Japanese name球磨栗
Ringed by mountains deep in Kyushu, the Hitoyoshi-Kuma basin swings between warm days and cool nights. That spread, plus fertile soil, gives these chestnuts their sweetness — and from mid-August sorting to the mid-September peak, Tanzawa, Sugihikari, Tsukuba, Ginyose, and Rihei ripen in turn.
Information last updated 36 days ago
Follow the Kuma River deep into the mountains of Kyushu and the slopes close in around a high, ring-shaped basin: the Hitoyoshi-Kuma area of Kumamoto Prefecture. When autumn arrives, chestnut burrs swell on the orchards tucked into these hills, and the chestnuts grown here carry a single name — Kuma Chestnut, or 球磨栗. The name covers ten municipalities: Hitoyoshi City, Nishiki Town, Asagiri Town, Kuma Village, Sagara Village, Taragi Town, Yunomae Town, Mizukami Village, Itsuki Village, and Yamae Village. Wide gaps between day and night temperatures, together with fertile ground, give the fruit here its sweet, full flavor. Each year collection and sorting begin in mid-August and build toward a shipping peak in mid-September.
Compiled from public records and official sources; see the recognition links below. Details may change over time.
Where this product is officially registered, designated, or recognized in Japan.
It is written as 球磨栗 in Japanese. Search Rakuten and other Japanese sites with that spelling — the English name will not bring up the listings.
Kuma Chestnuts (球磨栗) are chestnuts grown in the Hitoyoshi-Kuma area of Kumamoto Prefecture, a high basin ringed by mountains deep in Kyushu. Large day-night temperature differences and fertile soil give the chestnuts a sweet, richly flavored character. Collection and sorting begin in mid-August, and shipments peak around mid-September.
The name covers chestnuts from Hitoyoshi City, Nishiki Town, Asagiri Town, Kuma Village, Sagara Village, Taragi Town, Yunomae Town, Mizukami Village, Itsuki Village, and Yamae Village. The name is held by the Kuma Regional Agricultural Cooperative as a regional collective trademark (Trademark Registration No. 6433594, updated September 8, 2021). The area served by JA Kuma ships the largest volume of chestnuts in Kumamoto Prefecture, and a 500-ton shipment was planned for 2025. In 2025, early-ripening Tanzawa came first, followed from September by Sugihikari, Tsukuba, Ginyose, and Rihei.
Storage varies by product — shelf-stable, refrigerated, or frozen — and is stated on the packaging and the Rakuten listing. Shelf-stable processed foods usually need refrigerating once opened and eating within a few days; chilled and frozen items go straight into storage on arrival. Treat the best-before date on the physical packaging as authoritative.
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