I told some members that I would post notes from my recent trip to Okinawa, Japan, so I'm happily sharing.
The objective for flying over was to get a better understanding of Japanese pineapple: Cultivars, style of growing, seasonality, go to market practices, etc. And to get some long overdue R & R.
I'll keep this very high level and if anyone is interested in more information ... or if anyone is considering a trip to Okinawa to go pineapple or mango hunting... I'm happy to provide my google maps destinations and some general notes about the farmers, protocol, etc.
I flew in with my wife to Okinawa for 7 days on the ground. The flight in through Tokyo is about 25 hours from FL including 2 (LAX and Tokyo Haneda) layovers. The first few days were spent in the main city of Naha where they are some great downtown markets. The vendors there offer rare pineapple, but the markup is a little steep; most fruit can be found up island (if you ask the right people) at 25% less.
The days after city exploration we worked our way up through the growing centers of Yomitan, Nago, Higashi, Aha, Yanbaru, and Kunigame. The country in the south of the island is hilly with flatlands, with the north being mountainous, with fields spread apart in areas where farmers can squeeze growing space. The soil runs from red acidic in the North, to light brown clay in the south. The island is subject to Typhoons, earthquakes and tsunamis. The fruit the Okinawan farmers produce is the stuff of legends - a lot of the excellent results come from very small plot farming methods.
Every growing community has a farmer's co-op market. In Okinawa the markets are called JA Co-ops. They are packed with local foods, baked goods, fruit and some produce. Surprising to me, the larger super markets there carry just Dole pineapple and a minimum selection of fruits and veggies. The co-ops on the other hand have incredible selection.
The season for pineapple starts in May, 450 miles down the Ryukyu chain on the smaller island of Ishigaki. Talking to farmers in Okinawa, Ishigaki is the epicenter of pineapple cultivation and breeding, with over 20 varieties in the ground during season. The farmers don't seem to have a naming system for pineapple with the exception of the cultivars marketed off island. Technically the growing season runs into 2 seasons. Early brings to market snack pineapple (pokot) and peach pineapple. Late season brings most notably the Gold Barrel and the Juwari (jewelry) pineapple. There's also a very fragrant variety late season - a variety called N67-10 or simply 'Hawaiian'.
Varieties we encountered and taste tested late season included: N67-10, Soft Touch (peach), Honey bright, Summer Gold, Ygafu, Okinou, Gold Barrel, Juwari, and Snack pineapple (pokot). There was another variety that the locals said had just come out of season that we would have liked called 'Juicy' (an overused pineapple name for sure).
One thing we were told to deliberately miss was the Pineapple theme park "Nago Pineapple Park" which we were happy to do, since it was 98 degrees that day and there were a dozen tour busses of people lined up to go in. LOL. Instead we walked around the ruins of the Nago castle, built in 1415, which offered incredible views of Nago. Much better experience I think.
Okinawans are proud, polite, and courteous people with a true interest in off islanders. We enjoyed our stay and while I wish I could thank ALL the folks who took the time out of their busy schedules to talk and share valuable information, a word of thanks to Flora Yanbaru Farm, Churashima Farm, Kunigami Pineapple Farm, Yumiko Kabila, Yuii Iha, and Maeshiro Morihiko.
For those considering a visit, the island is easily navigable with many signs in english due to there being many US military bases on the island. Rental car suggestion would be National (Nippon). Drivers there are incredibly courteous. Roads and routes well marked. People on the island go way out of their way to help American off islanders, the food is AMAZING, and especially in the North of the island ... (Yanbaru National Park) the scenery is epic. Crime is low. The US dollar currently goes a very long way there. The snorkeling was brilliant with super clear water and vibrant marine life. There were many beaches we walked in the north that were pristine, un populated, teeming with butterflies and birds... lots of shells, naturally-tumbled beach glass, etc. There are also the ancient pottery villages to visit, Yachimun no Sato being the most famous with many shops to walk thru in the village. Cat lovers be advised: you will enjoy the place.
Some pictures of pineapple and some of the experience:
Topic: Japanese Pineapple - Visit to Okinawa - Farmer Visits (Read 433 times)