Tsuzurabara Citrus Orchard
Tsuzurabara Kanenari (1868–1951) is credited with the first successful cultivation of ponkan tangerines in Japan, beginning with the seedling he introduced from Taiwan in 1924. That tree still bears fruit today and is one of some 500 citrus trees that grow in the Hirauchi orchard now tended by his great-granddaughter. The aromatic ponkan is loved throughout the country for its easy-to-peel skin, juicy flesh, and sweetness balanced by a low level of acidity. Each November, just prior to harvest time, a Shinto rite is performed in honor of the pioneering work carried out here. Visitors are welcome to stroll the grounds.
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To book a village tour in Hirauchi, visit online or the Yakushima Environmental and Cultural Village Center in person at:
823-1 Miyanoura
Yakushima-cho, Kumage-gun
Kagoshima-ken 891-4205