Located in Iizaka-machi, Fukushima City, “Momiyama Orchard” produces cherries, peaches, and apples. Kazuhiro Momiyama, the fifth-generation owner of this long-established orchard—which has been in operation since the 1890s—continues to produce superior fruit through relentless curiosity and daily research, including a commitment to natural soil cultivation.His wife, Tomomi, runs a farm stand and café that sells fresh fruit and original processed goods from the orchard, promoting the appeal of Fukushima’s prized fruits. “Nothing makes us happier than hearing people say our peaches and apples are delicious,” the couple smiles, their hearts united in this shared passion.

An Orchard and Family Bonds Passed Down Since the Meiji Era

Fukushima City offers high-quality fruit throughout the four seasons: strawberries in spring, cherries in early summer, peaches in summer, pears and grapes in autumn, and apples in early winter. Located in a basin surrounded by the Azuma Mountain Range and the Abukuma Highlands, the area enjoys a blessed climate that allows for the cultivation of both cold-climate and warm-climate fruits. Through continuous breeding improvements and technological innovations, a wide variety of fruits thrive here.

Located along the so-called “Fruit Line,” a stretch lined with such orchards, is “Yotsuba no Clover FARMERS GARDEN,” the direct sales shop and café of Momiyama Orchard. The pure white building, blending gently into the idyllic landscape, is particularly striking.

Matsuyama Orchard, a long-established orchard with a history spanning over 100 years since the 1890s, is located in Iizaka Town, Fukushima City, where dozens of orchards are scattered. They cultivate cherries, peaches, and apples, and Kazuhiro, the fourth-generation owner and son of the founder, has even received the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award.“Since I grew up hearing my father repeatedly say, ‘Farming is great,’ I had no hesitation whatsoever about taking over the family business,” Kazuhiro says with a smile. After graduating from university, he spent a year training as an intern at the Fukushima Prefectural Agricultural Comprehensive Center’s Fruit Tree Research Institute, and took over the family business at the age of 23.

Premium fruit nurtured by the temperature fluctuations unique to the basin

Fukushima is widely recognized as the “Fruit Kingdom.” Fukushima peaches are characterized by their bright red color, the result of abundant sunlight, and their high sugar content. Due to the significant temperature difference between day and night, sugar accumulates well in the fruit, making it easy to grow peaches with a strong sweetness. While Fukushima ranks second in the nation for peach production, it is by far the top consumer of peaches nationwide. In fact, residents of Fukushima Prefecture consume more than seven times the national average.

In Fukushima City, a wide variety of peaches are grown from late June to late September, and at Momoyama Orchard, we cultivate over a dozen different varieties in succession.Starting with the early-ripening “Hatsuhime,” followed by “Gyosei,” “Akatsuki,” and “Madoka,” and ending with the late-ripening “Yuzora” and “Sakura Hakuto,” this relay of diverse peach cultivation delivers the delicious flavors of the season.

Fukushima’s signature peach, “Akatsuki”

In the past, while many prefectures gave up on cultivating “Akatsuki” because they couldn’t overcome a single flaw during trial cultivation, only Fukushima Prefecture persisted without giving up and successfully overcame that flaw. Today, it has become a nationally recognized variety that represents Fukushima peaches.

“Thanks to the perseverance of the people of Fukushima, it has grown to its current size, and ‘Akatsuki’ is now synonymous with Fukushima,” Kazuhiro says with a smile. With its vibrant color, juiciness, and superb balance of sweetness and acidity, “Akatsuki” is popular as a mid-summer gift and for other occasions. We aim to harvest it every year just before Obon (late July to early August).

Rich in Minerals: Naturally Derived Soil Management

Kazuhiro, who tends to the fruit with love alongside his father, Kazuhiro, and with the help of part-time workers, speaks calmly: “I firmly believe in never compromising on our work.” He also focuses on natural soil cultivation, spreading crushed oyster shells from the Sanriku region—rich in minerals—onto the soil to harness the power of microorganisms, creating an eco-friendly approach.

Spring work begins with “bud thinning,” which involves reducing the number of buds before they bloom, cutting the total down from 100% to about 30%. This is followed by “fruit thinning,” where unwanted fruit is removed while the fruit is still small. Fruit thinning—removing fruit while it is young—is an essential step for producing high-quality fruit. Furthermore, he places great importance on maintaining healthy trees through winter pruning.

Delivering the Season’s Freshest Flavors Through a Variety of Peaches

You may have seen fruit in orchards covered with bags (or “skirts”). These are placed by hand, one by one, to protect the fruit from “rain burn”—a condition where the fruit splits open when heavy rain falls suddenly after a prolonged period of dry weather that has left the soil overly dry. By the time the fruit begins to color, the bags (skirts) are removed to allow sunlight to reach the fruit and promote coloring.Since the fruit won’t turn red all over unless it receives even light, a light-reflecting sheet is placed underneath. “The parts covered by leaves are particularly slow to color, so if you cut the leaves in half occasionally, they’ll start to color in about two days,” he explained.

Peaches turn red starting from the tip, and each variety reaches peak ripeness in about 10 days to two weeks.

Apparently, the ones with a vivid red color are sweeter and tastier. By performing these tasks in sequence, the relay of cultivating multiple peach varieties is completed. One of the real pleasures is savoring and comparing the various peach varieties harvested in season.

“My personal recommendation is ‘Yuzora.’ Compared to other varieties, it’s difficult to grow because it experiences a lot of physiological drop—where the fruit falls off naturally—but the flesh is dense, juicy, and smooth, making it incredibly delicious,” says Kazuhiro. He also recommends it for those who prefer firmer peaches.

Growing Delicious Fruit and Passing Agriculture on to the Future

Kazuhiro’s current challenges include taking on new challenges in fruit tree cultivation with an eye toward the future, and addressing labor shortages caused by the aging workforce in the orchard. “Since determining the optimal harvest time requires extensive experience, I handle the harvesting myself, except when my father helps out.” He is acutely aware of the difficulties in implementing IoT technology in an orchard, where years of experience and skilled techniques are essential.

“I’m thinking of reducing the cultivation area slightly in the future so I can focus more on each individual tree,” he shared honestly. “At the same time, I have a strong desire to preserve this region as a fruit-growing area, and I’m torn because I don’t want to create abandoned land while others around me are retiring due to old age.”

Although abnormal weather patterns have persisted in recent years, Kazuhiro says, “Striving daily amidst the harshness of nature to produce delicious fruit is what makes fruit farming interesting and is the pride of a professional orchardist.” While devoting himself to research and producing better fruit, he also considers the development and sustainability of agriculture in Fukushima.

Turning Freshly Picked Fruit into Exquisite Sweets and Processed Goods

Driven by the desire to “share the delicious fruit Kazuhiro has grown with such love with as many people as possible,” his wife, Tomomi, opened “Yotsuba no Clover FARMERS GARDEN,” a farm stand and café, in November 2019. Located along the “Fruit Line”—a prefectural road lined with tourist orchards—it operates only during the fruit harvest season, yet attracts many visitors from both within and outside the prefecture every year.

“My parents also ran a fruit farm, but even though they worked from early morning until late at night, they never got to hear directly from the customers who bought their produce, so I always wanted to open a farm stand someday,” Tomomi says with a smile. At the farm stand that fulfilled her long-held dream, they sell seasonal cherries, peaches, and apples that Kazuhiro has carefully cultivated, as well as handmade processed goods like jams and juices that highlight the natural flavor of the fruit.In the attached café space, desserts made with generous amounts of freshly picked fruit are a big hit. The “Luxurious! Whole Morning-Picked Peach Parfait,” which is both adorable and visually striking, is also a huge hit. On sunny days, you can enjoy desserts and drinks on the terrace while admiring the views of the surrounding mountains.

We want to share the appeal of Fukushima’s fruit with children and younger generations

One of the unique advantages of a direct sales shop is the ability to sell “B-grade” items—such as fruit with minor blemishes or smaller-than-average pieces—directly to customers. “These items are well-received by our customers, and when they return, they often buy jams made from the same fruit as souvenirs,” says Tomomi. It has been six years since she opened the direct sales shop and café she had long dreamed of.“I feel joy in sharing Kazuhiro’s delicious peaches with so many people, and in passing on the appeal of Fukushima’s agriculture and peaches to my own children,” she says with a beaming smile. “It also makes me happy to see the younger generation taking an interest in Fukushima’s fruit and agriculture through the café,” adds Kazuhiro, his face also lighting up with a smile.

Drawing energy from customers’ comments like “That was delicious,” the Momiyama couple work hand in hand to promote the appeal of Fukushima’s fruit. They continue to protect the precious orchard inherited from their ancestors with pride.

The post Kazuhiro and Tomomi Momiyama of Momiyama Orchard, who carefully cultivate Fukushima’s prized peaches using natural soil-building methods / Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.