Hakkato is a local specialty of the Shiozawa area of Minamiuonuma City. Its name and flavor come from hakka, the Japanese mint plant, which people have found soothing and refreshing since long ago. The history of hakka dates back to Japan's Warring States period (1467-1568). According to legend, the famous samurai leader Kenshin Uesugi dearly prized the hakka that the citizens presented to him as tribute. Later, in the Edo period (1603-1868), hakka leaves were cultivated and then crystalized in the snowy cold winter climate to be sold as medicine. The Shiozawa variety became famous among travelers on the ancient Mikuni highway for its high quality. Hakkato is a type of sweet made using this hakka. It is said that because this area's terrain forms a basin, summers can be very hot and humid and that once, when making hard candy, the heat and humidity caused the rock-hard candy crystals to revert to a soft, powdery, silky, sugar-like structure, thus producing the first Hakkato.

Aoki Hakkato is made with just four simple ingredients: sugar, water, syrup, and hakka crystals, but because factors such as the daily changes of the weather can have such an effect on the outcome, the craftsmen's experience and skill are also crucially important.

First, sugar, water, and syrup are boiled down to make candy which is placed on a cooling plate and folded by hand so it cools evenly. Once at the right temperature, hakka crystals are added and the process known as silk spinning begins. As the candy is pulled and spun, air is incorporated, giving it a sheen resembling silk. After being thoroughly machine-spun, it is further pulled by hand to ensure it has reached the perfect consistency. Next, the lump of candy is formed into several long thin rods and individual pieces are broken off one at a time by hand. The speed and precision the craftsmen are able to do this with is one of their unique skills. They can tell with their fingers how a particular batch has turned out. During the final step, called kaeshi or “returning,” the hard candy is placed in a wooden box and slowly, gradually, the temperature and humidity are increased again until the hard, crystal-like candy reverts to the soft, sugary texture that gives hakkato its signature melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. The kaeshi process can vary in length from three days in the spring and fall, to as long as a week in the winter.

The Hakkato-making tradition has been carried on in this region by capitalizing on its characteristically cold winters and hot, steamy summers. The shops in Shiozawa each prepare their own style of Hakkato; some are hard candy, while some have a powerful mint flavor. Aoki uses pure sugar to make Hakkato that's snow white with a silky sweetness and a mild minty flavor.

Through the years, hakka has been used as medicine and in beloved local delicacies. It's not hard to imagine travelers on the ancient Mikuni highway stopping in the flourishing small town that stood here to relieve their weariness while enjoying Shiozawa hakka. When visiting Minamiuonuma, why not try Hakkato and picture yourself travelling through the history of this region?