What are Kochi’s heirloom vegetables? Features, season, and ways to eat the 32 varieties organized by the association (Irikauchi daikon, Hirooka turnip, shihochiku) explained

Kochi Prefecture's heirloom vegetables are varieties handed down amid diverse terrain—the warm southern Nankoku and Muroto on the Pacific coast, the Niyodo River basin, the Shimanto River basin, and the mountainous parts of the Shikoku Mountains (Otoyo, Niyodogawa, Motoyama, and Ochi).The Japan Traditional Vegetable Promotion Associationorganizes 32 heirloom varieties of Kochi Prefecture, spanning many classification categories—4 daikon, 6 turnips, 8 legumes, and 2 eggplants, plus leafy vegetables, gourds, fruit vegetables, and grains.

We introduce items handed down in Tosa, such as the Irikawachi daikon with a red-purple neck at 4–5 kg, the Hirooka kabu at 800–1,000 g, Otoyo's black kidney bean "Ginbozu," the botanasu over 500 g, Nankoku's shihochiku, and the Yamauchi-family heirloom daikon of Tosayama, Kochi City.

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

Certifying body	Main criteria
Kyoto Prefecture "Kyoto Heirloom Vegetables"	Cultivation history predating the Meiji era, covering the entire prefecture
Osaka Prefecture "Naniwa Heirloom Vegetables"	Cultivated within Osaka Prefecture from roughly 100 or more years ago
Nagano Prefecture "Shinshu Heirloom Vegetable Certification System"	Cultivation, food culture, and varietal traits from before the 1955–1964 period
Kochi Prefecture	Prefecture-affiliated institutions organize native varieties as "Tosa's traditional crops." However, a prefecture's own "heirloom vegetable" certification system has not been confirmed as of the time of writing. JA, municipalities, and preservation societies support regional branding

In this article, among the native varieties of Kochi Prefecture organized by the Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association, we organize the main items by classification. Because there are many items, we explain 7 representative items in detail in the main section and introduce the others in a list table.

List of main heirloom vegetables of Kochi

Daikon and turnips

Item	Features	Growing region	Season
Irikawachi daikon	Red-purple neck, large at 4–5 kg	Irikawachi, Aki City	Late December to early February (Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association)
Nakaoi daikon	Red neck, sweet	Nakaoi-taihei, Ino Town	Late November to mid-February
Daido no mukashi daikon	Red-purple surface	Towa-daido, Shimanto Town	December to March
Yamauchi-family heirloom daikon	Low in pungency, juicy	Tosayama, Kochi City	December to February
Hirooka kabu	800–1,000 g, sweet	Hirooka, Haruno-cho, Kochi City	Late November to early February
Daido no mukashi kabu	Red-purple, suited to simmered dishes	Towa-daido, Shimanto Town	December to March
Taihei kabu	Red-purple, sweet and juicy	Ochi Town	November to February
Tamura kabu	Red-purple, large at 2–3 kg	Niyodogawa Town	November to February
Nan'etsu kabu	Pale red, firm flesh	Kochi City, Ino Town	December to March
Yakibata no kabu	An old variety with leaves resembling daikon	Mountainous parts of the prefecture	(Seasonal information limited)

Legumes

Item	Features	Growing region	Season
Ginbozu	Black appearance, a sweet native kidney bean	Nishitoyonaga, Otoyo Town	September to November
Murasaki-mame	Purple kidney bean	Otoyo Town	November
Tamago-burou	White kidney bean	Otoyo Town	November
Tosa native ingen	Two kinds, white and purple	Kochi City	November onward
Chosen-mame	Deep purple	Kochi City	November onward
Hasshomame	Gray mottling on a white ground	Kochi City	November onward
Hachimaki soybean	A soybean with white streaks on brown (native soybean)	Kochi City	November onward
Aki-mame	Tender pods	Tosa City	November to May

Eggplant, cucumber, leafy vegetables, and others

Item	Features	Growing region	Season
Tooichi nasu	Small, deep black-purple	Nankoku City, Shimanto City, Tsuno Town, Yusuhara Town	Year-round (year-round production)
Botanasu	Large, over 500 g	Hinata, Kiragawa-cho, Muroto City	July–October
Four cucumber lineages (Taisho native, Sakawa native, Otoyo native, Yamauchi-family heirloom)	A group of regional native cucumbers	Within the prefecture (no specific growing-region column noted in the association's compilation)	June–September
Shihochiku	A bamboo shoot with a square cross-section (native to southern China. Introduced to Shirakidani, Nankoku City, around 1877 (Meiji 10) / association)	Nankoku City	Late October to November
Utsue-na	A richly flavored leafy vegetable	Kochi City	November–March
Mochi-na	Tender and sweet	Kochi City	November–December
Daido no mukashi takana	Moderate pungency	Towa-daido, Shimanto Town	December–April
Negitani negi	Tender and richly flavored	Mitani and Utsue, Kochi City	November onward
Ha-ninniku	Edible garlic leaves	Nankoku City	Early November to the end of December
Ninjin-imo	Orange, suited to dried sweet potato	Mainly the western part of the prefecture	Mid-November
Itadori (Japanese knotweed)	A sour wild species	Tosayama, Kochi City	Late March to early May
Native soba	Small-grained and highly fragrant	Asemigawa, Motoyama Town	December
Tosa native watermelon	A small barrel-shaped watermelon	Within the prefecture	August

Characteristics and how to eat the 7 representative Kochi heirloom vegetables

Irikawachi daikon — a large red-purple-necked daikon at 4–5 kg

Season	Late December to early February (Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association)
Growing region	Irikawachi, Aki City
Well-suited dishes	Simmered dishes, oden, pickles, salads

Irikawachi daikon is a native daikon grown in Irikawachi, Aki City—a large daikon with a red-purple neck and a weight reaching 4–5 kg. The flesh is firm and holds its shape well even when simmered. Cultivation continues locally as an item that colors Kochi's winter table.

Its texture and color can be enjoyed in simmered dishes, oden, and pickles. It is shipped at direct-sales outlets in Aki City from late December to early February (Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association).

Hirooka kabu — a large 800–1,000 g turnip from Haruno-cho, Kochi

Season	Late November to early February
Growing region	Hirooka, Haruno-cho, Kochi City
Well-suited dishes	Vinegar pickles, light pickles, simmered dishes, kabura-mushi

Hirooka kabu is a native turnip grown in Hirooka, Haruno-cho, Kochi City, distinguished by a large head of 800–1,000 g per piece—over three times an ordinary turnip (200–300 g). It is sweet, and its texture comes alive in pickles, simmered dishes, and kabura-mushi.

It is shipped at direct-sales outlets in Haruno-cho, Kochi City, in its season from late November to early February.

Ginbozu — a native kidney bean from Nishitoyonaga, Otoyo Town

Season	September to November
Growing region	Nishitoyonaga district, Otoyo Town
Well-suited dishes	Simmered beans, amanatto, black-bean rice

Ginbozu is a native kidney bean grown in the Nishitoyonaga district of Otoyo Town, distinguished by black-brown grains and strong sweetness. An item handed down in Kochi's mountainous parts, it is used in simmered beans, amanatto, and more.

It is harvested within Otoyo Town in its season of September to November and distributed year-round as processed products.

Botanasu — a large eggplant over 500 g from Hinata, Muroto City

Season	July–October
Growing region	Hinata district, Kiragawa-cho, Muroto City
Well-suited dishes	Dengaku, grilled eggplant, simmered dishes, agebitashi

Botanasu is a large eggplant grown in the Hinata district of Kiragawa-cho, Muroto City, with some individuals exceeding 500 g each. It takes on a melt-in-your-mouth texture when cooked and suits dishes that make the most of its large size, such as dengaku, grilled eggplant, and agebitashi.

It is shipped at direct-sales outlets in Muroto City in its season of July to October.

Shihochiku — a square-cross-section bamboo shoot from Nankoku City

Season	Late October to November
Growing region	Nankoku City
Well-suited dishes	Simmered dishes, tempura, stir-fries, sunomono

Shihochiku is a perennial evergreen bamboo native to southern China, and its cultivation is said to have begun when a person from Shirakidani, Nankoku City, brought it back from China around 1877 (Meiji 10) (Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association). It is distinguished by its unusual square cross-section and by having its harvest season in the autumn of October–November. It differs in both lineage and season from ordinary bamboo shoots that come into season in spring (such as moso bamboo).

Its texture comes alive in simmered dishes, tempura, and stir-fries, and it is Nankoku City's autumn specialty. It is shipped at direct-sales outlets in Nankoku City during the short period from late October to November.

Yamauchi-family heirloom daikon and the four Tosa native cucumber lineages — lineages associated with the former feudal lord's family

Season	Daikon: December–February / cucumber: June–September
Growing region	Tosayama, Kochi City
Well-suited dishes	Daikon: simmered dishes, salads / cucumber: light pickles, salads

Yamauchi-family heirloom daikon is a juicy, low-pungency native daikon handed down in the Tosayama district of Kochi City as associated with the Yamauchi family, the former lords of the Tosa domain. Meanwhile, the four cucumber lineages (Taisho native, Sakawa native, Otoyo native, Yamauchi-family heirloom) are organized by the Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association as a group of regional native varieties remaining across the prefecture.

The daikon is shipped at direct-sales outlets in Tosayama, Kochi City, from December to February. For the four cucumbers, the association's compilation notes no specific growing-region information.

Utsue-na — a richly flavored leafy vegetable from Kochi City

Season	November–March
Growing region	Kochi City
Well-suited dishes	Ohitashi, dressed salads, miso soup, pickles

Utsue-na is a native leafy vegetable handed down in the Utsue district of Kochi City, distinguished by its rich flavor. As a winter-to-early-spring ingredient, it is used in ohitashi, dressed salads, miso soup, and pickles.

It is shipped at JA direct-sales outlets within Kochi City in its season of November to March.

How to buy Kochi's heirloom vegetables

Item	Main sources	Timing
Irikawachi daikon	Direct-sales outlets in Aki City	Late December to early February
Hirooka kabu	Direct-sales outlets in Haruno-cho, Kochi City	Late November to early February
Ginbozu	Direct-sales outlets in Otoyo Town, processed products year-round	September to November
Botanasu	Direct-sales outlets in Kiragawa-cho, Muroto City	July–October
Shihochiku	JA direct-sales outlets in Nankoku City, water-boiled processed products	Late October to November
Yamauchi-family heirloom daikon and cucumber	Direct-sales outlets in Tosayama, Kochi City	Daikon December–February, cucumber June–September
Utsue-na	JA direct-sales outlets within Kochi City	November–March

FAQ

Summary

Kochi's heirloom vegetables comprise 32 varieties spanning from the Pacific coast to the Shikoku Mountains, organized by the Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association. With items unique to each terrain—4 daikon, 6 turnips, 8 legumes, and more—Irikawachi daikon, Hirooka kabu, Ginbozu, botanasu, shihochiku, Yamauchi-family heirloom daikon, and Utsue-na have long been used locally as representative items.

References / information sources

• Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association "Kochi Prefecture"
• National Agriculture and Food Research Organization Genebank "Native Variety Database"

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