
Mr. Yamamoto Katsunosuke founded his namesake sansho company in 1880 in Kainan City, Wakayama Prefecture. Recognizing that the region’s hilly terrain was unsuitable for traditional farming, Yamamoto-san collaborated with local farmers to cultivate Budo sansho trees, which thrive on mountainsides. Since sansho trees prefer partial shade and don’t tolerate full sunlight, the steep, sloping landscape proved ideal. However, sansho farming is no easy task—trees have a short productive lifespan, yielding well for only about ten years before their output declines significantly. The combination of challenging terrain and the labor-intensive nature of the work makes sansho cultivation a true labor of love.
Sansho, the berry of the Japanese prickly ash tree and a close relative of Szechuan pepper, is celebrated for its bright citrus aroma and its distinctive cooling, numbing sensation on the tongue. Processing sansho is equally meticulous: the berries are first dried, then carefully separated from their stems and seeds. Only the dried outer husks are used, which are ground three times using progressively finer stones in a traditional stone mill to achieve their signature texture and flavor.