Mr. Umezawa's desire to decide not to take more than necessary and leave enough for them to eat is truly nutritious and happy. It's a taste.

Mr. Umezawa's beekeeping is to make people and the community happy by being close to the bees.

"It's such a nice place, so I want to do something interesting in collaboration with the community."

There are still many idle land in Kushigata Town, Minami Alps.
By planting flowers there, the flower field expands and becomes a source of honey for honeybees, and honey and flowers are used as processed products and become tourism resources.
A hybrid “future” filled with Mr. Umezawa's passion.It will spread its wings with the bees and fly high in the sky.