Fruits originating in Japan

Today, a very large number of fruits are distributed to the general market in Japan. Some of them are for eating as they are, while others are to be used as ingredients in processed foods. There are a great many fruits, not only domestically grown, but also imported from countries around the world. Since the modern era, Japanese food culture had rapidly become more broad-based as foreign food cultures have been actively introduced into the country. As a result, the cultivation of some of the fruits introduced from abroad also flourished in Japan. In addition to the Japanese climate and topography, the Japanese people have also developed their own varieties to suit their tastes and preferences. In recent years, many of the fruits produced in Japan have become very popular overseas. Strawberries, grapes, peaches, melons, etc… Some of them are even branded. As mentioned in the article “Fruits” on this website, Most of the fruits commonly distributed in Japan are of foreign origin. Most of them were brought to Japan through trade. Since Japan is an island nation, there are very few types of fruits suitable for eating. Many fruits that are thought to have been native to Japan since ancient times are also of continental origin.

Below we would like to introduce a few of the few fruits that originated in Japan. However, the variety of fruits that originated in Japan is still small, and most of them are produced in small quantities. Therefore, most of them are rarely distributed to the general public, so we hope you will try to eat them when you come across them.

Citrus Unshiu(Unshiu mikan)

This citrus originates from the Kagoshima region. Currently, they are produced in various parts of Japan, including Shizuoka, Ehime, Wakayama, and other prefectures, and each brand name differs depending on the region where it is produced. It has always been a very familiar and popular fruit among the Japanese. The name “Unshiu mikan” seems to have been given around the latter half of the Edo period. By the way, the name “Unshiu” refers to Unshiu City in Zhejiang Province, China, which was famous for its mandarines, but “Unshiu mikan” was not cultivated in Japan from the original species. We heard that “Unshiu mikan” is also called “Satsuma mandarin” in English, in addition to “Mikan”. (※”Satsuma” is the old name of the Kagoshima region.) It is a different species from the “Tachibana” and “Seekwasa” that used to grow wild in Japan.

Kaki fruit（Persimmon）

The “kaki fruit” is another fruit that has been familiar to Japanese people for a long time. It was native to southern Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Besides Japan, there are some original species in China and the Korean Peninsula. Around the 16th century, it is said that it spread to Europe and the Americas through trade with Portugal. There are two types of persimmon, sweet persimmon and tannish persimmon, and the former is eaten as is. The latter is processed into edible products by “astringent removal (soaking in alcohol, etc.)” and then drying. These are called “Hoshigaki(dried persimmons)” and have long been a popular sweet in general. “Kakishibu(persimmon tannin)”, which is the source of the bitter taste of astringent persimmons, has been applied to clothing and furniture because of its strong insect and antibacterial properties. Its leaves have also been used to preserve food, etc. (For example, kakinoha sushi is famous).

Japanese chestnut

Chestnuts have also been used as food in Japan since ancient times. Like the persimmon, not only the fruit but also its tree seems to have been widely used in Japanese life. Even today, chestnuts are grown throughout Japan. The “Tamba chestnut” which originates from the Tamba region (the area that includes present-day Kyoto, Osaka, and Hyogo prefectures), is very famous for its edible qualities.

Japanese bayberry

It is found in Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa regions, excluding Hokkaido and Tohoku. Tokushima, Kochi, and Wakayama prefectures are known as its famous production areas. It is a fruit similar to a cocklebur. Because the fruit does not keep well for a long time, it is mainly used as a ingredient for jams and fruit wine, and there are generally very few opportunities to eat it raw. Japanese bayberry is an evergreen broad-leaved tree, and because of its resistance to heat and air pollution, it is surprisingly often planted in parks and along roadsides in urban areas today. Incidentally, they rarely bear fruit…

Yamanashi (Japanese pear)

It is a different species from European and Chinese pears, and this is another fruit that has been cultivated in Japan for a long time. It was originally a wild variety called “Yamanashi”, and as a result of repeated breeding, the current “Nijusseiki”, “Chojuro”, “Kosui” and other varieties were created. Compared to European pears and Chinese pears, Japanese pears are extremely fresh and refreshingly sweet. It seems to be popular with people from overseas as well.

Wild vine

As its name suggests, it is a type of grape vine. At present, the varieties of vines currently available in Japan for eating fresh are all of foreign origin, and this Yamabudou grape is almost never distributed to the general public for fresh eating. In recent years, it has been getting interest as a raw material for processed products such as wine, jam, and juice, and cultivation and breeding are being promoted in Yamanashi, Iwate, Okayama, and other prefectures. In the near future, along with other brand-name vines of foreign origin, Yamabudou, this Japanese-origin vine for fresh eating, might become commonly available.

Japanese walnut (Oni kurumi)

It is a type of walnut well known overseas. It grows wild all over Japan except in the Okinawa region. It seems to have been collected for food since prehistoric times. Today, it is widely used as a processed and culinary ingredient as well as for raw consumption.

Akebi（Chocolate-vine）

This fruit is found throughout Japan except Hokkaido, and has also been eaten fresh since ancient times. It has also been used as a herbal medicine. However, it is not commonly distributed today.

Biwa（Japanese loquat）

It is said to have originated in China, but it was also brought to Japan in prehistoric times and was known as a food source. Its leaves were also widely used as a herbal medicine. As well as persimmons, chestnuts, and yuzu, it is a very common plant grown in home gardens apart from commercial ones. Chiba, Nagasaki, Wakayama, Kagawa, Ehime, and Kagoshima prefectures are famous for their production.