月桃との出会いと今｜沖縄の作り手を訪ねて知った一滴の価値

Home > Manager Nonko's 3 minute video > I don't want to waste a single drop | The story of how I encountered the ginger lily | Final episode of the ginger lily series

List of blogs by category

I don't want to waste a single drop | The story of how I encountered the ginger lily | Final episode of the ginger lily series

September 17, 2026
Manager Nonko's 3 minute video, skin care class
Getto

Hello.

No foundation, Milobina, and Manager Nonko are always welcome.

Continuing from last time, I've been writing about the amazing herb I encountered, "Getto" (shell ginger), and I'm finally bringing you the 12th and final installment.

So, please stay with us until the end this time as well.

You never know what fate is.

I never imagined that I, a Tokyo native, would end up with such deep connections to Okinawa and Sri Lanka. You really never know what fate has in store.

In my private life, I'm more of an indoor person; I like to binge-watch dramas at home or spend time doing things that require a lot of time.

Despite all that, work has been the hook that has led me to fly to Okinawa alone, and to Sri Lanka without really knowing why, where I encountered sesame oil.

And I feel incredibly fortunate to have had so many happy and challenging experiences with the various people I've worked with there over the past 23 years.

In particular, my encounter with the ginger lily and Okinawa resonated deeply with my heart and soul.

The Getto series, which is deeply rooted within me, will undergo a major redesign this autumn, based on the concept that I have been exploring, rediscovering, and organizing over the past two years.

Trust and love embodied in the new design

When formulating the new concept, I wanted to make sure that the manufacturers' hard work and dedication, and above all, their confidence in and love for their own products, were fully incorporated.

I have visited Okinawan manufacturers several times before, but during my visit last year, the son of the former president, who had taken over the business, kindly gave me a detailed explanation of everything from cultivation to manufacturing.

Recently in Okinawa, the heat has been intense even in November, and on that day, the sun was beating down with fierce intensity.

I witnessed the process of harvesting the ginger lilies grown on their own farm by hand, cutting and drying them, and then carefully distilling them over a long period of time.

Also, of course, there's no air conditioning there.

He laughed and said that it's normal for him to change his T-shirt seven or eight times a day, but all I could say was that I was truly impressed.

The ginger lily products that I use comfortably in my cool, air-conditioned room are made with such effort. Knowing this, or not knowing it, changes how much I appreciate each drop.

In particular, harvesting ginger lilies is an extremely physically demanding and very difficult task. It requires a tremendous amount of effort.

Also, when I went to the fields, I realized that it was Okinawa after all. Apparently, there are venomous snakes (habu) everywhere.

"I was crossing that road the other day too."

That's what they're saying!

The habu is a highly venomous snake... so working in the fields or harvesting crops while surrounded by them is not only difficult but also incredibly risky! I was truly shocked.

Our vice president, who accompanied us, is from Australia, a country home to many of the world's most venomous snakes.

Therefore, their wariness of snakes is several times greater than ours.

Just hearing about it made my face contort (lol).

And the ginger lilies cultivated and harvested in this way are grown completely without pesticides or fertilizers.

Bathed in abundant sunlight, these plants grow large and magnificent on their own, becoming the finest raw material, brimming with the power and energy of Okinawa.

What's important is the quality of the raw materials.

When it comes to cosmetics, while the manufacturing method is certainly important in determining the quality and effectiveness of a product, the most important factor is the materials and raw materials.

As I mentioned before, the current Gettou products are actually the third generation.

After going through various experiences, this is a truly wonderful manufacturer that I finally found.

While every manufacturer lovingly processed the ginger lily from their home island of Okinawa into products, what ultimately convinced me to choose the current manufacturer was their unwavering confidence in their product.

What underpins that confidence is that 100% of the ingredients are grown in-house.

Even with the risks and difficulties involved, I won't compromise because I know it's the best option.

These high-quality raw materials are then carefully distilled at low temperatures using a time-consuming but proprietary method developed by the company itself, resulting in the finest quality product.

I've seen it in person, and in order to properly distill it without destroying the components, it can only be made in very small batches.

It's now at the level of "drip, drip."

Nevertheless, they continue to produce high-quality ginger lily water and ginger lily products all year round to meet our requests.

I've always been very particular about the quality and effectiveness of products, and this visit has further deepened my trust in them.

Working with natural products is truly challenging. But for the sake of the manufacturers who work hard with conviction to deliver high-quality products, and for the sake of the customers who are waiting for them, I will continue to love and deliver ginger lily products.

This concludes the 12th installment of the Getto story, but the Getto tale is far from over!

We hope you'll also enjoy the newly revamped Getto series.