What are Kagoshima’s heirloom vegetables? Features, season, and ways to eat the 24 items organized by the association (Sakurajima daikon, Anno sweet potato, handama) explained

The heirloom vegetables of Kagoshima Prefecture are a group of varieties passed down in growing regions with differing terrain—from the Satsuma and Osumi Peninsulas with the volcanic soils of Sakurajima and Mount Kaimon, to island groups such as Tanegashima, Yakushima, Amami Oshima, and the Tokara Islands, to the mountainous Kirishima mountain range.The Japan Traditional Vegetable Promotion Associationorganizes Kagoshima Prefecture's 23 heirloom vegetables.

We introduce items handed down in Satsuma, Osumi, and the islands, including the Guinness World Record–certified Sakurajima daikon, Tanegashima's Anno-imo, Yakushima's kawahiko, oyakui-imo, and koki-imo, Amami's handama and furu, and the Satsuma o-naga reishi (bitter gourd).

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
Kagoshima Prefecture, “Heirloom Vegetables of Kagoshima”	Vegetables that the prefecture selects as deeply tied to Kagoshima's environment and food culture, cultivated within the prefecture generally from before 1945 (23 items / Kagoshima Prefecture official)

In this article, we organize Kagoshima Prefecture's 23 items, as arranged by the Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association, by category, and explain 7 representative items in detail in the main text.

A list of Kagoshima's 23 heirloom vegetables

6 daikon-type items

Item	Features	Growing region	Season
Sakurajima daikon	Guinness-certified, up to 31.1 kg	Sakurajima, Kagoshima City	Late December to February
Ara daikon	Root weight 2 to 4 kg, excellent flesh quality	Northern Amami Oshima	December to January
Kaimon-dake daikon	Up to 20 kg, tender flesh	Kaimon Town, Ibusuki	Late December to January
Kokubu daikon	Distinctive pungency and suitability for pickling	Hayato Town, Kirishima	Late December to January
Yamagawa daikon	For local cuisine	Yamagawa Town, Ibusuki	Mid-December to January
Yokogawa daikon	Ideal for namasu	Yokogawa, Kirishima	November to January

7 tuber and leaf-stalk items

Item	Features	Growing region	Season
Anno-imo	The representative “sweet honey potato”	Tanegashima	September–December
Oyakui-imo	A taro-type in which the mother corm grows large for eating	Yakushima Town	November–March
Kawahiko (mochi-imo)	A taro-type native variety of Yakushima. Locally also called “mochi-imo”	Yakushima Town	November to mid-March
Koki-imo	A Yakushima native sweet-potato type, high in sugar as a baked sweet potato	Yakushima Town	August–November
Tokara ta-imo	A taro grown exclusively in paddy fields	Toshima Village (Tokara Islands)	Mid-October to March
Toimogara	The leaf stalk of the hasu-imo. Used in soups, vinegared dishes, and the like	Aira and others	June
Migashiki	The leaf stalk of taro (zuiki), with a crisp texture	Aira and others	June

Eggplant, gourd, chili, and fruit vegetables

Item	Features	Growing region	Season
Ishiki naga-nasu	30 to 50 cm, does not toughen even if harvested late	Ishiki, Kagoshima City	July to mid-September
Shiro-nasu	Low in astringency, can also be eaten raw	All of Kagoshima	July to mid-September
Satsuma o-naga reishi	Bitter gourd, 35 to 40 cm long	All of Kagoshima	July–September
Naga-ui / ito-ui	Sponge gourd, eaten in the immature stage	All of Kagoshima	July–October
Hanaoka kosho	Mellow heat	Hanaoka, Kanoya	September to November
Hayato-uri (Hayato gourd)	A cucurbit fruit vegetable introduced to Kagoshima in the early Taisho period. Used in pickles and stir-fries	All of Kagoshima	October–November
Yabo suika	A native large watermelon with white to pale-yellow flesh and a crisp texture. Under good growing conditions it reaches 14 to 16 kg (association). After cultivation nearly died out in the Yabo district of the former Higashiichiki Town, seeds preserved at a seed company in Nara made a homecoming in 2004 and revived it	Hioki City (Yabo, former Higashiichiki Town)	Early to mid-August

Leafy greens, condiments, and carrot

Item	Features	Growing region	Season
Handama	Kinjiso, rich in iron	Amami City and others	Year-round
Furu	Leaf garlic, strongly aromatic	Amami City	January to March
Yoshino carrot	30 to 40 cm, strongly aromatic	Yoshino, Kagoshima City	Late November to early January

Characteristics and preparation of 7 representative Kagoshima heirloom vegetables

Sakurajima daikon — a Guinness-certified daikon among the world's largest

Season	Late December to February
Growing region	Sakurajima, Kagoshima City
Well-suited dishes	Simmered dishes, furofuki daikon, pickles, oden

Sakurajima daikon is among the world's largest daikon, cultivated on Sakurajima in Kagoshima City; in 2003 a specimen of 31.1 kg was certified by Guinness World Records as the “heaviest daikon in the world.” Sakurajima's volcanic-ash soil and warm climate grow this giant size. Its flesh is dense and sweet, and its texture can be enjoyed in simmered dishes, furofuki daikon, and pickles.

In its season of late December to February, it ships from JA farm stands on Sakurajima in Kagoshima City.

Anno-imo — Tanegashima's sweet honey potato

Season	September–December
Growing region	Tanegashima
Well-suited dishes	Baked sweet potato, sweet-potato confections, steamed potato, tempura

Anno-imo is a sweet potato passed down in the Anno district of Nishinoomote on Tanegashima. Its origin is said to be the cultivation in the same district, after the war (around 1947), of potato seedlings that a repatriated soldier returning from the south is said to have brought back from Sumatra. After selection and breeding at the Kumage Branch of the Kagoshima Prefectural Agricultural Experiment Station, it was registered as varieties in 1998 under the names “Anno-beni” and “Anno-kogane,” and in September 2022 it was registered under the Geographical Indication protection system as GI “Tanegashima Anno-imo” (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries). Distributed nationwide as a “sweet honey potato” that overflows with honey when baked, its sticky texture and strong sweetness stand out in baked sweet potato, sweet-potato confections, and steamed potato.

In its season of September to December, it also ships outside the prefecture via farm stands on Tanegashima, hometown tax donations, and mail order.

Kaimon-dake daikon — the Satsuma Peninsula daikon up to 20 kg

Season	Late December to January
Growing region	Kaimon Town, Ibusuki
Well-suited dishes	Simmered dishes, oden, pickles, grated daikon

Kaimon-dake daikon is a native daikon cultivated in Kaimon Town, Ibusuki, characterized by a large size reaching up to 20 kg and tender flesh. It grows in the volcanic-ash soil of Mount Kaimon and the warm climate of southern Satsuma.

You can enjoy the texture of the large roots in simmered dishes, oden, pickles, and grated daikon. In its season of late December to January, it ships at farm stands within Ibusuki.

Handama — Amami's kinjiso

Season	Year-round
Growing region	Amami City and others
Well-suited dishes	Ohitashi, dressed dishes, tempura, stir-fries

Handama is a leafy green cultivated in the Amami region; it is a native variety of the same plant (Gynura bicolor, family Asteraceae) also called “handama” in Okinawa and “kinjiso” in Ishikawa Prefecture. Prized in Amami's diet for its distinctive appearance—purple on the underside of the leaves—and its rich iron content.

Used in ohitashi, dressed dishes, tempura, and stir-fries, its cultivation period spans a long stretch. It is distributed at farm stands within Amami City.

Satsuma o-naga reishi — a large bitter gourd of 35 to 40 cm

Season	July–September
Growing region	All of Kagoshima
Well-suited dishes	Goya chanpuru, dressed dishes, tempura, stir-fries

Satsuma o-naga reishi is a large bitter gourd (goya) 35 to 40 cm long, cultivated throughout Kagoshima. Far larger than common goya (around 20 cm), it is used on the summer table as an ingredient for goya chanpuru and dressed dishes.

In its season of July to September, it is distributed at JA farm stands and supermarkets within Kagoshima Prefecture.

Ishiki naga-nasu — the 30-to-50 cm long eggplant of Ishiki, Kagoshima City

Season	July to mid-September
Growing region	Ishiki district, Kagoshima City
Well-suited dishes	Grilled eggplant, agebitashi, dengaku, simmered dishes

Ishiki naga-nasu is a long eggplant cultivated in the Ishiki district of Kagoshima City, characterized by a large size reaching 30 to 50 cm long and a good texture that does not toughen even if harvested late.

You can enjoy its tender flesh in grilled eggplant, agebitashi, dengaku, and simmered dishes. In its season of July to mid-September, it is distributed at JA farm stands within Kagoshima City.

Oyakui-imo — Yakushima's taro in which the mother corm grows large for eating

Season	November–March
Growing region	Yakushima Town
Well-suited dishes	Simmered dishes, dengaku, fukumeni, imoni

Oyakui-imo is a native taro variety passed down in Yakushima Town, of a type in which the mother corm, not the offsets, is grown large for eating. Its appeal is flesh that is sticky yet resists falling apart when cooked, and it is cultivated in Yakushima's warm, rainy climate and volcanic soil.

Its texture comes through in simmered dishes, dengaku, fukumeni, and imoni, and in its season of November to March it is distributed at farm stands within Yakushima.

How to buy Kagoshima's heirloom vegetables

Item	Main sources	Timing
Sakurajima daikon	JA farm stands on Sakurajima, Kagoshima City	Late December to February
Anno-imo	Farm stands within Tanegashima, nationwide mail order and hometown tax donations	September to December (winter to spring after curing)
Kaimon-dake daikon	Farm stands in Kaimon Town, Ibusuki	Late December to January
Handama	Farm stands within Amami City, mail order	Year-round
Satsuma o-naga reishi	JA farm stands and supermarkets within Kagoshima Prefecture	July–September
Ishiki naga-nasu	JA farm stands in Ishiki, Kagoshima City	July to mid-September
Oyakui-imo	Farm stands in Yakushima Town	November–March

FAQ

Summary

Kagoshima's heirloom vegetables span 23 items across the mainland and islands—Kagoshima City, Sakurajima, Ibusuki, Kirishima, Kanoya, Aira, Hioki, Tanegashima, Yakushima, Amami, and the Tokara Islands. Mainland items on volcanic soil and items of the islands and mountains line up by region, including Sakurajima daikon (Guinness-certified), Anno-imo (honey potato), Kaimon-dake daikon, handama (kinjiso), Satsuma o-naga reishi, Ishiki naga-nasu, and oyakui-imo.

References / information sources

• Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association, “Kagoshima Prefecture”
• National Agriculture and Food Research Organization Genebank "Native Variety Database"

Related articles

• Heirloom vegetables of Japan
• Heirloom vegetables of Miyazaki
• Heirloom vegetables of Oita
• Heirloom vegetables of Kumamoto (Higo vegetables)