The JA Tokyo Aoba Vegetable Distribution Association named it “Nerimaru Cabbage” to sell the cabbage produced in the ward as a brand. Especially in Nerima Ward, cabbage can be harvested twice a year. There are autumn and winter crops that are sown in mid-July and shipped from late October to November, and early summer crops that are sown in mid-November and allowed to pass the winter and shipped from mid-May to June. There are two types of cabbage, and the “spring cabbage type” is suitable for eating raw because the rolls are fluffy and soft. The “cold ball type” is tightly tightened and suitable for heavy cooking. It has a flat shape that makes it easy to pack into a box, and it is hard to damage the load, so it can withstand transportation and last for a long time.
It is said that people started living in Nerima about 30,000 years ago. In the Muromachi period (about 700 years ago) in Japan, there was a castle called “Shakujii Castle” built by Mr. Toshima(A member of the Chichibu clan, Chichibu Jiro Taketsune lived in Toshima County, Musashi Province and called himself the Toshima clan.)in what is now Shakujii Park. The castle ruins are a historic site designated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The ruins of Shakujii Castle, which was the residence of the Toshima clan, are located on the plateau between the Shakujii River valley south of Sanpoji Pond. It is believed that the castle was built in the mid to late Kamakura period. The famous Nerima Japanese white radish is said to have been very popular in Nerima during the Edo period (around 100 to 200 years ago) with daikon radish, burdock, sweet potatoes, and taro. After that, from the Meiji period onwards, a large number of daikon radishes called ‘Nerima Japanese white radish’ were produced. However, this excellent agricultural product seems to be almost no longer produced due to the shortage of fields. By the way, cabbage seems to be the most produced in Nerima Ward.
On June 21, 2022, the JA Tokyo Aoba Vegetable Distribution Council visited the Nerima Ward Office with JA officers to present the harvested cabbage to Mayor Maekawa and exchange opinions. Every year around June, when the shipment of early summer cabbages reaches its peak, the council seems to hold an exchange of opinions on the growth situation and publicity to consumers. Cabbage is the most produced crop in the district and has a long history of cultivation, and the council has branded the cabbage it ships to differentiate it from other production areas.
JA Tokyo Aoba was established in April 1997 through the merger of four agricultural cooperatives: Itabashi, Nerima, Shakujii, and Oizumi. The association covers Nerima Ward, Kita Ward, and Toshima Ward, and carries out a wide range of projects, including agricultural guidance, travel, and welfare. In the ward, there is a direct sales store of agricultural products operated by the same JA, and it seems that locally harvested vegetables are shipped every morning. Vegetables that are not sold out are picked up by producers, so there seems to be no inventory.