The Kito Area, Naka-cho in Tokushima (formerly known as Kito Village) is located at the southern foot of Mount Tsurugi, the second tallest mountain in western Japan. Due to its abundance in nature it is known as the Tibet of Shikoku.
The characteristics of Kito Yuzu
Kito Yuzu’s characteristics of aromal and sourness can’t be seen in other strands of the Yuzu citrus fruit. The Yuzu are planted 300-500 meters above sea level in the basin between mountains, in an area with a lot of rainfall - resulting in strong aroma.
FRAGRANCE: Yuzu is one of the internationally recognized aromas of Japan, along with Sakura and Matcha. Other than the fruit itself, leaves, branches and petals also contain essential oils that produce fragrance. Other than food and beverages, the fragrance is demanded by cosmetics- and pharmaceutical industries.
FRUIT JUICE: The acidity of yuzu fruit juice is also very high, and is outstanding among citrus flavors. Both the skin and the fruit juice are excellent sources of nutrition; especially rich in calcium, vitamins, and contain many other nutritional ingredients.
OGONNOMURA cultivate the raw materials of Kito Yuzu through local farmers, and process them in their local factory to develop a wide range of products. Next to citrus juice, hand-squeezed and bottled within 24 hours, and "Ponzu" sauce, they also produce yuzu peppers and modern fusion products. All products are completely free of additives and pesticides.
FROM KITO TO THE WORLD
Yuzu used to take 18 years to mature. As a reult the Yuzu market was not stable. A local initiative therefore organized for every family to plant 23 yuzu trees on their land. Through this, the time to bear fruit was reduced to only 3-5 years. This resulted in stable production and the Kito yuzu to be the first type to be sold regularly all over Japan.
OGONNOMURA have created a greenhouses to supply yuzu all year round. The temperature of the greenhouses is kept at 30 degrees so that the Yuzu shrivels just a little and last longer. They work closely with their local contracted farmers to strengthen, organize and share information, in order to keep developing valuable products.
Kito Yuzu has won the "Asahi Agricultural Award" for the best yuzu in Japan. OGONNOMURA washes and gently squeezes their Kito yuzu by hand within 24 hours of harvesting so that the juice becomes less sour, and sweeter with time.
Company Efforts
OGONNOMURA's vision is to revive local areas and to create happiness with their local farmers and people. Their company’s philosophy is to contribute to a sustainable society in the future by developing and carefully treating their land and natural resources. By involving the local farmers in their business, they hope to fight the depopulating of the Kito area due to the aging society, and revive the golden glare of yuzu.
They furthermore support youth and aspiring farmers by helping them move to the area and educating them to the yuzu farming industry.
The OGONNOMURA Yuzu farm in Kito
