What are Yamanashi’s heirloom vegetables? Features, season, and ways to eat the 13 items explained

Yamanashi's heirloom vegetables are a group of varieties handed down amid diverse terrain and elevation differences — the volcanic-ash soil of the foot of Mt. Fuji, the alluvial fans of the Kofu Basin, the foot of the Southern Alps, the southern foot of the Yatsugatake, and the Minobu mountains.The Japan Traditional Vegetable Promotion Associationrecognizes 13 items, including a diverse lineup nurtured by elevation differences and water resources — Akebono daizu, Otsuka ninjin, Narusawa-na, mizukake-na, and Yahata-imo.

This article organizes the 13 items in a list and gives a detailed look at 7 representatives. It introduces Yamanashi's heirloom varieties — the large-grained soybean "Akebono daizu" of the Akebono district in Minobu town, "Otsuka ninjin" reaching 80–120 cm, "mizukake-na" grown with Mt. Fuji's spring water, and "Mogura uri" carried on for over 100 years at the foot of the Southern Alps at about 800–900 m elevation.

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 13 items using the certification of the Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association as its main source. Yamanashi Prefecture has no official certification system of its own, but the Yamanashi Prefecture Agricultural Policy Department and municipalities support the preservation and distribution of heirloom varieties as regional brands. Of the 13 items, the main text centers on 12, while "kogomi," the young sprout of the wild ostrich fern, is positioned differently from a strict cultivated heirloom variety, so it is introduced separately in the "Other local specialty varieties" section at the end.

What are Yamanashi's heirloom vegetables? A food culture nurtured by the elevation differences of Fuji, Yatsugatake, and the Southern Alps

Yamanashi Prefecture is notable for a combination of elevation differences and terrain — the foot of Mt. Fuji, the southern foot of the Yatsugatake, the foot of the Southern Alps, the Kofu Basin, and the Minobu mountains. Though a landlocked prefecture with no sea, the subsurface water of Fuji, the volcanic-ash soil of Mt. Fuji, and the clear streams of the Southern Alps create distinctive growing environments, nurturing both highland vegetables and basin vegetables.

The 4 areas and item distribution

Area	Representative items	Regional characteristics
Northern foot of Mt. Fuji (Narusawa, Fujiyoshida, Tsuru, Kawaguchiko)	Narusawa-na, mizukake-na, yamato-imo	The volcanic-ash soil and subsurface water of Mt. Fuji. Winter vegetables and a preserved-food culture
Kyohoku (Hokuto, Kai)	Asao daikon, benibana ingen, Masutomi kyuri, Yahata-imo	The highlands of the southern foot of the Yatsugatake and the western edge of the Kofu Basin
Kyosei and Kyonan (Ichikawamisato, Minobu, Hayakawa)	Otsuka ninjin, Akebono daizu, o-nappa, Mogura uri	The foot of the Southern Alps and the Minobu mountains. Mountainous land with elevation differences
Fuji and eastern (Tabayama village and others)	Ochiai-imo	A mountain village at the source of the Tama River. Ochiai-imo was transmitted from the old Enzan area to Tabayama village in the Warring States period and is now carried on in that village

Because climate, elevation, and soil differ greatly across the four areas, the item makeup divides clearly by region: winter vegetables of the cool climate at the northern foot of Mt. Fuji, highland beans and root vegetables in Kyohoku, and mountain vegetables making use of elevation differences in Kyonan.

Historical background: heirloom varieties continuing from the Edo period and Fuji's water culture

• Narusawa-na — An Edo-period heirloom variety recorded as the Narusawa village product "suzuna (tsukena)" in the 1814 (Bunka 11) "Kai Kokushi." It resembles nozawana but genetically belongs to the Chozenji-na lineage (Chozenji-na is a Kofu city heirloom vegetable)
• Asao daikon — An heirloom daikon grown with soba since the Edo period in the volcanic-ash soil of Akenocho, Hokuto city
• Yahata-imo — A taro grown in the Yahata district of Kai city since the mid-Edo period. Known for a melting mouthfeel
• Mogura uri — An heirloom uri carried on through saved seed for over 100 years since the Meiji era in the Mogura district of Hayakawa town (about 800–900 m elevation)
• Akebono daizu — A large-grained soybean introduced from Kansai to the Akebono district of Minobu town in the Meiji era. Notable for grains more than a size larger than ordinary varieties

Yamanashi's heirloom vegetables include both heirloom varieties with long cultivation histories dating from the Edo period and distinctive winter vegetables (mizukake-na) that make use of the subsurface water of the foot of Mt. Fuji. The climatic differences of the mountainous areas — Mogura uri at about 800–900 m elevation, Narusawa-na at the northern foot of Mt. Fuji — have supported the diversity of heirloom varieties.

Yamanashi's heirloom vegetables: full list of 13 items and seasonal calendar

Here we organize by category the 13 Yamanashi heirloom vegetables certified by the Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association. The makeup — 2 beans, 2 root vegetables, 3 leafy greens, 2 gourds, 3 tubers, and 1 wild vegetable (the wild-vegetable kogomi) — brings together items that support Yamanashi's four seasons.

— A native soybean of the Koito River basin in Kimitsu City. Its regional brand is maintained through trademark-registered protection

We organized the 12 items with their category and growing region (kogomi introduced separately in the specialty-varieties section at the end). Because the wild-vegetable "kogomi" is treated in the specialty-varieties section at the end, the main text centers on 12 items.

#	Item	Category	Main growing region
1	Akebono daizu	Oura district, Sosa City	Akebono district, Minobu town
2	Benibana-ingen	Kidney bean (scarlet runner bean)	Sutamacho and Takanecho, Hokuto city
3	Asao daikon	Daikon	Asao district, Akenocho, Hokuto city
4	Otsuka ninjin	Carrot (long-root)	Otsuka district, Ichikawamisato town
5	O-nappa	Leafy green (pickling green)	Ono district, Minobu town
6	Mizukake-na	Leafy green (winter vegetable)	Tsuru city, Fujiyoshida city
7	Narusawa-na	Leafy green (kabuna type)	Narusawa village, Minamitsuru District
8	Mogura uri	Gourd (uri)	Mogura district, Hayakawa town, Minamikoma District
9	Masutomi kyuri	Cucumber	Masutomi district, Sutamacho, Hokuto city
10	Ochiai-imo	Potato	Tabayama village, Kitatsuru District (birthplace: Ochiai district, former Enzan city)
11	Yahata-imo	Taro	Yahata district, Kai city
12	Yamato-imo	Yamato-imo	Oishi district, Fujikawaguchiko town

2 beans (Akebono daizu, benibana ingen), 2 root vegetables (Asao daikon, Otsuka ninjin), 3 leafy greens (o-nappa, mizukake-na, Narusawa-na), 3 tubers (Ochiai-imo, Yahata-imo, yamato-imo), and 2 gourds (Mogura uri, Masutomi kyuri) — a well-balanced item makeup.

Seasonal calendar of main items

Month	Main items coming into season
December to February	Mizukake-na (mid-December–end of February), o-nappa (through late March)
Mid-July	Ochiai-imo, Mogura uri (early July–early August)
August to September	Masutomi kyuri, Yahata-imo (early September–mid-March)
September to November	Benibana ingen (mid-September–late November), Akebono daizu (mid-October–early November)
October–November	Narusawa-na (late October–early November), yamato-imo (harvested in November)
November–December	Asao daikon (early November–late December), Otsuka ninjin

The leafy greens mizukake-na and o-nappa from winter to early spring, Mogura uri and Ochiai-imo in summer, and Akebono daizu, Otsuka ninjin, and Asao daikon in autumn — heirloom varieties unique to Yamanashi line up through all four seasons. The winter spring-water vegetable "mizukake-na" is distributed as a specialty not only in Yamanashi but also in Oyama town, Gotemba city, and the Shiraito district of Fujinomiya city in Shizuoka Prefecture.

Seven representative Yamanashi heirloom vegetables: characteristics and how to eat them

From among the 13 items, we selected 7 representatives based on recognition, distribution volume, and influence on food culture.

Akebono daizu — an heirloom soybean a size larger than ordinary soybeans

Season	Mid-October–early November (edamame); dried beans year-round
Growing region	Akebono district, Minobu town
Well-suited dishes	Edamame, tofu, miso, simmered beans, soy milk

Akebono daizu is a large-grained soybean grown in the Akebono district of Minobu town, notable for grains more than a size larger than ordinary varieties. A variety introduced from Kansai in the Meiji era adapted to the climate and soil of the valleys of Mt. Minobu, taking root as an heirloom variety that is strongly sweet and deeply flavorful.

During the edamame period of mid-October to early November, it is sold as a specialty centered on Minobu town and is also popular as a hometown-tax gift. The dried soybeans are processed into tofu, miso, and simmered beans, with grain size and sweetness put to use as its characteristics.

Otsuka ninjin — the 80–120 cm long-root carrot

Season	November–December
Growing region	Otsuka district, Ichikawamisato town
Well-suited dishes	Simmered dishes, kinpira, soup, juice

Otsuka ninjin is a thick, long, long-root carrot of 80–120 cm grown in the Otsuka district of Ichikawamisato town. Notable for its deep, vivid red and high carotene content, it is strongly sweet and richly fragrant. The deep, volcanic-ash-derived soil and the region's cultivation techniques make this length possible.

Simmered, it holds its form and grows sweeter, and in soup or juice its rich color and flavor can be enjoyed. In the harvest period of November–December it lines farm stands in Ichikawamisato town, where you can see displays that make use of the nearly 1-meter length.

Mizukake-na — the winter vegetable grown with Fuji's spring water

Season	Mid-December–end of February
Growing region	Tsuru city, Fujiyoshida city
Well-suited dishes	Ohitashi, miso soup, hot pot, pickles

Mizukake-na is a winter vegetable grown by channeling Mt. Fuji's subsurface water (spring water) into fields and gardens (a related mizukake-na is also grown in Gotemba city and Oyama town, Shizuoka Prefecture). Because Fuji's spring water stays comparatively warm and stable at around 10°C even in winter, the greens grow without freezing even in the depths of winter. Soft, with almost no harshness, it is notable for a faint sweetness.

In ohitashi, miso soup, and hot pot its strong points come alive, letting you enjoy the softness of its fibers and its sweetness. It is an item notable for a cultivation method that makes use of Fuji's spring water (on the Shizuoka side, the same kind is grown under the spelling "mizukake-na" as well). Its season is only the depths of winter, and farm stands in Tsuru and Fujiyoshida are the main places to obtain it.

Narusawa-na — the pickling green of the northern foot of Mt. Fuji continuing from the Edo period

Season	Late October–early November
Growing region	Narusawa village, Minamitsuru District
Well-suited dishes	Light pickles, soy-sauce pickles, Narusawa-na pickles, stir-fries

Narusawa-na is a kabuna-type leafy green grown in Narusawa village at the northern foot of Mt. Fuji since the Edo period. It is recorded as the Narusawa village product "suzuna (tsukena)" in the 1814 (Bunka 11) "Kai Kokushi." It resembles nozawana in appearance, but genetically it is reported to be a different lineage from nozawana.

Notable for slender, soft stems and a crisp texture. "Narusawa-na pickles," processed into light pickles or soy-sauce pickles, are a local staple side dish, also listed in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' "Nippon Traditional Food Encyclopedia." The roadside station of Narusawa village is the main place to obtain it, enjoyable alongside Mt. Fuji sightseeing.

Yahata-imo — the taro with a melting texture, from the mid-Edo period

Season	Early September–mid-March
Growing region	Yahata district, Kai city
Well-suited dishes	Simmered dishes, koromo-katsugi, imo-jiru, dengaku

Yahata-imo is a taro grown in the Yahata district of Kai city since the mid-Edo period, whose greatest feature is a melting mouthfeel. Strongly sticky, when simmered it offers a soft, chewy texture. The sandy loam of the Yahata district and the temperature swings characteristic of the Kofu Basin nurture this texture.

Its season is the long period from September through mid-March, supporting the autumn-and-winter Yamanashi table. In koromo-katsugi and imo-jiru the ingredient's individuality stands out, and it is an item essential to local cuisine too. It is available at farm stands in Kai city and by farm-direct e-commerce.

Mogura uri — the mountain heirloom uri carried on at about 800–900 m elevation

Season	Early July–early August
Growing region	Mogura district, Hayakawa town, Minamikoma District
Well-suited dishes	Pickles, vinegared dishes, salted rub, salad

Mogura uri is an heirloom uri carried on through saved seed for over 100 years since the Meiji era in the Mogura district of Hayakawa town (about 800–900 m elevation) at the foot of the Southern Alps. The cool climate of the mountainous area nurtures an uri that is juicy and has a distinctive flavor.

Enjoying its texture in a salted rub or salad is the classic, and it also suits pickles and vinegared dishes. Because its growing area is limited to the Mogura district of Hayakawa town and production is small, obtaining it is centered on local farm stands or farm-direct e-commerce. Some enthusiasts visit aiming for the short season of early July to early August.

Asao daikon — the daikon from the Edo period grown in the volcanic-ash soil at the southern foot of the Yatsugatake

Season	Early November–late December
Growing region	Asao district, Akenocho, Hokuto city
Well-suited dishes	Grated, pickles, simmered dishes, daikon soba

Asao daikon is an heirloom daikon grown with soba since the Edo period in the Asao district of Akenocho, Hokuto city. The volcanic-ash soil at the southern foot of the Yatsugatake drains well and grows a daikon with a balance of sweetness and pungency. The local "daikon soba" is famous as a local dish using this Asao daikon.

Grated, its aroma and pungency come through, making it ideal as a soba condiment. In pickles and simmered dishes its fine-textured flesh comes alive. In the harvest period of November–December, fresh daikon lines farm stands in Hokuto city — a producing area worth visiting along with a soba crawl.

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

The main routes for obtaining Yamanashi's heirloom vegetables are producing-area farm stands, JA farm stands, roadside stations, and hometown-tax programs. Akebono daizu, Yahata-imo, and Otsuka ninjin are sometimes seen at department stores and high-end supermarkets in the Tokyo metropolitan area, while mizukake-na, Narusawa-na, and Mogura uri are centered on local visits or farm-direct e-commerce.

In-prefecture direct-sales outlets / roadside stations

Item	Main sources	Timing
Akebono daizu	Michi-no-Eki Shimobe, JA farm stands in Minobu town	Toke district, Midori Ward, Chiba City
Otsuka ninjin	Michi-no-Eki Toyotomi, JA farm stands in Ichikawamisato town	November–December
Mizukake-na	Michi-no-Eki Tsuru, farm stands in Fujiyoshida city	December to February
Narusawa-na	Michi-no-Eki Narusawa	Late October–early November (processed goods year-round)
Yahata-imo	JA farm stands in Kai city	September to the following March
Mogura uri	Farm stands in Hayakawa town	Early July–early August
Asao daikon	JA farm stands in Akenocho, Hokuto city	November–December

Mail order / hometown tax to outside the prefecture

• Akebono daizu — Shipped nationwide, autumn only, as a hometown-tax gift from Minobu town. Dried soybeans year-round
• Yahata-imo — Shipped nationwide, autumn to winter, as a hometown-tax gift from Kai city
• Otsuka ninjin — Shipped in limited quantities in November–December via Ichikawamisato town hometown-tax and farm-direct e-commerce
• Processed products — Narusawa-na pickles, Akebono daizu tofu and miso, mizukake-na ohitashi sets, and the like distributed year-round

Storage methods by item

Item	Short-term storage	Long-term storage
Akebono daizu	Edamame keeps refrigerated for 2–3 days	Sealed and stored as dried soybeans (over 1 year)
Otsuka ninjin	In newspaper, in the vegetable drawer 1–2 weeks	Shaved and frozen (1 month)
Mizukake-na	Moisten and keep 3 days in the vegetable compartment	Boil quickly and freeze (2 weeks)
Narusawa-na	Moisten and keep 3 days in the vegetable compartment	Over a month as Narusawa-na pickles
Yahata-imo	In newspaper in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks	Unwashed, with soil on, in a cool dark place for a month
Mogura uri	Refrigerated 5 days	Two weeks with a salted rub or as pickles
Asao daikon	In newspaper in the vegetable compartment for 2 weeks	Several months as dried daikon strips

Efforts to protect Yamanashi's heirloom vegetables

To sustain the 13 heirloom varieties, activities linking municipalities such as the Yamanashi Prefecture Agricultural Policy Department, Minobu town, Ichikawamisato town, Narusawa village, and Hokuto city with the JA group and grower organizations are advancing.

Regional branding and revival projects

Efforts	Details
The Akebono daizu project	Minobu town works town-wide on expanding production, developing processed goods, and attracting tourism
Narusawa-na branding	Narusawa village and JA distribute Narusawa-na pickles nationwide, based at the roadside station
Producing-area conservation of mizukake-na	Tsuru city and Fujiyoshida city support the succession of cultivation techniques that make use of Fuji's spring water
Otsuka ninjin promotion	Ichikawamisato town strengthens tourism and mail order as a brand agricultural product

Though Yamanashi Prefecture has no official certification system of its own, each municipality advances town-wide branding and promotion of heirloom varieties. It is notable that producing-area bases directly tied to tourism have formed, such as Minobu town's "Sato of Akebono daizu" and Narusawa village's "Michi-no-Eki Narusawa."

The town-wide project for Akebono daizu

Timing	Event
Meiji era	Cultivation of the soybean introduced from Kansai began in the Akebono district of Minobu town
Late Showa	Cultivated area shrank with the spread of imported soybeans
The Heisei era	Minobu town launched the town-wide "Akebono daizu project" and branded it
Present	Established nationwide distribution through hometown-tax, processed-goods development, and tourism events (the Akebono Daizu Fair)

Akebono daizu is a case where town-wide branding recovered production that had once shrunk. The coordinated effort of municipality, growers, and processors has produced multiple distribution routes — edamame, soybeans, and processed goods (tofu, miso).

FAQ

Other regional specialty varieties

Though included in the Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association's list, we introduce separately here — as a "local specialty variety" — an item treated not as a cultivated heirloom variety but as a wild vegetable.

Item	Category	Growing region	Characteristics and standing
Kogomi	Wild vegetable (young ostrich fern sprout)	Kurosawa district, Ichikawamisato town, Nishiyatsushiro District	A wild vegetable whose young ostrich-fern sprouts are eaten. Rather than a cultivated heirloom variety, it is a spring wild vegetable gathered in the satoyama, in season from mid-April to early May

Summary

Yamanashi's 13 heirloom vegetables are a group of varieties handed down amid the terrain and elevation differences of the foot of Mt. Fuji, the southern foot of the Yatsugatake, the foot of the Southern Alps, the Kofu Basin, and the Minobu mountains. They line up items that respond to elevation differences and water resources — Akebono daizu, Otsuka ninjin, mizukake-na, Narusawa-na, Yahata-imo, Mogura uri, Asao daikon, and more.

Mogura uri and Ochiai-imo in summer, Akebono daizu, Otsuka ninjin, and Asao daikon in autumn, and mizukake-na, o-nappa, and Narusawa-na pickles from winter to early spring — Yamanashi-grown heirloom varieties are distributed through all four seasons. Through hometown-tax gifts and roadside stations, you can bring to the family table the heirloom varieties grown by Yamanashi's diverse terrain.

References / information sources

• Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association, "Yamanashi's heirloom vegetables" — Certification list of 13 items
• JA Narusawa Village, "Narusawa-na" — Narusawa village producing-area information
• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, "Nippon Traditional Food Encyclopedia: Narusawa-na pickles" — Positioning as a traditional food
• National Agriculture and Food Research Organization Genebank "Native Variety Database" — information on native varieties nationwide

Related articles

• Japan's Heirloom Vegetables: Precious Varieties Handed Down in Each Region
• Kyoto Heirloom Vegetables
• Fukui's heirloom vegetables (including GI Yoshikawa nasu)
• Heirloom vegetables of Toyama
• Heirloom vegetables of Niigata
• Heirloom vegetables of Kanagawa
• Heirloom vegetables of Naniwa