Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Table Olives
Nobumasa Arai: Making strides in the science of olives. “Creation through Reason, Arai Style”
Nobumasa Arai, President of Arai Olive Co. Ltd.

Every year presents a tough challenge, but I spare no effort to create the finest olives for the customers waiting for my olive oil.
Please enjoy this superb, distinctly Japanese olive oil, created through reason and long years of experience.
Nobumasa Arai, President of Arai Olive Co. Ltd.

Spicy Mission olives cultivated on Shōdo Island are pressed at an early stage of ripening, when they are rich in polyphenols and flavor.
The oil content of each olive is around 3%, less than a single drop of oil. Arai Olive produces about one third of the quantity of general manufacturers. Olives are usually pressed within 24 hours of being harvested, but Arai Olive presses its olives within six hours using a proprietary extraction process. We accept no flaws in the taste and flavor of our extra virgin olive oil and use only olives with the most pleasant fragrance, containing notes of herbs and grass. The international acidity* standard, which indicates quality and freshness, for extra virgin olive oil is 0.8% or lower. However, the acidity of extra virgin olive oil made at Arai Olive every year is below 0.1%. As acidity is something that can increase easily, it is rare to find olive oil with such a low level. *Acidity refers to isolated fatty acids that form when pressing the olives, and is an indicator of freshness and flavor.

Extra virgin olive oil, made in Kagawa

We spent 40 long years maximizing the power of the olive, beginning with cultivating the soil,
so each drop is exquisite and the product of uncompromising commitment at every stage of production.

What is extra virgin olive oil?

It should contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have superior taste and have aroma of fresh fruit and green leaves. It is like fresh juice from olives.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Table Olives

About Arai Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Spicy Mission olives are pressed at an early stage of ripening, when they are rich in polyphenols and flavor.

On SHODO Island at the Setonaikai, olive oil production is carefully executed using calculated skills and precision,starting with hand-picking the olives at the exact time for the perfect flavor and within six hours, the olives are then processed, therefore keeping the fruit at a low 0.09% acidity (0.19% peroxide).

With less acidity, and controlled quantity of olives in each bottle, the extracted virgin olive oil is infused with superior flavor and aroma that is unmatched.
This stringent care in production, which started in 2010, meant that I, Arai, process only a third of the quantity other companies are producing in the same time.

As proof of authenticity, every bottle of Arai Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a serial number printed on it.

The 10 strict principals guiding of
Arai Extra Virgin Olive Oil

01: Quality

The freshness and acidity are the most important. Within 6 hours of processing, hand-picked olives can reach 0.09% of acidity (0.19 of peroxide). The lower the acidity, the slower the deterioration of oil. Therefore our oil can maintain optimum quality for a longer period of time.

02: Flavor

The freshness and richness of Arai Extra Virgin Olive Oil gives many kinds of flavors. Since it is from the pure oil of the olive, Arai Extra Virgin Olive Oil is rich in polyphenols, which gives a balanced smooth taste, and a clean finish.

03: Aroma

The rich aroma can accompany all kinds of dishes enhancing the flavor.

04: Environment

The ground and the soil were very carefully prepared and the olive trees were grown with great care. I, myself as a creator of olives, do all the processing such as additional fertilization, picking the fruit, extracting the oil from the fruit and bottling. I also nurture the olive trees just as I would my own children in order to produce the high quality extra virgin oil.

05: Oil Extraction

Oil extraction is one of the most important quality decisions to be made. This process dictates 60 % of the quality such as the flavor and aroma. Arai Olive utilize an original method of oil extraction in our own factory to produce high quality oil.

06: Preservation

The gas we use to fill up the bottle is also very important. We use the safer and better quality special nitrogen gas, which had proven acidity of 0.1% in 2011 at the official measurement. (The oil was bottled in 2010 and judged in 2011)

07:Variety

From my 30 years of olive oil making experience, I chose the best conditions for my ground, creating the best balance of flavor and aroma. This is possible because of my knowledge of over 60 different varieties of olive trees.

08: Bottles

The light resistant bottles are chosen in order to keep the oil at its best quality of the oil and are conveniently sized and shaped.

09: Season of picking fruit

Unlike other similar companies, olives are picked early in the season (the end of Oct to the beginning of Nov) and although the amount of oil that is extracted tends to be very low (3-4%), when the olives are mostly green, it yields a more robust, “green’ flavored oil.

10: Price

Arai Olive has a unique method of production resulting in the finest extra virgin oil. By hand picking the olives, and managing our own oil extraction factory we produce the highest quality olive oil. Even if we can only produce a small market, we do it because we want our customers to know the real flavor and aroma of olive oil.

Nobumasa ARAI    - President of Arai Olive Co. Ltd.

Worked at SHODO Olive Park then;Established Arai Olive Co. Ltd. in 2010

Qualifications:
Catador (olive oil appraiser) licensed by the Andalusian Regional Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Spain
Certified Shōdoshima Olive Meister
Landscape Gardening Work Operation And Management Engineer (Class 2)
Agricultural Machinery Mechanic
Certified Agricultural Expert
Poisonous Materials Handling License (General)
Watercraft Class 2
Media:
Appear on TV, radio, magazines and newspapers as an olive master

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