“Kurashiki Asabara” is a peach production area representing Okayama, the fruit kingdom. Because it has the most sunny days, Okayama is called the land of fine weather, and the warm climate facing the Seto Inland Sea is suitable for growing peaches and fruit trees. Kurashiki-Bikan (white-walled han-warehouse, namako wall（joint tile）, Willow trees on the river, etc.), which is famous for its rows of white-walled storehouses and the Ohara Museum of Art, is a place where you can enjoy beautiful scenery. The modern scenery fascinates people from all over the world.) In the quiet mountain valley overlooking the area, yellow lights that can be said to be something characteristic of a particular season in this area’s summer are lit, and a sweet scent and beautiful scenery spread out. The peaches grown in the Asabara district of Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, are characterized by the fact that the branches are grown squishy without strict pruning. I’ve heard that the condition of sunlight falling on the ground is evidence of good trees. It seems that the producers used to prune well, but it seems that problems such as menstrual fall often occurred with “Shimizu Hakuto”, a peach variety that represents Okayama Prefecture. Therefore, after various trials and errors in the cultivation method, it seems that the cultivation was smooth and good results were obtained when the trees were grown freely. The current cultivation method that maximizes the power of the tree by observing the condition and modifying it to the minimum is called the Okayama natural flow and is spreading among peach growers in other regions. The Okayama natural flow seems to have been improved to suit the area, based on the technology developed in the Ofuji district of Old Enzan City（Current Koshu City）, Yamanashi Prefecture. The pruning technique in the Ofuji area（Enzankamiaono: Ofuji Elementary School: Located in the eastern part of Enzan, Koshu City, it gently spreads over the alluvial fan of the Omo River and Monju River at the foot of the Daibosatsu Mountain Range (belonging to the Kanto Mountains), and the geology is sandy soil due to volcanic ash. It consists of Nakahagihara Ward, Kamiaono Ward, and Shimoaono No Ward, and two national highways 411 and prefectural highway 201 (Shioyama stop Obosatsu line) run parallel from northeast to southwest. It is a fruit town full of peaches and li flowers in spring, and is busy shipping peaches, li, grapes and roses from summer to autumn. There are many fortunes. The school was opened at the present location as “Ofuji Jinjo Elementary School” on December 4, 1896, and the 100th anniversary ceremony was held in 1996. In 1992 and 1993, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “Labor Production Learning Research Promotion School”, in 2008 and 2009, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “Mortal Education Practical Research Project”, and in 2013, 2014, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Rek to improve the whole school! Received the designation of Business. Although it is a small school, based on the lessons of “sincerity,” “philanthropy,” and “courage,” the school, family, and community are united with the aim of “cultivating children who think, judge correctly, and act on their own.” It is said that they are continuing their unique educational activities that are rooted in the community and emphasize experience.）is known nationwide, and the “Ofuji meeting” that learns the technique seems to have branches in most of the prefectures that have peach producing areas. The national convention is held once every two years, and even recently, when there are many, it is about 200 to 300 people. There are many national agricultural organizations, but the Ofuji Association is an organization that is not related to the government or JA, and is started and operated by the farmers themselves, and very motivated volunteers are gathered. Making peaches is very difficult, so the enthusiasm of the farmers themselves is important. The Kurashiki Asabara Horticultural Association, which was established in 1952, seems to be a kind of unique organization that invests and operates land and facilities by itself. Even though the government and JA have merged over a wide area, the organization has a strong desire for local peach farmers, which has continued only in their own small districts, so it seems that each person is working hard to keep this shape in the future. Traces of people beginning to live around Kurashiki date back to the Paleolithic era, about 20,000 years ago, and many stone tools used by people at that time have been found at the Washuyama site in Kojima. It is said that this period was the end of the ice age, and the sea level became low due to the influence of global cooling, and the entire Setouchi area was a vast grassland. Due to the subsequent warming, when the sea level rose the most about 6,000 years ago, seawater penetrated deep into the present plains, and the narrow inland sea connected to the Seto Inland Sea near the northern half of the city area. Spread from east to west, and Kojima blocked the south. The inland sea became a sea area where abundant fish and shellfish breed, and it seems that it was an environment where people could live comfortably. From the Yayoi period to the Kofun period, rice cultivation flourished in the fertile plains, and salt production flourished in Kojima along the Seto Inland Sea. Together with iron production in mountainous areas, the Kibi clan was as powerful as Yamato. It is said that he had. There are many ruins such as large-scale village ruins and burial mounds that tell the story of the time in the city. In addition, Kibi no Makibi, who played an active part in the center of central politics during the Nara period, is from Mr. Shimotsumichi, who is influential among the Kibi no Makibi. The inland sea was shallow due to the offshore action of the Takahashi River, which has been flowing continuously since ancient times, but as Genji and Taira fought the Mizushima-Fujito battle (1183-1184) based on the islands, north of Kojima. Is said to have been able to pass through the inland sea until the Tensho era (1573-1592). After the fall of Takamatsu Castle in 1582, the Hideie Ukita, who advanced to the southern part of Bitchū, built the Ukita Embankment to prevent the ingress of seawater in Kojima Bay. In addition, a bank was built along the Higashi Takahashi River, which started the development of new rice fields in this region, and the islands around Kurashiki and Tamashima continued from Genna (1615-1624) to Kanbun (1661-1673). It seems. Due to the reform of Mr. Ikeda of the Matsuyama clan, Kurashiki village in Bitchū became an imperial fief under the direct control of the shogunate from 1642. In the southern part of Btsutyuu, the cultivation of commercial crops such as cotton and rapeseed became popular, and in 1746, a daikan camp was set up in Kurashiki Village, which was the base of the shogunate rule. With the new construction of the cantonment, the town of Kurashiki became lively, and many landowners and wealthy merchants’ residences were lined up. Tamashima harbour of Btsutyuu prospered mainly by shipping cotton, and traded with western-route shipping in Kyushu and Hokuriku as well as in Setouchi countries. On the other hand, in Bizen Province of the Okayama domain, Takezaemon Nozaki opened a vast salt farm from around 1827 and was called “King Shioda”. Kokura, Sanada, and Unsai were woven in Kojima from the latter half of the Edo period, and became the pioneer of the textile industry in the current Kojima area. The Tamashima Spinning Mill was established in 1881 as a pioneer of modern industry, Shimomura Spinning Co., Ltd. in 1882, and then Koshiro Ohara and others opened a large-scale Kurabo Industries Ltd. in 1889. After that, Magosaburo Ohara（He has made various social contributions, including the establishment of Japan’s first private Western Art Museum, the Ohara Museum of Art.）reformed his workplace as President of Kurabo Industries, and left a great mark on the improvement of local culture and welfare. The Sanyo Railway was opened in 1891, the major renovation of the Takahashi River, which took 14 years, was completed in the Taisho era, and the Hakubi Line was opened in 1925, which became the foundation for Kurashiki’s development. In 1941, when the Pacific War broke out, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries began construction of an aircraft factory in the abandoned Takahashi River at the request of the Navy, and from that time on, this area became known as Mizushima. The reclamation project of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, which started in 1946 after the war, is the basis for the formation of the current Mizushima coastal industrial zone. With the attraction of factories from the 1955’s, the Mizushima coastal area was in the limelight as a heavy chemical industrial area, and the former three cities of Kurashiki, Kojima, and Tamashima merged on February 1, 1967 for regional development, and here is the current Kurashiki city. Is newly born. In 1971 and 1972, Shomura and Chayamachi were merged one after another, and in August 2005, Funao Town and Mabi Town were merged, and both in name and reality, they continue to develop as a base city in the Higashi Seto area. The city is located in the southern part of Okayama prefecture and is the second most populous city after Okayama city. Facing the mild climate of the Seto Inland Sea, the weather and temperature are stable throughout the year. It is blessed with nature such as the sea, mountains, and rivers, but it also has urban functions such as a large shopping center, medical environment, and parks, and it seems that the convenience of living is also substantial. There are many places that are pleasing to the eye, such as the Kurashiki fine view Historical Quarter, which is famous for sightseeing spots, and Washuzan, which overlooks the Seto Inland Sea and the Seto Bridge over it. On the other hand, it is not only a tourist city but also one of the leading industrial cities in western Japan. In addition to the textile industry such as jeans and school clothes, agriculture and fishing are also active. There are multiple highway interchanges and JR stations, and it is easy to reach not only Tokyo and Osaka, but also Shikoku, Kyushu, and the Sanin region, and it is famous as a city that has been visited in terms of industry and transportation. As for the agricultural industry in the fields, special products such as white peach, muscat, and sweet pea are cultivated in the orchards in the hills, and they are the driving force of regional agriculture. In addition, burdock, lotus root, ginger, etc. are cultivated in the agricultural land in the urbanized area adjacent to the Mizushima coastal industrial area, and vegetables such as radish, Kintoki carrot, and spinach are also cultivated, which is a must-have food production area. I can’t. Asabara District: It is said that in the Heian period, dozens of large and small temples formed a sacred place and prospered as a sacred place for Buddhism in the Chugoku region. In the surrounding mountain forest, a plant layer consisting mainly of Japanese red pine and mixed with evergreen broad-leaved trees such as Quercus glauca, Longstalk holly, and Eurya japonica seems to form a valuable natural environment left in the suburbs of the city. Anyo-ji Temple: The ancient temple of the Shingon sect, the mountain number is Mt. Asabara. Also known as a flower temple, it is also a place of peace for nature lovers, such as the birthplace of the Kurashiki Bird Watching Association. Dozens of cathedrals were returned to the ashes due to the war of Kenbu in the Southern and Northern Dynasties (Vietnam), but only Bishamon-do remained. The wooden Bishamonten statue and the wooden Kisshoten statue that remained at this time are designated as national important cultural properties. In addition, it seems that about 40 Bishamonten from the Heian and Kamakura periods are enshrined, such as Amida Nyorai. The tiled sutras (213 pieces) excavated from the sutra mound on the back mountain and the earthen treasure tower are also designated as national important cultural properties. “Shine Muscat Grape”: A large, good-tasting diploid grape grown by crossing “Grape Akitsu No. 21” (“Stuben grape” × “Muscat of Alexandria grape”) with “White South”. The skin color is yellowish green, the flesh is disintegrating and hard, and the scent is Muscat scent. It is a new variety that was registered in 2006 as a new variety, which was born in the Fruit Tree Tea Industry Research Division of the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization. It’s been only 15 years since it first appeared on the market. Since 2014, the cultivation area has become the fourth largest among grape varieties, and its popularity is rapidly expanding nationwide. It is a beautiful yellow-green large grape that can be produced without seeds. It has a sweet and muscat scent, and its high quality is attracting attention, as it has a thin skin and an excellent texture that can be eaten together with the skin and crumbles in the mouth. In addition, it has excellent characteristics that farmers can cultivate with peace of mind, such as easy cultivation and good storage of harvested grapes. It is a yellowish green that matures at about the same time as Kyoho grapes. It is weak against Elsinoe ampelina, but has a certain resistance to downy mildew (Peronosporaceae: It is a water-type biotrophic phytopathogen containing 21 genera including more than 600 species. Parasitic on host plants as intercellular mycelium using Haustoria to invade host cells.) and strong resistance to downy mildew. Cold resistance is evaluated as Kyoho grapes. The trees are strong and the yield seems to be higher than that of Kyoho grapes. The grain weight varies depending on the cultivation method, but it seems that it can be cultivated to about 13 g. It is easy to chew (disintegrate), has a hard meat quality, and has a high sugar content of 18% or more. The acid content is as low as 0.3-0.4 g / 100 ml, and the aroma is Muscat aroma. In seedless cultivation, it is a little difficult to peel, but the skin is not thick and there is no astringency, so you can eat the whole skin. Like Kyoho, it generally does not split. It is harder to shed than Kyoho and tends to last longer. It seems that it can be produced as seedless grapes by spraying 200 ppm of streptomycin before flowering and dipping in inflorescence (fruit bunch) of 25 ppm of gibberellin at full bloom and 10 to 15 days after full bloom. Use about 4 cm at the tip of the spike. I heard that it is effective to add Fulmet solution at the time of the first gibberellin treatment to stabilize the grain formation. In an unheated house, seedless treatment (hormone treatment) on the lower 3.5 cm results in a triple bunch of grapes 10 cm long.
From 2017 to 2018, JA Zen-noh Okayama (Okayama Prefecture), which holds a domestic trademark, filed trademark applications for “Hareoh Grapes” in three locations: China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. However, in April 2017, it seems that a third party unrelated to JA filed a trademark application for “Hareo Grapes” in China. The trademark filed by JA was granted in Hong Kong in December 2018 and in Taiwan in May 2019. Regarding China, JA seems to have filed an objection to a third party’s application with the Chinese Trademark Office, but the true intention is unknown. Shine Muscat is a grape cultivar born in Hiroshima Prefecture, which was bred and registered by the Agriculture and Food Research Organization under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan. The name registration number is “Grape Norin No. 21”.
Okayama Prefecture, also known as the Kingdom of Fruits, has a long history of growing grapes and is well known nationwide. Muscat of Alexandria grapes, which are recommended grapes in Okayama Prefecture and have a history of 130 years; New Pione grapes, which are large and seedless; Shien grapes, which is a winter grape with a beautiful color of wine red; It seems that they are actively working on the production of new varieties called “next-generation grapes” such as Shine Muscat grapes and Aurora Black grapes, which are seedless and can be eaten with the skin. The northern part of Okayama Prefecture is suitable for outdoor cultivation, taking advantage of the difference in temperature between day and night. With a sugar content of around 19 degrees and good coloration, it seems to be blessed with a climate that produces delicious grapes. The northern part of Okayama Prefecture is a mountainous area, and the southern part is a plain with a mild climate, so there are large differences in climate even within the prefecture providing.
The Asabara district of Kurashiki City has long been a prosperous producer of peaches and grapes, and it seems that about 50 traditional farmers still grow peaches today. Many of the cultivation areas are mountain slopes, and the scenery is beautiful. State of farming In an area of about 20 ha, peaches, a specialty product, are cultivated. In addition, they have formed a gardening association as a peach subcommittee, and are working on cultivation technology seminars and fruit tree review meetings. Introduction of specialty products and agricultural products Peaches (Hanayome, Hakuho, Shimizu white peach, Hakrei, Okayama dream white peach, golden peach, etc.), grapes (Muscat of Alexandria, New Pione, Seto Giants, etc.).