History of Pear Cultivation

Pear Cultivation in the Edo Period

It is not clear when pear cultivation began in Inagi due to the lack of old records, but according to tradition, during the Genroku era, the village magistrate of Naganuma, Masuoka Heibei, and Kawashima Sajiemon went on official business to Yamashiro Province (southeastern Kyoto) and are said to have brought back a seedling of a pear called "Awayuki" on their return. The original tree is said to have been in the front yard of the Kawashima family in Higashi-Naganuma until the 22nd year of the Meiji era, and it was a large tree with a trunk circumference of 6 shaku (about 180 centimeters) and a branch spread of 30 tsubo (about 100 square meters). After that, pear cultivation gradually spread, and by the end of the Edo period, it is recorded that there were about a dozen cultivating farms around Naganuma Village and Yanokuchi Village.

Pear cultivation since the Meiji era

Pear cultivation became established after the Meiji era, with pear production associations emerging in various regions. In Higashi-Naganuma Village, the "Kyomei Mura" was established in 1884 by 13 farmers, and further developed into the "Higashi-Naganuma Pear Mountain Association" in 1904. In Yanokuchi Village, the "Yanokuchi Pear Mountain Friendship Association" was established in 1902. Both associations engaged in the joint purchase of pear seedlings and fertilizers, as well as joint shipping. In the latter half of the Meiji era, pear cultivation rapidly increased, largely due to the introduction of the new variety "Jojuro" in 1900.

The sweet Nagajuro pear, produced in Kawasaki's Daishi Kawahara, became widely cultivated as the main variety of pears in Inagi. Around 1905, a new variety called 'Nijyusseiki' was also introduced, and pear cultivation in Inagi expanded both in area and market reach. By the late Meiji era, the market extended from Hachioji and Ome in the west, to central Tokyo in the east, Tokorozawa in the north, and Yokohama in the south. The conversion of rice fields to pear orchards, which began in the mid-Meiji period, continued into the Taisho era. In 1919, the Inagi Fruit Production Cooperative was established, promoting technological advancements and market expansion. In 1927, pear production cooperatives along the Tama River united to form the Tama River Fruit Production Cooperative Federation, and in 1932, the unified name 'Tama River Pear' was also born. This period can be considered the golden age of pear production. From the late 1940s, the trend of tourism-oriented pear orchards began, and street sales became active. However, after reaching a peak in the 1950s, pear cultivation has gradually declined since the 1960s.

Types of Pears Grown in Inagi

Type	Harvest Season
Longevity	From early August to mid-August
Tama	From early August to late August
Kousui	Late August to early September
New Century	Late August to early September
Asahi	Late August to early September
Inagi	Late August to early September
Seigyoku	From late August to late September
Chojuro	From early September to late September
20th Century	From early September to late September
Kikusui	From early September to late September
Shuyoku	From early September to mid-September
Toyosui	Mid-September to Late September
Shintaka	Late September to early October
New Peace	From early October to mid-October
Yoshino	From early October to late October
New Star	From early October to late October
New Snow	Late October to early November
Excellent Peak	Late October to early November
Emerging	Late October to early November
Atago	Late October to early November

The four varieties of pears, Inagi, Seigyoku, Shintahei, and Yoshino, were born in Inagi.