What are Akita’s heirloom vegetables? Features, season, and ways to eat the 39 items certified by the prefecture explained

Akita Prefecture is the only municipality in the Tohoku region with aprefectural official certification systemfor heirloom vegetables. The 39 varieties certified as “Akita Heirloom Vegetables” are all native varieties nurtured within Akita's harsh winters and rich food culture — such as tonburi, Misekiseri, and Matsudate shibori daikon.

This article organizes the 39 varieties in a list and explains, in detail, ways to eat and how to buy 7 representative ones. We introduce the appeal of heirloom vegetables tied to local dishes such as iburigakko and kiritanpo, season by season.

The definition of "heirloom vegetable" and the scope of this article

There is no nationwide unified definition of “heirloom vegetables,” and criteria differ by certifying body. To help you accurately understand this article's content, we first lay out the criteria of the main certifying bodies.

Certifying body	Main criteria
Kyoto Prefecture "Kyoto Heirloom Vegetables"	Cultivated in Kyoto from before the Meiji era and unique to Kyoto
Osaka Prefecture "Naniwa Heirloom Vegetables"	Cultivated within Osaka Prefecture from roughly 100 or more years ago
Nara Prefecture "Yamato Heirloom Vegetables"	A variety with a cultivation history of more than 40 years
Akita Prefecture "Akita Heirloom Vegetables"	Cultivated within the prefecture from before the Showa 30s
Yamagata Prefecture "Yamagata Heirloom Vegetables"	Cultivated within the prefecture from before Showa 20
The Japan Traditional Vegetable Promotion Association	Independent certification criteria (broader)

In this article, we introduce 39 varieties using Akita Prefecture's “Akita Heirloom Vegetables” certification system as the primary source. However, varieties bred and registered after the war, and items hard to include strictly as “vegetables” — such as fruits, aquatic plants, and mountain greens — are organized separately in the “Other Local Specialty Varieties” section at the end of the article. Note that because Akita Prefecture's certification is broadly defined as “crops such as vegetables, fruit trees, flowers, and grains,” fruits and aquatic plants are also included.

What Are Akita's Heirloom Vegetables? Tohoku's Only Prefectural Official Certification System

In 2005 (Heisei 17), Akita Prefecture established its own certification system, systematically preserving and promoting the prefecture's native varieties as “Akita Heirloom Vegetables.”HokkaidoandAomorihas no prefecture-level certification system, and Akita's initiative is a pioneering presence in Tohoku.

The Three Conditions of “Akita Heirloom Vegetables” Certification Criteria

Condition	Details
Condition 1	A variety cultivated within Akita Prefecture since before the 1955s (Showa 30s)
Condition 2	A variety originating in Akita Prefecture, such as one bearing a place or person's name
Condition 3	A variety for which seeds or seedlings still exist and produce is obtainable

39 varieties meeting these three conditions are certified. A distinctive point is the inclusion of condition 3, “still obtainable today,”Heirloom vegetables of Miyagi, operated as a “living list” that does not include disappeared varieties.

Seasonal Distribution of the 39 Varieties

Season	Number of items	Main items
Spring (February–June)	6 varieties	Hirokko, Akita sashibiro, Niida na, Kamenosuke negi, Kaizawa fukudachi na, Akita fuki
Summer (June–September)	9 varieties	Junsai, Sekiguchi nasu, Senboku maru nasu, Nyu nasu, Tomizawa nasu, Ani fuki, Goyo mame, Yagi ninniku, Etsuri aka ninniku
Summer–autumn (July–October)	3 items	Kozama kyuri, Tazawa ji-uri, Nikaho aki suika
Autumn (September–December)	9 varieties	Tonburi, Yuzawa giku, Shizukuda kabu, Yokosawa magari negi, Kanakabu, Taira kabu, Ishibashi gobo, Odate ji-daikon, Tenko azuki
Autumn–winter (September–the following April)	12 varieties	Misekiseri, Matsudate shibori daikon, Sannai carrot, Niida daikon, Numayama daikon, hirokko, and others

Varieties coming into season from autumn into winter make up more than half of the total. That there are many storage-friendly root vegetables and pickling varieties suited to Akita's long winter is deeply connected to the smoking culture typified by iburigakko.

The Relationship Between Akita's Food Culture and Heirloom Vegetables

Akita's heirloom vegetables have been handed down as one with local dishes. Here we organize the representative pairings.

• Iburigakko × Niida daikon, Numayama daikon, Odate ji-daikon — Smoked takuan is a pickle representing Akita
• Kiritanpo hot pot × Misekiseri, Sannai seri — Seri used down to the root decides the flavor of the hot pot
• Inaniwa udon × Matsudate shibori daikon — Eating it with the dipping broth of grated pungent daikon is the connoisseur's way to enjoy it
• Sekihan / mochi culture × Tenko azuki — A native azuki indispensable to Akita's celebratory occasions
• New Year / zoni × Karatori imo — The zuiki (leaf stalks) are dried, stored, and used in zoni

Akita Heirloom Vegetables: A List of All 39 Varieties and Seasonal Calendar

The Japan Traditional Vegetable Promotion AssociationBased on the data from

, we've summarized the 39 varieties certified by Akita Prefecture in a list.

#	Item	Category	Main growing region	Season
1	Quick Reference Table of the 39 Varieties	Chives	Hirokko	December–April
2	Yuzawa City and others	Negi	Akita sashibiro	Akita City, Yurihonjo City
3	February–May	Pickling greens	Niida na	February to April
4	Akita City	Negi	Kamenosuke negi	Daisen City
5	March–May	Kaizawa fukudachi na	Brassica	Mid-January–late February
6	April–May	Akita fuki	Fuki	June
7	Kazuno City, Akita City	Junsai	Aquatic plant	June–July
8	Mitane Town	Akita fuki	Ani fuki	June–July
9	Kitaakita City	Legume	Goyo mame	August to September
10	Southern part of the prefecture	Garlic	Yagi ninniku	June to October
11	Yokote City	Eggplant	Sekiguchi nasu	July–October
12	Yuzawa City	Eggplant	Kamenosuke negi	July–October
13	Senboku maru nasu	Eggplant	Yagi ninniku	July–October
14	Nyu nasu	Eggplant	Yagi ninniku	July–October
15	Tomizawa nasu	Cucumber	Ani fuki	July–September
16	Kozama kyuri	Gourd (uri)	Semboku City	July–September
17	Tazawa ji-uri	watermelon	Nikaho City	August to September
18	Nikaho aki suika	Garlic	Etsuri aka ninniku	June–July
19	Odate City	Edible chrysanthemum	Sekiguchi nasu	July–October
20	Yuzawa giku	Turnip	Semboku City	Shizukuda kabu
21	April, September–October	Azuki bean	Tenko azuki	Throughout the prefecture
22	Tonburi	August–October	Etsuri aka ninniku	September to November
23	Hokigi (summer cypress)	Turnip	Kanakabu	October–December
24	Nikaho City, Yurihonjo City	Turnip	Taira kabu	November–December
25	Higashinaruse Village	Negi	Kamenosuke negi	October–November
26	Yokosawa magari negi	Burdock	Kamenosuke negi	October–November
27	Ishibashi gobo	Daikon	Odate ji-daikon	October–November
28	Odate City, Kitaakita City	Sannai seri	Yagi ninniku	August–November
29	Seri	Akita shimofuri sasage	Cowpea	September–October
30	Semboku City and others	Daikon	Numayama daikon	October–November
31	Egoma	Akita City, Daisen City	Lamiaceae	October–November
32	Odate City and others	Pickling greens	Semboku City	November
33	Ji-takana	Daikon	Matsudate shibori daikon	November–March
34	Kazuno City	Daikon	Niida na	October–November
35	Niida daikon	Sannai seri	Sekiguchi nasu	September–March
36	September–March	Carrot	Yagi ninniku	October–December
37	Sannai carrot	Taro	Karatori imo	September to November
38	Yurihonjo City, Nikaho City	Akita City, Daisen City	Sekiguchi nasu	October–November
39	Chorogi	Tazawa nagaimo	Semboku City	October–November

Yam (yamanoimo)

Month	Items coming into season
Garden pea	January–February
March to April	Hirokko, Misekiseri, Matsudate shibori daikon
January–February	May–June
July–August	Akita fuki, junsai, Ani fuki, Etsuri aka ninniku
September–October	Sekiguchi nasu, Senboku maru nasu, Nyu nasu, Tomizawa nasu, Kozama kyuri, Tazawa ji-uri, Nikaho aki suika, Yuzawa giku
November–December	Tonburi, Sannai seri, Sannai carrot, Yokosawa magari negi, Shizukuda kabu (autumn), Tenko azuki, Karatori imo, Akita shimofuri sasage

Matsudate shibori daikon, Niida daikon, Numayama daikon, Odate ji-daikon, Kanakabu, Taira kabu, ji-takana, chorogi, Tazawa nagaimo, Ishibashi gobo

Of the 39 varieties, 21 reach their seasonal peak from September through the following March — a distinctly winter-weighted mix. Akita's annual snowfall is among the highest in the nation, and to survive the five months buried in snow, varieties suited to storage and processing — daikon, kabu, seri, and satoimo — have been selected.

The Characteristics and Ways to Eat Representative Akita Heirloom Vegetables

Having organized the 39 varieties in a list, we now introduce in detail the flavor, origin, and recommended ways to eat 6 especially well-known representative varieties plus 2 iburigakko raw-material varieties.

Season	September to November
Growing region	Tonburi — Odate City's Specialty, the “Field Caviar”
Well-suited dishes	Odate City (accounting for most of domestic production)

Dressed with tororo, mixed with natto, sunomono, pasta topping

Tonburi is a food made from the seeds of hokigi (summer cypress); its green grains, 1–2 mm in diameter, have a popping texture, earning it the name “field caviar.” The Hinai district of Odate City handles almost the entire domestic production, making it a specialty representing Akita.

The processing of boiling and removing the outer skin after harvest is labor-intensive, and the decline in workers is a challenge. The flavor itself is mild — it's a food to enjoy for its texture. Mixing it with grated yam or natto, or adding it to tuna sashimi, are the classic ways to eat it.

Season	Misekiseri — Yuzawa's Root Seri, Continuing Since the Edo Period
Growing region	September–the following March
Well-suited dishes	Misekiga district, Yuzawa City

Kiritanpo hot pot, seri-yaki, zoni, ohitashi

Misekiseri is a native variety cultivated in the Misekiga district of Yuzawa City since the Edo period, registered under the variety name “Kairyo Misekiga.” A “root seri” type with thick leaf-stalks and long white roots that can all be eaten, it is indispensable to Akita's kiritanpo hot pot.

Seri-yaki is a farmer's dish of the Misekiga district — a simple preparation of searing root-on seri with soy sauce and mirin. You can taste both the crisp texture of the roots and the fresh fragrance of the leaves at once. If you visit Akita in winter, it's a dish to try in the growing region.

Season	November to the following March
Growing region	Matsudate Shibori Daikon — The Condiment Daikon Whose Pungency Stands Out
Well-suited dishes	Matsudate district, Kazuno City

Grated as a condiment (soba, grilled fish), pressed-juice dipping sauce

A native shibori daikon grown only in the Matsudate district of Kazuno City, it contains several times the pungent component of ordinary daikon. The traditional way to eat it is to grate it, wring the juice through cloth, and add it to soba broth or grilled fish — distinguished by a sharp, nose-tingling pungency.The source of the pungency is isothiocyanate, strongest just after grating and weakening as it volatilizes over time. Locally, “eat it right after grating” is the iron rule.Iwate's Kuretsubo kabu

, it is a variety that embodies Tohoku's pungent-condiment culture.

Season	October–November
Growing region	The Raw Materials for Iburigakko — Niida Daikon and Numayama Daikon
Well-suited dishes	Akita City (Niida) / Yokote City (Numayama)

Iburigakko, takuan pickles

Iburigakko is a pickle representing Akita, made by smoking daikon over an irori hearth's smoke and then pickling it in rice bran — a distinctive method. The raw-material Niida daikon is a native variety of the Niida district of Akita City, with dense, hard flesh that resists crumbling even when smoked.

Numayama daikon is a native variety of the Yokote City area, likewise with hard flesh suited to takuan. These two varieties could be called “iburigakko-exclusive,” producing a bite and a way of absorbing the smoky fragrance utterly different from what market daikon can achieve. When iburigakko received GI (Geographical Indication) registration in 2019, using native daikon as raw material drew attention as a key to its quality.

Season	June–July
Growing region	Junsai — Mitane Town, the Nation's Top Producer of the Junsai Aquatic Plant
Well-suited dishes	Mitane Town (former Yamamoto Town)

Sanbaizu, chicken hot pot, clear soup, tempura

Junsai is an aquatic plant of the water-lily family, whose young leaves and leaf stalks are wrapped in a clear, jelly-like mucilage. This sliminess and smooth texture are prized, and it is known as a premium ingredient in Japanese cuisine. Mitane Town, Akita Prefecture accounts for about 90% of the nation's production, making it a major production area.

Harvesting is done by the traditional method of hand-picking from a small boat, and at the June peak you can see boats floating on the town's ponds. Eating it refreshingly with sanbaizu is the classic, but it pairs superbly with Akita's Hinai-jidori chicken; added to a chicken hot pot, its sliminess dissolves into the soup for a mellow flavor.

Season	December to the following April
Growing region	Hirokko — The Asatsuki Sprouts That Grow Sweeter Under the Snow
Well-suited dishes	Yuzawa City and throughout the prefecture

Dressed with vinegar-miso, egg-bound, miso soup ingredient

Hirokko are asatsuki sprouts dug out from under the snow — a winter ingredient. The slender yellow-white sprouts have a milder pungency than above-ground asatsuki, with a faint sweetness and crisp bite as their strong points.

The mechanism by which sugar content rises under the snow is due to the “freezing-avoidance response,” in which the plant stores sugar to prevent freezing. In Akita, digging begins around December when snow accumulates, and harvesting continues until April in early spring. Dressed with vinegar-miso is the most popular way to eat it, and it is beloved by prefectural residents as an ingredient that heralds spring.

Season	October–November
Growing region	Yokosawa Magari Negi — The Fragrant Thick Negi That Takes 2 Years to Grow
Well-suited dishes	Yokosawa district, Daisen City

Miso soup, tempura, grilled negi, hot potSendai magari-negi of MiyagiYokosawa magari negi is a native negi grown in the Yokosawa district of Daisen City, a rare variety that takes 2 years from sowing to harvest.

Like

, it uses a farming method that creates the bend through replanting, but the length of the cultivation period stands out.

Over the 2-year cultivation period, the fragrance component (allicin) accumulates richly, and heating spreads a strong sweetness along with a deep fragrance. Added to miso soup, it lifts the flavor of the dashi a notch, and locally it's said that “just adding negi makes it a feast.”

Regional Character — The Heirloom Vegetables of the North, Central, South, and Coast

• TonburiAkita Prefecture is long north to south, and there are differences in climate and food culture from the Odate–Kazuno area in the north to the Yuzawa–Yokote area in the south. We've organized the 39 varieties into 4 areas.
• Ji-takanaNorthern Area (Odate, Kazuno, Kitaakita)
• Ishibashi gobo(Odate City) — The “field caviar,” the nation's only production area
• Nikaho aki suika(Kazuno City) — A condiment daikon whose pungency stands out
• April–May(Odate City, Kitaakita City) — Hard flesh for takuan
• Egoma(Odate City) — Distinguished by a red-purple outer skin
• Tomizawa nasu(Kazuno City) — A large fuki 2 m tall
• Mitane Town(Odate City and others) — A processed product of oil and seeds

(Kitaakita City) — A cucumber triangular in cross-section

• Kazuno City(Kitaakita City) — A jade-colored fuki with few fibers
• February–MayCentral Area (Akita City, Daisen City)
• Yuzawa City and others(Akita City) — The main raw material for iburigakko
• Semboku City and others(Akita City) — An overwintering pickling green
• Higashinaruse Village(Akita City) — A leaf negi of the Kujo negi line
• Akita City(Akita City, Daisen City) — An aokubi daikon suited to takuan
• Yokosawa magari negi(Daisen City) — The fragrant thick negi grown over 2 years
• Yuzawa City(Daisen City) — A sweet spring-harvested negi

(Daisen City) — A wase variety with white skin and white flesh

• Niida daikon(Daisen City) — A navy-colored round eggplant
• Quick Reference Table of the 39 VarietiesSouthern Area (Yokote, Yuzawa, Semboku)
• September–March(Yuzawa City) — A root seri continuing since the Edo period
• Odate City, Kitaakita City(Yuzawa City) — Asatsuki sprouts from under the snow
• Senboku maru nasu(Yokote City) — A red thick carrot over 30 cm
• Nyu nasu(Yokote City) — A fragrant wase seri
• Southern part of the prefecture(Yokote City) — A drawstring-shaped pickling eggplant
• Yokote City(Yokote City) — An egg-shaped eggplant for mon-zuke pickling
• Odate City(Yokote City) — Large-fruited, with a reddish outer skin
• Yuzawa giku(Yuzawa City) — A round eggplant suited to pickling
• Kozama kyuri(Yuzawa City) — A wase edible chrysanthemum
• Chorogi(Semboku City) — A wasabi-flavored kabu
• Odate City and others(Semboku City) — A crisp-textured local uri
• Seri(Semboku City) — A nagaimo suited to tororo
• Yurihonjo City, Nikaho City(Semboku City) — A small pickling green
• April, September–October(Semboku City and others) — A black-speckled cowpea
• March–May(Yuzawa City) — A spiral-shaped good-luck food
• Kitaakita City(throughout the prefecture) — A native azuki for sekihan
• Nikaho City, Yurihonjo City(Ugo Town) — A sweet spring green

(southern part of the prefecture) — A bean distinguished by its five leaves

• Kazuno City, Akita CityCoastal Area (Nikaho, Yurihonjo, Mitane Town)
• Hokigi (summer cypress)(Higashinaruse Village) — A crisp-textured aokubi long kabu
• Sannai carrot(Mitane Town) — The aquatic plant with 90% of national production
• Tazawa ji-uri(Nikaho City, Yurihonjo City) — A white long kabu of slash-and-burn cultivation

(Yurihonjo City, Nikaho City) — Its zuiki is used in New Year zoni

How to Buy Akita Heirloom Vegetables and Tips for Storing Them

In-prefecture direct-sales outlets / roadside stations

Item	Main sources	Timing
Niida daikon	Of the 39 varieties, only some — such as Misekiseri, tonburi, and junsai — reach general distribution. For the rest, obtaining them through growing-region farm stands or processed products is the realistic route.	September–March
Tonburi	Farm stands in Yuzawa City, Michi-no-Eki Ogachi	Farm stands in Odate City, Akita Airport shop
Kazuno City, Akita City	Year-round (processed product)	Mitane Town farm stand, Michi-no-Eki Kotooka
Quick Reference Table of the 39 Varieties	June–July (fresh) / year-round (bottled)	December–April
Ji-takana	Farm stands in Yuzawa City, supermarkets (winter)	November–March
Iburigakko	Farm stands in Kazuno City (limited quantity)	Year-round
September–March	Souvenir shops and Michi-no-Eki throughout the prefecture	October–December

Mail order / hometown tax to outside the prefecture

• Tonburi Yamauchi-district farm stand, Yokote City
• Kazuno City, Akita City — Odate City's processed product is available year-round by mail order. In vacuum packs
• Iburigakko — Bottled Mitane-grown junsai circulates nationwide; fresh junsai is also listed on direct-from-farm EC
• Niida daikon — Authentic products using Niida daikon are sold by mail order from several makers
• Quick Reference Table of the 39 Varieties — Available as a hometown-tax (Yuzawa City) return gift in winter

Storage methods by item

Item	Short-term storage	Long-term storage
Niida daikon	— Listed on direct-from-farm EC (Tabechoku, etc.) in winter only	Root soaked in water, refrigerated for 2–3 days
Tonburi	Quickly boiled and frozen (1 month)	After opening, refrigerated for 1 week
Kazuno City, Akita City	Vacuum-packed unopened, at room temperature for half a year	Soaked in water, refrigerated for 3 days
Kazuno City	1 year when bottle-processed	Wrapped in newspaper in a cool dark place for 2 weeks
Quick Reference Table of the 39 Varieties	1 year or more when processed as iburigakko	Wrapped in damp newspaper, in the vegetable drawer for 3 days
Ji-takana	Quickly blanched and frozen (1 month)	Refrigerated for 1 week
Sannai carrot	Grated juice frozen in an ice-cube tray (3 months)	1–2 weeks in a cool dark place

The zuiki sun-dried (half a year)

Efforts to Protect Akita's Heirloom Vegetables

Behind maintaining the 39 varieties as a “living list” are conservation activities coordinated among the prefecture, research institutions, and citizen groups.

Year	Event
2005	Akita Prefecture began the “Akita Heirloom Vegetables” certification system. 21 varieties were selected in the first survey
2013	Varieties added in the second survey. Expanded to 39
2005–	The Akita Prefectural Agricultural Experiment Station continues seed collection, characteristic surveys, and preservation of native varieties
2010s–	The move to set up “Akita Heirloom Vegetables” corners at farm stands and Michi-no-Eki across the prefecture expanded

The Akita Prefectural Agricultural Experiment Station collects native-variety seeds from farmers across the prefecture, continuing to maintain germination rates and accumulate characteristic data. Playing a gene-bank-like role in preventing the loss of seeds, it advances native-variety conservation in tandem with the certification system.

Activities of the Akita Local Crops Research Society

Activity	Details
Survey and recording	Interviewing and documenting the cultivation reality, ways of eating, and history of native varieties across the prefecture
Events	Holding heirloom-vegetable tastings and cooking classes throughout the prefecture
Information dissemination	Publishing a database of the 39 varieties on its website
Collaboration	Functioning as a platform connecting farmers, chefs, and researchers

The Akita Local Crops Research Societyis a citizen group founded chiefly by researchers at Akita University, promoting the “protect by eating” approach to native varieties. By combining the researchers' scientific knowledge, the farmers' cultivation experience, and the chefs' culinary skill, it is creating a path for heirloom vegetables to return to the everyday table.

FAQ

Summary

Akita's 39 heirloom vegetables are a “living list” protected by the prefecture's official certification system. From nationally well-known varieties such as tonburi, Misekiseri, Matsudate shibori daikon, and junsai to production-area-limited rare varieties like Shizukuda kabu and Kozama kyuri, they are distributed in good balance across the prefecture's four areas.

Many varieties are inseparably tied to Akita's local dishes — iburigakko, kiritanpo hot pot, seri-yaki — and the “protect by eating” culture supports the survival of the heirloom vegetables. When visiting Akita, use the seasonal calendar as a guide to tour farm stands and Michi-no-Eki, and experience the flavors unique to native varieties.

References / information sources

• Akita Prefectural Government, “About Akita Heirloom Vegetables” — The certification criteria and the official list of 39 varieties
• Japan Traditional Vegetables Promotion Association, “Akita Prefecture's Heirloom Vegetables” — A detailed database of all varieties
• Hyponex, “Akita's Local and Heirloom Vegetables” — Explanations of representative varieties
• The Akita Local Crops Research Society — Survey and promotion activities for native varieties

Other Local Specialty Varieties (Fruits and Aquatic Plants)

Akita Prefecture's “Akita Heirloom Vegetables” certification includes non-vegetable items such as fruit trees, aquatic plants, and grains; here we introduce, in a separate category, items that differ from the strict scope of “vegetables.” All are important local specialty varieties included in the 39 certified varieties.

Item	Category	Growing region	Characteristics and standing
Kazuno City, Akita City	Junsai	Aquatic plant	An aquatic plant of the water-lily family whose young leaves' clear mucilage is eaten. Mitane Town, Akita Prefecture accounts for about 90% of national production. Strictly an “aquatic plant,” but a keystone of local cuisine
Tazawa ji-uri	Fruit	Nikaho City	An autumn-harvested watermelon distinguished by a refreshing sugar content. Classified as a fruit, but certified as one of Akita's traditional crops

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