くだもの王國「ふくしま」を代表する“もも”。

　“もも”は、もともと暖地を好む果物であり、主産地の縣北地方は盆地の氣候で、夏は暑く強い日射しが降り注ぐことから、“もも”の樹の生育に適し、甘さをたっぷり含んだおいしい“もも”ができます。

　産地に繼承された技で、より大きくおいしい“もも”へ進化し續けています。

　縣オリジナル品種の「はつひめ」や主力品種の「あかつき」をはじめ、選び拔かれた食味の良い品種の“もも”がたくさん生産され、夏から秋にかけて、おいしい“もも”を樂しむことができます。


～「あかつき」誕生祕話～
　ふくしまの“もも”は縣内外に廣く知られていますが、その立役者となった品種が「あかつき」です。
　昭和27年、當時の農林水産省園藝試驗場で味も良く、日持ちする品種を育成し、昭和35年より本縣を含む“もも”生産縣で試作されましたが、小玉であったため、他の縣はすべて商品化が困難と見切りをつけ、栽培を中止しました。しかし、あきらめなかった縣が1縣だけありました。それが福島縣です。
　福島縣園藝試驗場（現福島縣農業總合センター果樹研究所）で改善を重ねた結果、果實の肥大が良くなる栽培技術を確立しました。昭和54年、福島に關係した名前ということで「信夫三山曉まいり」にちなみ「あかつき」と名付けられ、安定した品質が評價され面積が増加していきました。現在では、福島縣で生産される“もも”の約半分を占めています。


●おもな品種の特性
「はつひめ」
　福島縣が育成したオリジナル品種です。早生種としては果實が大きく、着色、甘さに優れ、食味も良好です。

「ふくあかり」
　福島縣が育成したオリジナル品種です。早生種としては果實が大きく、着色が良く多汁で甘みが強い品種です。

「あかつき」
　縣内のもも生産量の約半分を占める縣を代表する品種です。肉質がち密で糖度が高く、最上級の食味を持ちます。

「まどか」
　「あかつき」の後に出荷される大玉で着色が良く甘みが強い品種です。

「川中島白桃」
　「あかつき」の次に多く栽培されている大玉の品種です。着色が優れ、甘く、しっかりした果肉を持ち日持ちも良好です。

「ゆうぞら」
　滑らかな果肉と上品な甘味で、極上の食味を持つ品種です。外觀もきれいで一度食べれば、ファンになることまちがいなし。



撮影協力：大槻榮之氏（桑折町）
制　　作：福島縣農林企畫課


#もも　#桃　#モモ　#ピーチ　#旬の果物　#旬　#果物　#フルーツ　#福島　#fukushima　#fruits　#peach 　#あかつき　#くだもの　#はつひめ　#ふくあかり　#まどか　#川中島白桃　#ゆうぞら


Fukushima Seasonal Storiesy: Fukushima Peaches – A Land Chosen by Peaches –

The iconic peaches of Fukushima, known as the “Fruit Kingdom”
Peaches are fruits that naturally thrive in warm climates. The northern part of Fukushima Prefecture, the prefecture’s main peach-growing area, exhibits a basin climate where summers are hot and blessed with strong sunlight. This provides perfect conditions for peach trees to grow, producing exceptionally sweet and flavourful peaches.

Through cultivation techniques passed down over generations, Fukushima’s peaches continue to evolve—becoming larger, and even more delicious.

Fukushima produces a wide variety of carefully selected, excellent-tasting peach cultivars, including the prefecture’s original variety “Hatsuhime” and its flagship “Akatsuki.” You can enjoy an abundance of premium peaches from summer through autumn every year.

– The Untold Story Behind the Birth of “Akatsuki” –

Fukushima’s peaches are well known both inside and outside the prefecture, and “Akatsuki” played a key role in building that reputation.
In 1952, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s Horticultural Experiment Station at the time began developing a peach variety with excellent flavour and good shelf life. Trial cultivation started in major peach-producing prefectures including Fukushima from 1960. However, most prefectures deemed it unsuitable for commercial production and discontinued cultivation due to the fruit’s small size. There was, however, one prefecture that didn’t give up—Fukushima.
Working together with local growers, the Fukushima Horticultural Experiment Station (now the Fruit Tree Research Centre of Fukushima Agricultural Technology Centre) continued improving cultivation techniques. As a result, they succeeded in developing methods to grow larger fruits. In 1979, the variety was officially registered as “Akatsuki,” inspired by the “Shinobusanzan Akatsuki Mairi (the Mt. Shinobu Dawn Procession)”. Its consistent quality gained widespread recognition, leading to increased cultivation. Today, “Akatsuki” accounts for nearly half of all peaches produced in Fukushima Prefecture.

●Characteristics of major varieties
“Hatsuhime”
Hatsuhime is an original Fukushima brand of peach. This early-ripening variety boasts large fruit with exceptional colour, sweetness, and flavour.

“Fukuakari”
Fukuakari is an original Fukushima brand of peach. It’s another large, early-ripening variety that’s known for its vivid colour, juiciness and exceptional sweetness.

“Akatsuki”
About half of the peaches grown in Fukushima are Akatsuki peaches, making them a signature cultivar of the prefecture. They have an outstanding flavour characterised by a high sugar content and a finely-textured pulp.

“Madoka”
Madoka peaches are large with a lovely colour, intense sweetness, and firm pulp. This variety is shipped out after the Akatsuki peaches.

“Kawanakajima Hakuto”
Kawanakajima Hakuto is the second most common peach cultivar in Fukushima after Akatsuki peaches. It is large, with exceptional colouring and sweet, firm pulp. It is also known for its excellent shelf life.

“Yuzora”
Yuzora peaches have slick pulp and a refined sweetness, giving them an exceptional flavour. They’re also beautiful to look at, making them an instant favourite with almost everyone who tries them.

Filmed in Cooperation with: Hideyuki Otsuki (Koori Town)
Produced by: Agriculture and Forestry Planning Division, Fukushima Prefectural Government