Standing under the sweltering late-May morning sun on a hill near the tip of Chiba Prefecture’s Boso Peninsula, Kenzo Takeba is taking a break from the work he has spent all year preparing for. Growing loquats, a soft, juicy fruit known as “biwa” in Japanese, requires constant care and attention but produces a yield that must be harvested in a matter of days. The Minamiboso area has a rich history of loquat cultivation stretching back around 270 years to the Edo Period (1603-1868), when the fruit was sent by boat to markets in the city. As Japan’s population gets older and more and more young people turn their backs on agriculture, however, the area’s long association with loquats is facing an uncertain future. Read the full story and watch the video on The Japan Times online. (Chisato Tanaka photos)
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