History of pear cultivation

Making pears in the Edo period

It is not clear when pear cultivation began in Inagi as there are no old records, but legend has it that Genroku ( Genroku ) of Naganuma Village per year. magistrate ( Daikan ) Masuoka Hiraemon ( Masuokaheemon ) and Kawashima ( Kawashima ) Sajiemon ( Sajiemon ) but, Yamashiro country ( Yamashiro no Kuni ) (Southeast Kyoto Prefecture) on official business, and on the way back, Awayuki ( Awayuki ) It is said that he was the first person to bring home pear seedlings. The log remained in the front garden of the Kawashima family in Higashi-Naganuma until 1899. trunk circumference ( Mikiwawa ) Riga is 6 shaku (approx. 180 cm), branch ( Edaba ) It is said to have been a large tree measuring 30 tsubo (approximately 100 square meters). After that, pear cultivation spread little by little, and it is said that at the end of the Edo period, there were more than ten pear-growing farms around Naganuma Village and Yanoguchi Village.

Pear production since the Meiji period

Pear cultivation began in earnest after the Meiji period, and pear-growing cooperatives sprung up in various regions. In Higashi-Naganuma Village, 13 farmers established the Kyōmei-mori ( Today's Meisha ) ” was established, and in 1907, “Higashi Naganuma Lishan ( Nashiyama ) will develop into a union. In Yanoguchi Village, the ``Yanoguchi Nashiyama Social Meeting'' was established in 1901. Together, they jointly purchased and shipped pear seedlings and fertilizer. In the latter half of the Meiji period, pear cultivation rapidly increased, and the reason for this was the introduction of a new variety called " Chojuro ( Chojuro ) ” was introduced.

Kawasaki's Daishikawara ( Taishigawara ) A strong sweet flavor made with Chojuro ( Chojurou ) became widely cultivated as the mainstream pear cultivation in Inagi. In addition, around 1900, a new variety " 20th century ( Nijutsu Seiki ) '' was also introduced, and Inagi's pear cultivation expanded its cultivation area and expanded its sales channels. In the latter half of the Meiji period, sales channels expanded from Hachioji to Ome in the west, Tokyo in the east, Tokorozawa in the north, and Yokohama in the south. The transformation of paddy fields into pear fields, which began in the middle of the Meiji era, continued into the Taisho era. In 1919, the Inagi Fruit Production Association was established, and progress was made to improve technology and expand sales channels. In 1932, pear production cooperatives along the Tama River united to form the Tamagawa Fruit Producers Association, and in 1932, the Tamagawa pear ( No tamagawa ) A unified name was also created. This period can be said to be the golden age of pear production. From the late 1940s onwards sightseeing pear garden ( Kankou Shien ) As the industry progressed, street sales also became popular. However, pear cultivation, which reached a peak in the 1960s, has been on a gradual decline since the 1960s.