What are Saitama’s heirloom vegetables? Features, season, and ways to eat the 18 items explained

Saitama Prefecture's heirloom vegetables are native varieties handed down amid the agricultural development of the Kawagoe domain's territory in the Edo period and its history as a vegetable-supply region near Tokyo.The Japan Traditional Vegetable Promotion Associationcertification recognizes 18 items, including norabo-na, Tomi no Kawagoe-imo, Iwatsuki negi, and shakushi-na—native varieties that have supported the metropolitan food culture.

This article organizes the 18 items in a single list and explains 7 representative items in detail. It introduces varieties with stories unique to Saitama, including "norabo-na," which began as Edo-period famine relief; the history as a kuwai-producing area; and the pickling greens protected in Chichibu's mountains.

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

There is no nationwide unified definition for "heirloom vegetable," and the criteria differ by certifying body. To help you understand this article's content accurately, we organize the criteria of major 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)

This article introduces 18 items using the Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association's certification as its main source. Saitama Prefecture has no official certification system of its own, but preservation activities by regional groups and grower cooperatives are actively carried out. Of the 18 items, the main text focuses on 16 (varieties that circulate generally as vegetables), while kinome (the young shoots of sansho) and bofu (an Apiaceae spice vegetable), whose uses are mainly for condiments and spices, are detailed separately in the "Other regional specialty varieties" section at the end of the article.

What are Saitama's heirloom vegetables? The native varieties nurtured by a food-supply region near Edo

Saitama Prefecture is a region that, since the Edo period, has supplied vegetables to the metropolitan area as "Edo's kitchen." The Kawagoe domain's sweet-potato development, kuwai cultivation along the Ayase River basin, the pickling-green culture of the Chichibu mountains—terrain and history produced diverse native varieties.

The Kawagoe domain and Edo's sweet-potato culture

Area	Representative items	Regional characteristics
Southern prefecture (Saitama, Kawaguchi, Iwatsuki)	Iwatsuki negi, kuwai, beniaka, beka-na, Santo-na, Ochiai fushinari kyuri	A vegetable-supply region near Edo. The water systems of the Ayase and Shiba rivers nurture aquatic plants and leafy greens
Kawagoe-Hiki area	Tomi no Kawagoe-imo, Hiki norabo-na, Saitama ao-daimaru-nasu	The sweet-potato cultivation culture of the Kawagoe domain's territory, the famine-relief vegetables of the Hiki hills
Chichibu area	Shakushi-na, Otaki ingen, Chichibu-ji negi, Chichibu taihaku, Nakatsugawa-imo	The cool climate of the mountainous area. A pickling-green culture that stood in for Chinese cabbage developed
Eastern prefecture (Yashio, Gyoda, Kumagaya, Fukaya)	Shiodome bansei negi, Gyoda zairai edamame	The alluvial land of the Tone and Ara river basins. An experimental ground for modern agriculture since the Meiji era

In the Edo period, large-scale sweet-potato cultivation by the "fallen-leaf compost method" was carried out in Miyoshi-machi and around Tokorozawa in the Kawagoe domain's territory, shipped into the city of Edo under the name "Kawagoe-imo." This farming method, originating in the new-field development of 1694, is still carried on today in the growing region of Tomi no Kawagoe-imo.

Norabo-na and kuwai—famine-relief crops becoming heirloom vegetables

• Hiki norabo-na — a leafy green that saved residents during a mid-Edo famine. Its name derives from "nora-bae" (growing wild in the fields)
• Kuwai — an aquatic crop that relieved farmers along the Ayase River basin in the great flood of 1786. Today an osechi staple
• Gyoda zairai edamame — a rare green soybean collected by the Saitama Prefectural Agricultural Experiment Station in the late 1970s

Among Saitama's heirloom vegetables are several famine-relief crops that sustained residents' lives during famines and disasters. Norabo-na saved the people of the Hiki area in the Tenmei and Tempo famines, and kuwai is said to have supported recovery from the 1786 Arakawa flood—deeply tied to the history of food supply.

Efforts to Protect Native Varieties

• Iwatsuki Negi Club — a revival and outreach activity for Iwatsuki negi, which once disappeared from the market
• Hiki Norabo-na Growers' Cooperative — five western towns and villages cooperate to carry on cultivation
• Saitama Prefectural Agricultural Experiment Station — responsible for the collection, preservation, and trait investigation of native varieties
• Metropolitan-market partnerships — a distribution network with Tokyo's upscale supermarkets and ryotei

A full list of Saitama's 18 heirloom vegetables and a seasonal calendar

We have compiled the 18 Saitama heirloom vegetables certified by the Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association in a list, along with category, growing region, and season. A notable feature is the balance of item genres: 4 sweet-potato-type, 5 leafy-green-type, and 3 leek-type.

Quick-reference table of 18 items

#	Item	Category	Main growing region	Season
1	Hiki norabo-na	Leafy vegetable (Brassicaceae)	Five western towns and villages in Hiki District	Mid- to late February to April
2	Shakushi-na	Pickling greens	Minano-machi and Ogano-machi in Chichibu District, and elsewhere	Late October to November
3	Tomi no Kawagoe-imo	Sweet potato	Kamitome, Miyoshi-machi, Iruma District	From September
4	Beniaka	Sweet potato	Urawa Ward, Saitama City	Late September to early November
5	Iwatsuki negi	Negi	Iwatsuki Ward, Saitama City	October to March
6	Kuwai	Aquatic crop (Alismataceae)	Midori Ward and Iwatsuki Ward, Saitama City	Late November to December
7	Santo-na	Kaizawa fukudachi na	Iwatsuki Ward, Saitama City; Koshigaya City; Yashio City	The 10 days around December 10
8	Otaki ingen	Kidney bean	Otaki district, Chichibu City	September–October
9	Chichibu-ji negi	Negi	Chichibu region	Winter
10	Chichibu taihaku	Sweet potato	Onohara, Chichibu City	Mid-November to mid-December
11	Nakatsugawa-imo	Potato (bareisho)	Otaki district, Chichibu City	Early summer to summer
12	Saitama ao-daimaru-nasu	Eggplant	Tokigawa-machi, Hiki District	Mid-July to early October
13	Ochiai fushinari kyuri	Cucumber	Ochiai, Chuo Ward, Saitama City	Early summer to summer
14	Gyoda zairai edamame	Edamame	Gyoda City, Kumagaya City, Fukaya City, and elsewhere	Late September to mid-October
15	Shiodome bansei negi	Negi	Yashio City	Mid-January–late February
16	Beka-na	Hakusai-type	Iwatsuki Ward, Saitama City; southern Saitama	Centered on late September and March
17	Kinome	Young shoots of sansho	Midori Ward, Saitama City; Kamine district, Kawaguchi City	Spring to summer (*detailed in the specialty-varieties section at the end)
18	Bofu	Apiaceae spice vegetable	Kamine district and Kizoro district, Kawaguchi City	March–May and October to the following August (*detailed in the specialty-varieties section at the end)

That 4 sweet-potato-type items (Tomi no Kawagoe-imo, beniaka, Chichibu taihaku, Nakatsugawa-imo) are included is a feature unique to Saitama, reflecting the sweet-potato cultivation culture of the Kawagoe domain's territory in the Edo period. There are also 5 leafy-green and pickling-green items, from which one can read the history of growing regions spread out with an eye toward shipping to the metropolitan area.

Seasonal calendar (by month)

Month	Items coming into season
February to April	Hiki norabo-na, beka-na (centered on March)
Mid-January–late February	Shiodome bansei negi
Early summer to summer	Ochiai fushinari kyuri, Nakatsugawa-imo, Saitama ao-daimaru-nasu
September	Tomi no Kawagoe-imo, Otaki ingen, beniaka (start), Gyoda zairai edamame, beka-na
October–November	Shakushi-na, beniaka, Otaki ingen, Iwatsuki negi (start)
November–December	Chichibu taihaku, kuwai (late November to December), Santo-na (the 10 days around December 10), Chichibu-ji negi
The following January to March	Iwatsuki negi (through March), Chichibu-ji negi, Hiki norabo-na (from late February)

It centers on autumn-winter types, but different items come into season through all four seasons, such as the spring harvest of Hiki norabo-na and the summer harvest of Ochiai fushinari kyuri. In particular, the extremely short season of Santo-na—"only the 10 days around December 10"—is why, for its demanding growing conditions, it is called a "phantom vegetable."

The characteristics and preparation of 7 representative Saitama heirloom vegetables

From the 18 items, we selected 7 representative ones based on recognition, distribution volume, and influence on food culture.

Hiki norabo-na — the spring leafy green that relieved an Edo-period famine

Season	Mid- to late February to April
Growing region	Five western towns and villages in Hiki District
Well-suited dishes	Ohitashi, karashi-ae, stir-fries, tempura, pasta

Norabo-na is an early-spring leafy green in which the budded stems of a Brassicaceae plant are eaten. It appears in Edo-period documents and is handed down as a famine-relief crop that saved the residents of the Hiki area during the Tenmei and Tempo famines. Its name is said to derive from "nora-bae," and its strength to grow even on wasteland is a feature.

With strong sweetness and a crisp texture, and very high nutritional value, it is an all-purpose vegetable easy to use in both Japanese and Western dishes. Beyond the standard ohitashi and karashi-ae preparations, it is versatile enough to use as a pasta ingredient or in salads.

Shakushi-na — Chichibu's Chinese-cabbage-substitute pickling green

Season	Late October to November
Growing region	Minano-machi and Ogano-machi in Chichibu District, and elsewhere
Well-suited dishes	Shakushi-na pickles, stir-fries, miso soup, ohitashi

Shakushi-na is a pickling green with pale-green leaves and pure-white stems, shaped like a shakushi (ladle). Introduced from China in the early Meiji era, it has long been grown in the Chichibu region as a pickling vegetable in areas at high elevation unsuited to Chinese cabbage cultivation.

With a crisp texture and a distinctive pungency and bitterness, salt-pickled "shakushi-na pickles" is a leading Chichibu local dish. Also enjoyed locally in stir-fries and as a miso-soup ingredient, it is a standard Chichibu-tourism souvenir product too.

Tomi no Kawagoe-imo — the fluffy sweet potato continuing since the Edo period

Season	From September
Growing region	Kamitome, Miyoshi-machi, Iruma District
Well-suited dishes	Roasted sweet potato, tempura, wagashi, steamed sweet potato

Tomi no Kawagoe-imo is a sweet potato grown in Kamitome, Miyoshi-machi, Iruma District, by the traditional "fallen-leaf compost method" originating in the new-field development of 1694. In the Edo period it was shipped in large quantities from the Kawagoe domain's territory into the city of Edo and was beloved under the name "Kawagoe-imo."

With a fluffy texture and strong sweetness, it is used widely for roasted and steamed sweet potato, tempura, and as a wagashi ingredient. Miyoshi-machi's "fallen-leaf compost method" was certified as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) in July 2023, a traditional farming method drawing global attention.

Beniaka — the kinton sweet potato discovered in 1898

Season	Late September to early November
Growing region	Urawa Ward, Saitama City
Well-suited dishes	Kinton, dried sweet potato, sweet potato dessert, kuri-kinton

Beniaka is a native sweet potato discovered in 1898 (Meiji 31) by a farmer in Harigaya, Urawa Ward, Saitama City. With a vividly red-purple skin, yellow flesh, and strong mealiness, it combines sweetness and fluffiness, and in the Taisho to early Showa era it spread to the point of accounting for about 90% of Saitama Prefecture's sweet-potato planting area.

Because it is mealy and high in sugar, it is ideal for processing uses such as kinton, dried sweet potato, and sweet potato dessert. Production has declined today with the rise of new varieties, but as "the pinnacle for kinton" it has die-hard demand.

Iwatsuki negi — a tillering leek that appears in classic Edo-period rakugo

Season	October to the following March
Growing region	Iwatsuki Ward, Saitama City
Well-suited dishes	Hot pot, grilled leek, condiment, sukiyaki

Iwatsuki negi is a distinctive native leek in which 10–15 leeks tiller from a single plant. A variety with history that appears even in the classic Edo-period rakugo "Tarachine," it is characterized by a short green part and a white part tinged with green.

Because its tenderness makes the leaves break easily, it was unsuited to modern mass transport and mass display and once disappeared from the market, but through the revival movement of the "Iwatsuki Negi Club" it can now again be obtained at farm stands and local restaurants.

Kuwai — an auspicious item indispensable to osechi

Season	Late November to December
Growing region	Midori Ward and Iwatsuki Ward, Saitama City
Well-suited dishes	Osechi (simmered dishes), deep-fried, chawanmushi, takikomi gohan

Kuwai is an Alismataceae aquatic crop whose corm part is eaten. Cultivation began along the Ayase River basin in mid-Edo, and it has a history of supporting recovery from the great flood of 1786. Because its sprouted form connects to "medetai" (auspicious), it is prized as an auspicious item for osechi dishes.

A fluffy, chestnut- or potato-like texture and a faint bitterness are its features. Simmered dishes are the standard, but deep-fried plain with a sprinkle of salt it also makes a fine snack. Midori Ward and Iwatsuki Ward of Saitama City are among Japan's leading kuwai-producing areas, where harvest begins from the peat land in late November.

Santo-na — the "phantom vegetable" of only the 10 days around December 10

Season	The 10 days around December 10
Growing region	Iwatsuki Ward, Saitama City; Koshigaya City; Yashio City
Well-suited dishes	Asazuke, bettara-zuke, ohitashi, hot pot

Santo-na is a Brassicaceae vegetable that came to Japan in 1875 (Meiji 8), characterized by forming a semi-head rather than heading like Chinese cabbage. At a huge size of 6–7 kg per plant, its flesh is tender and ideal for pickles.

Growing conditions are very demanding, with a suitable window of only about 10 days around December 10. For this it is called a "phantom vegetable," and miss the season and you wait until the following year. It is now grown only by limited farms in Iwatsuki Ward, Koshigaya City, and Yashio City—a rare variety with extremely small distribution.

Regional character—the southern prefecture, Kawagoe-Hiki, Chichibu, and the east

Saitama's 16 items (excluding kinome and bofu) are distributed across four areas: the southern prefecture, Kawagoe-Hiki, Chichibu, and the east.

Southern prefecture area (Saitama City, Kawaguchi City, Iwatsuki Ward, Koshigaya, Yashio)

• Iwatsuki negi(Iwatsuki Ward, Saitama City) — a tillering native leek
• Kuwai(Midori Ward and Iwatsuki Ward, Saitama City) — an osechi auspicious item
• Beniaka(Urawa Ward, Saitama City) — a mealy kinton sweet potato
• Santo-na(Iwatsuki Ward, Koshigaya City, Yashio City) — a phantom vegetable harvested only around December 10
• Beka-na(Iwatsuki Ward, southern Saitama) — originating from the thinnings of Santo-na
• Ochiai fushinari kyuri(Ochiai, Chuo Ward, Saitama City) — the prototype of the prewar nationally distributed cucumber

Kawagoe-Hiki area (Miyoshi, western Hiki District, Tokigawa)

• Tomi no Kawagoe-imo(Kamitome, Miyoshi-machi, Iruma District) — a sweet potato from the Edo period by the fallen-leaf compost method
• Hiki norabo-na(five western towns and villages of Hiki District) — the spring leafy green that relieved a famine
• Saitama ao-daimaru-nasu(Tokigawa-machi, Hiki District) — a drawstring-purse-shaped eggplant for narazuke

Chichibu area (Chichibu City, Minano, Ogano)

• Shakushi-na(Minano-machi and Ogano-machi in Chichibu District, and elsewhere) — a Chinese-cabbage-substitute pickling green
• Otaki ingen(Otaki district, Chichibu City) — a broad, string-less native green bean
• Chichibu-ji negi(Chichibu region) — a Chichibu native green-leaf leek
• Chichibu taihaku(Onohara, Chichibu City) — a white-fleshed sweet potato selected in 1918
• Nakatsugawa-imo(Otaki district, Chichibu City) — a pale-pink, sticky sweet potato

The Chichibu area is a region where the cool climate of the mountains and a distinctive food culture remain, boasting the largest concentration of 5 items. Shakushi-na pickles and Chichibu taihaku roasted sweet potato are popular as food pleasures of Chichibu tourism, too.

Eastern area (Yashio, Gyoda, Kumagaya, Fukaya)

• Shiodome bansei negi(Yashio City) — a native leek introduced in the Edo period
• Gyoda zairai edamame(Gyoda City, Kumagaya City, Fukaya City, and elsewhere) — a rare late-maturing green soybean

How to buy Saitama's heirloom vegetables and tips for storing them

Saitama's heirloom vegetables have good access from the metropolitan area and are in an environment where they are easy to obtain at growing-region farm stands, roadside stations, JA farm stands, and through hometown-tax donations. Processed goods such as Tomi no Kawagoe-imo and shakushi-na pickles can be bought year-round, while fresh vegetables are limited to the seasonal window.

In-prefecture direct-sales outlets / roadside stations

Item	Main sources	Timing
Hiki norabo-na	Farm stands in western Hiki District, Michi-no-Eki Ogawamachi	February to April
Shakushi-na	Farm stands in Chichibu City and Minano-machi, Michi-no-Eki Minano	October–November
Tomi no Kawagoe-imo	Farm stands in Miyoshi-machi, Michi-no-Eki Ichigo no Sato	September–December
Beniaka	Farm stands within Saitama City (limited)	September to November
Iwatsuki negi	Farm stands within Iwatsuki Ward, Iwatsuki Negi Club	October to March
Kuwai	Farm stands in Midori Ward and Iwatsuki Ward, Saitama City	Late November to December
Santo-na	Direct farm sales in Iwatsuki, Koshigaya, and Yashio (limited)	Around December 10

Because all the growing regions are within a day-trip of the metropolitan area, visiting the site to match the season is the surest way to get them. In particular, since Santo-na's season is only 10 days, miss the visiting window and you wait until the following year.

Mail order / hometown tax to outside the prefecture

• Tomi no Kawagoe-imo — Sold year-round as a Miyoshi-machi hometown-tax donation gift (autumn-winter fresh potatoes + processed goods)
• Shakushi-na pickles — Available year-round by mail order as a processed good. A standard Chichibu souvenir
• Kuwai — Shipped to metropolitan greengrocers and upscale supermarkets on a year-end-only basis
• Beniaka — In limited quantities by mail order and as a Saitama City hometown-tax donation gift
• Hiki norabo-na — Shipped to direct-from-farm EC and Tokyo's upscale supermarkets on a spring-only basis

Storage methods by item

Item	Short-term storage	Long-term storage
Hiki norabo-na	In damp newspaper, three days in the vegetable compartment	Boil quickly and freeze (2 weeks)
Shakushi-na	Moisten and keep 3 days in the vegetable compartment	Salt-pickling (shakushi-na pickles, 1–2 months)
Tomi no Kawagoe-imo	In newspaper in a cool, dark place (wrapped in newspaper, 2–3 months)	Make into roasted sweet potato and freeze (1 month)
Beniaka	In newspaper in a cool, dark place for 1–2 months	Dried-sweet-potato processing (half a year or more)
Iwatsuki negi	Wrap in newspaper and keep 1 week in the vegetable compartment	Chop and freeze (1 month)
Kuwai	Soak in water and refrigerate for 1 week	Boil and then freeze (1 month)
Santo-na	Whole in a cool, dark place for 1 week	Salt-pickling (1–2 months)

Sweet-potato-type items keep for several months stored in newspaper in a cool, dark place. Leafy greens lose freshness quickly, so blanching and freezing them right after purchase is the trick to keeping them fresh.

Efforts to protect Saitama's heirloom vegetables

To sustain the 18 native varieties, activities in partnership among grower cooperatives, local governments, and restaurants continue.

The revival project of the Iwatsuki Negi Club

Timing	Event
Edo period	Grown as a tillering leek in Iwatsuki Ward, Saitama City. Appears in the classic rakugo "Tarachine"
Late Showa	Production plummeted because the leaves break easily and are difficult to transport
2000s	The "Iwatsuki Negi Club" was launched. Began revival cultivation of the native variety
Present	Distribution at farm stands and local restaurants took hold. Also a hometown-tax donation gift

Reviving a "native variety weak to transport" hinged on changing distribution. By steering from mass distribution to local production for local consumption, Iwatsuki negi regained its cycle of production and consumption.

Tomi no Kawagoe-imo and the fallen-leaf compost method

• Kamitome district, Miyoshi-machi — since the new-field development of 1694, a sustainable farming method using fallen-leaf compost has been carried on
• Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) certification application — an international application was advanced in 2023, and the value of the traditional farming method was reappraised
• Generational change among farmers — the entry of young farmers and the shift to tourist farms strengthen the brand

The fallen-leaf compost method is a cyclical farming method in which fallen leaves are gathered from coppice woodland, spread on the fields, and used as leaf mold. Because it maintains sweet-potato quality without chemical fertilizer, it draws attention as a fine case that achieves both environmental conservation and the succession of heirloom vegetables at once.

FAQ

Other regional specialty varieties

These items are included in the Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association's list, but here we introduce items with uses—as condiments and spice vegetables—different from the general category of "vegetable" separately as "regional specialty varieties." Both are important native crops representative of Saitama's food culture.

Item	Category	Growing region	Characteristics and standing
Kinome	Young shoots of sansho	Midori Ward, Saitama City; Kamine district, Kawaguchi City	The young shoots of sansho. Used for medicinal purposes since the Nara and Heian eras, cultivation began in the Meiji era. With a distinctive aroma and a slight bitterness, it is used as a garnish and condiment in Japanese cuisine
Bofu	Apiaceae spice vegetable	Kamine district and Kizoro district, Kawaguchi City	A spice vegetable with an aroma and bitterness resembling seri. Used as a garnish for sashimi. Seed was introduced from the Kashima area of Ibaraki Prefecture in mid-Edo, and it is a Saitama specialty that accounts for an 80% national share

Summary

Saitama's 18 heirloom vegetables are native varieties with a history of supporting the metropolitan food supply—the sweet-potato cultivation of the Kawagoe domain's territory in the Edo period, the kuwai of the Ayase River basin, the norabo-na of the Hiki area, the pickling-green culture of Chichibu, and more. Kawagoe-imo, norabo-na, and Iwatsuki negi are advancing in revival activities and can again be seen at Tokyo's restaurants.

You can enjoy different native varieties by season: Hiki norabo-na in spring; beniaka and Tomi no Kawagoe-imo in autumn; Iwatsuki negi, shakushi-na, kuwai, and Santo-na in winter. A trip touring Saitama's growing-region farm stands, easy to visit even on a day-trip from the metropolitan area, is recommended as an introduction to the world of heirloom vegetables, too.

References / information sources

• Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association "Saitama Prefecture's heirloom vegetables" — The certification list of 18 items and their characteristics
• Saitama Prefecture "SAITAMA Wasshoi!" — Brand information on prefecture-grown produce
• JA Group Saitama "Saitama's agricultural products" — A guide to the prefecture's agricultural products

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