No. 24 Find “phantom pears” in Inagi City, Tokyo!

(Published in the October 15, 2013 issue of Public Relations Inagi)

　The other day, I was interviewed by Tama TV for the production of a program themed around Inagi pears. This time, Inagi was featured as part of the program ``TDN Presents,'' which is aired on cable TV stations nationwide that are members of the Tokyo Digital Network (TDN).
The subtitle of the program is exactly as the title suggests, and it was a perfect opportunity to introduce Inagi. It is scheduled to be broadcast on 9 stations to 1 million households, mainly in Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Kanto, from Sunday, October 20, 2013 to Saturday, November 2, 2013.
As for the content...I'm looking forward to watching it because it would be unwise to announce it before the show airs, but it's a story in which the host and the entertainer travel around the city and solve quizzes that are given at various places. I will be appearing on the show to announce the answer to one of the questions and to promote Inagi's pears.
Pear cultivation in Inagi has a long history.According to legend, about 300 years ago during the Genroku era, two magistrates of Naganuma Village, Heiemon Masuoka and Sajiemon Kawashima, went to Yamashiro Province (today's eastern Kyoto Prefecture) on official business. It is said to have started when people went to the southern part of Japan and brought back seedlings of a variety called ``Awayuki'' and planted them on their way back.
It has already accumulated a history of 130 years since full-scale commercial cultivation took hold in the mid-Meiji period.
Annual production of pears exceeds 1,000 tons, and there are 20 cultivated varieties. The once-mainstream varieties ``Chojuro'' and ``Nijisseiki'' have declined, and now 4 varieties: ``Inagi, Niitaka, Hosui, and Kosui'' account for 90% of the total.
Previously, pears grown along the Tama River were sold under the brand name ``Tamakawa Pear.'' In order to differentiate our city from other cities and improve our brand power, in 2006, the Japan Patent Office approved the registration of ``Inagi Pear'' as a regional brand.
By the way, the city's official image character ``Nashinosuke Inagi'' was created by Kunio Okawara based on this history and the citizens' passion for pears.
The "Yuru Chara Grand Prix" is being held again this year, and entries are still being accepted from last year, and you can vote until Friday, November 8, 2013. We ask for your daily support and voting so that we can achieve higher rankings.