No. 24 Search for the “phantom pear” in Inagi City, Tokyo!

(public information Inagi October 15, 2013 issue publication)

　The other day, I was interviewed by Tama TV for the production of a program on the theme of Inagi's pear. This time, Inagi was featured as part of the program "TDN Presents," which is broadcast on cable TV stations nationwide that are affiliated with Tokyo Digital Network (TDN).
The subtitle of the program is just like the title, and it was a perfect opportunity to introduce Inagi. From October 20th (Sunday) to November 2nd (Saturday), 2013, it is scheduled to be broadcast to 9 stations and 1 million households, mainly in Hokkaido, Tohoku and Kanto.
As for the content, it would be rude to announce it before the broadcast, so I'm looking forward to seeing it. I will appear in the role of announcing the answer to one of them and promoting Inagi no Nashi.
Inagi has a long history of pear cultivation. According to legend, about 300 years ago, during the Genroku era, the local governors of Naganuma, Heiemon Masuoka and Sajiemon Kawashima, moved to Yamashiro Province (present-day Higashi Kyoto Prefecture) for official business. It is said that it started when he went to the south) and brought back seedlings of a variety called “Awayuki” on his way home and planted them.
It has already accumulated 130 years of history since full-scale commercial cultivation was established in the middle of the Meiji period.
The annual production of pears exceeds 1,000 tons, and there are 20 cultivars. ``Chojuro'' and ``Nijisseiki'', which used to be the mainstream, have decreased, and now 4 varieties of ``Inagi, Niitaka, Hosui, and Kosui'' account for 90% of the total.
In the past, pears grown along the coast of the Tama River were sold under the brand name of "Tama River Pear." In 2006, the registration of "Inagi no Nashi" as a regional brand was authorized by the Patent Office in order to differentiate the city from other cities and improve its brand power.
By the way, the city's official image character, "Nashinosuke Inagi," was created by Mr. Kunio Okawara against the background of this history and the citizens' passion for pears.
The "Yuru-chara Grand Prix" is being held again this year, and you can vote until November 8, 2013 (Friday). We ask for your daily support and votes so that we can win higher prizes.