On Aug. 30th, 2013, Japan Post Co., Ltd., published the special stamp series, ‘Vegetables and fruits: Series No.1’.It is a collection of colorful sticker-type stamps. The topic of the first series is the vegetables and fruits harvested in fall.
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The special stamp series, ‘Vegetables and fruit: Series No.1’ (Left: 80-yen stamps: apple, taro, Japanese pear, turnip, and grape.Right: 50-yen stamps: persimmon, bok-choy, sweet potato, pear) |
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NARO contributed to the development of the stamp series through the advice and background information provided by its researchers.We also provided the stamp designer with pictures and specific advice, to ensure that the overall design would highlight the characteristics typical of each product.The design reveals meticulous attention to detail, such as in the color of the grape or the rough-edged leaf of the chestnut. We hope that the stamps will be enjoyed by all those who love vegetables and fruit.
As the stamps suggest, Japan has a rich variety of agricultural products.Although few such products are native to Japan, the Japanese began importing a host of different crops in ancient times, and have continually improved them.After the opening of the country in 19th century, the Japanese began utilizing Western cultivars and techniques, which led to rapid development in agriculture.Nowadays, a rich variety of high-quality cultivars are grown in Japan, enriching the dietary life of its people.
NARO has played its own part, developing many cultivars.The stamps remind us of NARO’s role in developing various cultivars (below).NARO has developed numerous cultivars commonly encountered in your daily life, including new varieties which have only recently appeared on the market.It is our hope that the stamps may encourage an appreciation of the profound connection between the work done at NARO and your dietary life.
Apple
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The ‘Fuji‘, a near-synonym for apple, is also a product of NARO research and development.The fruit is sweet and juicy, with a very long shelf life.The ‘Fuji‘ is grown in half of the total apple cultivation area in Japan, and is the most commonly grown apple in the world. |
Japanese Pear
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The Japanese pear with the largest cultivation area in Japan is the ‘Kohsui’; and its offspring, the ‘Hohsui’, is the next most widely grown.NARO developed these two cultivars, which together account for two-thirds of the total cultivation area of Japanese pears in the country.Both are sweet, juicy, and very crunchy. |
Grape
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A grape variety often encountered in supermarkets, the ‘Shine Muscat’, was also developed by NARO.The grapes are large, very tasty, and bear a scent of Muscat.The skin of the ‘Shine Muscat’ is edible, and thus very popular among consumers. Cultivation of this cultivar is very easy and spreading very rapidly. |
Japanese Persimmon
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There are two types of Japanese sweet persimmon: one which becomes sweet when ripe, and one which does not always become sweet, but instead sometimes remains astringent and bitter even after the seeds are fully grown inside. Producers prefer the first kind, which enables the stable production of sweet persimmon.The ‘Soushuh’, developed by NARO, is a very early ripening persimmon with good taste, which becomes sweet before growing seeds.There is rarely a gap between the calyx and the fruit in the ‘Soushuh’, and this makes for higher quality and longer shelf life. |
Chestnut
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The new ‘Porotan’ cultivar, developed by NARO, has recently been frequently featured on television in the fall. The Japanese chestnut is large and tasty, but its hard outside skin and astringent inside skin are very difficult to peel off.The astringent skin of this cultivar can, however, be easily peeled off after a short time in a microwave oven, which has proven an epoch-making discovery; and cultivation of this cultivar is now spreading rapidly. |
Sweet potato
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The ‘Beni-Azuma’ is a sweet potato cultivar, with the largest cultivation area of its kind in Japan.It appeals to consumers with its superior taste and soft and flaky texture.Sweet potato shochu is attracting more and more consumers, and the ‘Kogane Sengan’ cultivar is the main ingredient in more than 90% of the sweet potato sake produced in Japan. The rich and nuanced taste of this clear liquor distinguish it from those made from wheat or rice.Both cultivars were developed by NARO. |
Western Pear
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Most of the western pears grown in Japan have been introduced from abroad, but NARO recently developed the high-quality ‘Jade Sweet’ variety, with early ripening, large fruit, and brief after-ripening period. (Application for registration of variety was announced in June, 2011.)The nursery tree has been on sale since the fall of 2012. (The fruit has yet to appear on the market.) |
