Brand's products ATHREE

A young company founded in 2013 by Mr Kawatani, Athree specializes in the cultivation, dehydration and marketing of Tamogi golden oyster mushrooms: Pleurotus cornucopiae var.citrinopileatus.

100% of Asley's Tamogi mushrooms are grown in Asagiri, Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture.

Company was founded when Mr Kawatani's father was battling advanced cancer. Seeing his father suffer and weaken, he set out to find ways of alleviating his pain.

Tamogi provided answer. Mushrooms are said to be good for your health, more nutritious than any other mushroom.

Belief that tamogi could help people suffering from illness, and fact very few growers produced them, led to these so-called fantastic mushrooms production.

Tamogi are very sensitive to temperature and humidity control. Naturally, environment in which they are grown is also important. Athree company is located in Hitoyoshi region, Kumamoto prefecture, western part of Japan's Kyushu region, which was listed in 2015 as "Japan's richest hidden village" and is one of Japan's richest natural areas free of soil contamination. Within Hitoyoshi region, Asagiri village is surrounded by deep mountains from north to south and located in Kuma River bassin, one of the three fastest rivers in Japan, and benefits from pure air and clean water, making it an ideal environment for cultivation.

ATHREE's tamogi mushgrooms grow happily and stress-free in clean water and pure air from this country town rich in natural resources.

With lifestyle diseases, mental stress and increasing air pollution, people today are constantly concerned about their health.

Golden oyster mushroom, tamogitake in Japanese (scientific name: Pleurotuscornucopiae) belongs to the Psilocybeaceae family. It is characterized by its bright yellow umbrellas, which give trees a golden color during short summer period. It is native to eastern Russia, northern China and Japan. In Japan, it is only harvested in Hokkaido and parts of Kumamoto, due to difficult environmental conditions in which it grows.

It has a delicious taste and produces a rich broth when used as a garnish for one-pot dishes or sautéed with butter.

Among ingredients contained in tamogitake mushrooms, most characteristic are β-glucan and ergothioneine.

β-glucan is a type of polysaccharide found in mushrooms and yeast, and is part of the dietary fiber family.

It is expected to improve immunity and have anti-cancer effects. It is used in herbal medicines and supplements such as Reishi and Agaricus mushrooms for its health benefits.

By strengthening immune system, it makes people resistant to viruses and bacteria.

It is thought to prevent colds and allergic symptoms by stimulating the production of interferon, a substance linked to immunity, as it activates function of T cells and B cells that control immune functions in human body.

It has also been confirmed to activate macrophages and natural killer cells, which attack cancer cells, and is expected to have a cancer-suppressing effect.

As a type of dietary fiber, it is also expected to reduce cholesterol levels and regulate intestinal environment.

Agaricus mushrooms are well known for their beta-glucan content, but research has shown that tamogim mushrooms contain three times more beta-glucan than agaricus mushrooms.

Ergothioneine is a type of amino acid with strong antioxidant properties that can only be produced by mushrooms and some recently.

It is expected in many fields such as cancer, arteriosclerosis and beauty care for its ability to eliminate excessive active oxygen which causes aging, fatigue and lifestyle-related diseases.

Ergothioneine is an antioxidant substance that has been shown to prevent lifestyle diseases such as cancer, atherosclerosis and diabetes, by inhibiting  lipid peroxide formation, which is thought to cause 90% of diseases, and by eliminating OH radicals, which damage DNA and enzyme proteins.

Research in recent years has also shown significant effects on cognitive function, beauty and anti-aging.

Other studies have shown that ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and α-tocopherol (vitamin E), which are representative of antioxidant activity, have a stronger antioxidant capacity than CoQ10 and glutathione.

In addition:

■ Ascorbic acid (vitamin E)

■ Ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol have a half-life of around 1 day, while ergothioneine has a half-life of around 1 month.

■ Less sensitive to pH and heat

In 2005, ergothioneine transporter was discovered in humans.

In the two decades since, numerous studies have been published and the medical value of the transporter has come under particular scrutiny.

Diseases that should benefit from this transporter include:

 radiation damage

 Side effects and secondary disorders caused by radiotherapy

 Disorders caused by atmospheric pollutants

 Diabetes and its complications

 Cancer

 Various conditions caused by autoimmune disorders, such as incurable diseases

 Gout

 Cognitive dysfunction

 Infectious diseases (including new coronaviruses)

 Skin diseases, UV-induced disorders

 Sexual dysfunction

High content of antioxidant ergothioneine is the most important characteristic of tamogi mushrooms.

Tamogitake mushrooms are rich in various nutrients, but they are very rare mushrooms that contain two components that have very great health and beauty benefits and in large quantities, which is why they are called "super mushrooms" or "miracle mushrooms" by experts, not least because of their rarity.