About our natural, unheated, and pure local Japanese honey

• 1. First and foremost, the environment where the bees can thrive is essential.

  The biggest risk to bees around the world is pesticides. If eonicotinoid pesticides are used nearby, the entire bee colony will inevitably be wiped out. Even pesticides and disinfectants labeled as 'harmless to bees' are brought back to the hive, where the bees slowly accumulate in the beeswax over time.

  We believe that personal health begins with food safety, and that such safety cannot exist in an environment where honeybees cannot survive. This is why, through BeeCamp’s activities, we strive to share this truth with as many people as possible.

  BeeCamp Hachimitsu is located in an environment as close to organic as possible, much like Izumi Natural Farm, which practices natural farming, allowing the bees to thrive.

  

• 2. Managing bee health is also crucial.

  Another serious problem currently facing Western honeybees worldwide is the Varroa mite.
  This parasite transmits various diseases to bees, and countermeasures are essential. Without intervention, even healthy colonies can decline rapidly.
  Moreover, whether a professional beekeeper or a hobbyist, neglecting treatment can spread the infestation to surrounding colonies, causing significant damage.
  In fact, this is believed to be the cause of the large-scale honeybee die-offs in the United States in 2025, which escalated into a food security issue.

  At BeeCamp, we make sure to take effective measures mainly before the spring nectar flow begins, and again from after the summer honey harvest through the early winter.

  

• 3. Feeding is essential, but we feed only the bees.

  We feed the bees sugar water or pollen patties before the spring flowers start to bloom, and during times when flowers are scarce, such as in midsummer or late autumn.
  However, during the period when the bees are storing honey for us to enjoy, we remove all supplemental feed to ensure that no sugar or other additives mix into the honey.

  This is part of our commitment to producing pure honey.

  If this management is neglected, the bees will break down the sucrose from the feed into glucose and fructose, then mix it into the honey and store it.
  Sugar contains none of the natural compounds or pollen found in floral nectar, and therefore offers neither the authentic flavor nor the health benefits of true honey.

  

• 4. We only take matured honey.

  When honey has matured, the bees seal it with fresh beeswax to store it for the future.
  We only harvest honey when more than 75% of the comb is capped and the moisture content has matured to around 18%.
  With this method, we can only harvest a few times a year, but the result is truly delicious honey.

  In Japan, honey sold on the market must have a moisture content of 20% or less, which is the same as the international CODEX standard. In the United States, USDA Grade A and B honey must have a moisture content of 18.6% or less.

  These standards exist because honey with more than 20% moisture may begin to ferment naturally over time—eventually turning into mead.

  

• 5. To ensure pure harvesting, we use a queen excluder.

  We use dedicated honey supers—special boxes for storing honey—and place a board called a “queen excluder” beneath them to prevent the queen bee from entering the supers and laying eggs there.
  This ensures that no bee larvae or other contaminants accidentally mix into the honey during extraction.
  While there is also fully ripened honey in the brood frames where the queen resides, we leave that for the bees themselves.
  As a result, the amount of honey we can harvest is smaller, but what we deliver is pure honey you can enjoy with complete peace of mind.

  

• 6. We only harvest honey twice a year.

  We harvest the precious honey, that bees have diligently produced, only twice a year: spring honey (including cherry blossoms and Iyokan citrus Neroli) and summer honey (with a variety of flowers). The remaining honey is left for the bees for over-wintering.

  Our honey harvesting takes place in clean indoor spaces at popular restaurants in Matsuyama City, with only a limited number of trusted team members involved. After harvesting, we bottle the fresh honey as quickly as possible. The jars are sterilized at a certified shared kitchen in the city and carefully filled one by one.

  

• 7. Almost unfiltered.

  By using a finer filter mesh to increase clarity, we can produce very clear and highly transparent honey; however, this process removes the pollen contained in the honey. Our honey retains its natural pollen, which is said to help alleviate hay fever symptoms when consumed locally.

  

• 8. No heat treatment.

  Many commercially available honeys undergo heat treatment. Since honey can be difficult to work with when it’s crystallized and at room temperature, it is typically heated to around 60°C to make it fluid before being bottled. However, this process destroys valuable nutrients such as gluconic acid and oligosaccharides, which help promote beneficial gut bacteria and boost immunity, as well as enzymes and antioxidants that are beneficial for health. Additionally, heating can diminish flavor and introduce a harsh aftertaste. Our honey is unheated and is quickly bottled one jar at a time right after harvesting.

  

• 9. Japanese, completely additive-free and pure.

  More than 95% of the honey sold in Japan is imported. Some imported honeys are diluted with additives such as glucose syrup to increase volume.

  Our honey contains no additives whatsoever—it is completely pure, all-natural Japanese honey. For safe and delicious honey, we recommend purchasing directly from trusted beekeepers.

  We keep bees, bottle, and sell our honey ourselves in Matsuyama, Ehime, on the island of Shikoku.

  

• 10. Eco-friendly packaging.

  We use Ikazaki washi paper from Uchiko, Ehime, for our labels—each one handmade by a local artist and carefully applied with natural glue.
  The jar is topped with a reusable cloth cover that can double as a coaster, and tied with a hemp bracelet handmade by Maria (pair them up to make friendship bracelets!).
  For packaging, we use plain, chemical-ink-free cardboard made in Ehime from 100% recycled materials.
  Our jars are sturdy, high-quality Japanese glass with gently sloping shoulders that make it easy to scoop out every last drop. Returned empty jars are washed, sterilized, and reused. (Please recycle the lid yourself.)

  

• 11. Storage at Room Temperature

  Our honey is unheated and pure. Please store it indoors, avoiding direct sunlight. Honey is naturally a preserved food, so it has no expiration date, but it may crystallize and solidify over time. Even when crystallized, our honey turns into a silky, cream-like paste that’s perfect for spreading on toast. If this happens, you can return it to its original state by gently warming it in a water bath at bathwater temperature (around 40°C). Did you know? Honey does not crystallize in the freezer, but it will crystallize quickly if refrigerated.

  

• 12. Honey should be introduced after weaning.​​

  The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare advises against giving honey to infants under one year old. This is because, in infants who have not been weaned, their gut flora is not yet fully developed, which can allow Clostridium botulinum bacteria to multiply and produce toxins. (For adults, even if botulinum bacteria enter the body, they are outcompeted by other gut bacteria, so it doesn’t pose a problem. In addition to honey, foods that are preserved with simple processing, as well as homemade canned or jarred foods, can also contain botulinum bacteria.) Honey has such a gentle sweetness that adults may be tempted to give it to infants, which is why this warning is especially emphasized.