Yuzu are born from our coexistence with nature in our ideal yuzu growing location.
We are grateful to Shiromi’s nature.
“When I feel the breath of the mountain gods, I feel the thanks of the yuzu”
The breath of the mountain gods is the damp mist that pervades the mountains, the mist that shines on the leaves, and the river mist on a cold morning. It is a blessing from the mountain gods.
The best yuzu are grown in mountainous areas where there is a temperature difference between morning and evening.
Yuzu is a very cold-resistant plant, that can survive in temperatures down to -7℃, it requires a lot of precipitation, and smooth airflow.
Our location at Shiromi in the western part of Miyazaki Prefecture is deep in the mountains of Kyushu and is an ideal location to growing great tasting yuzu.
Topographic and meteorological characteristics of Shiromi
The mountains are not very large, but there are many steep cliffs.
There are many valleys and within them are streams, and rivers which produce mist.
The air currents are always flowing in the sky, so there is no stagnation and the humidity is stable.
The lowest temperature in winter is about -7℃.
Airflow-generating terrain produces high quality yuzu
Like watching over your own children.
Through organic farming, we aim to nurture our yuzu and are in dialogue with them.
The biorhythms of the yuzu and the biorhythms of the Shiromi region coincide, so we are able to take advantage of our location to produce delicious yuzu.
Airflow – Reading the Clouds
Yuzu is an inherently hardy plant. We take great care of looking after the plants. We always ask ourselves, “What can we do to help the yuzu?” and try to understand the feelings of the yuzu that we grow. It is very important for yuzu cultivation to read and respond to the air currents. This is especially true when large weather events like typhoons happen and there are changes in atmospheric pressure. We trust in the strong life force of our yuzu because they have been raised using organic cultivation amongst the weeds, this has made them stronger and better able to withstand what nature throws at them.
The yuzu grown at Shiromi are flat on the top. This is a characteristic of very fragrant yuzu fruit.
The high temperature difference between parts of the day helps to produce high quality yuzu. If yuzu are exposed to this temperature difference during their early life they will develop a slightly flattened shape. The yuzu grown at Shiromi are often flat, and they have a reputation for being very fragrant.
What is organic farming?
Organic farming is based on not using chemically synthesized fertilizers and pesticides, and not using genetically modified technology. It is an agricultural production method that reduces the environmental impact of farming as much as possible on nature and uses nature to help with production.