3 imagesAwoo Farm Shiroi Pears (Niitaka or Shinko)
梨 【 アウーファーム 】 白井の梨 新高 新興 5kg 5～12個 贈答用 しろいの梨 千葉県白井市《9/下旬～10/上旬より出荷》
5kg, 5-12 pears, gift gradeにこやかアーケード
Shiroi pears
Japanese nameしろいの梨
At its peak
Chiba's Shiroi is one of the Kanto region's leading pear towns — fine-fleshed, harvested August–October.
In Shiroi City, Chiba, well-drained volcanic-ash soil, spring pollination and thinning, post-harvest pruning, and the relay from Kosui to Niitaka shape a pear season from August into mid-October.
Information last updated 126 days ago
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Shiroi Pears on the Kanto Loam Plateau
Shiroi pears grow on the Shiroi plateau in Chiba Prefecture, where Kanto Loam volcanic-ash soil drains well and suits pear orchards. The wider Chiba setting adds a warm coastal climate, with flowering and harvest arriving early within the Kanto region. Local pear growing is traced to 1905, when Asami Kyutaro moved from Kamagaya and planted more than twenty pear trees; more than a century later, the season still opens with Kosui in August and moves through Hosui, Akizuki, and Niitaka toward mid-October.
Plateau Soil Beneath the Orchard
The first concrete fact about Shiroi pears is the ground. Shiroi’s plateau is formed from Kanto Loam, a volcanic-ash soil known here for good drainage, and that condition suits pear cultivation. Chiba’s pear areas also benefit from a mild climate surrounded by sea on three sides, with many orchards reaching flowering and harvest earlier than colder parts of the region. In Shiroi, place means soil, drainage, sunlight, and a growing season that brings fruit into August heat.
More Than Twenty Trees and a Century of Cultivation
Shiroi’s pear history is often traced to one planting in 1905. Asami Kyutaro, newly arrived from Kamagaya, planted more than twenty pear trees, and that start became part of a production area with more than one hundred years behind it. The name Shiroi pears gathers together the city’s orchards, the producer community, and the seasonal rhythm of Kosui, Hosui, Akizuki, and Niitaka.
The Orchard Year Before August
The fruit appears in late summer, but the work begins months earlier. In April and May, growers pollinate blossoms and thin extra fruit so the remaining pears can grow larger and more even in shape. The year continues with netting, spraying, weeding, careful picking in August and September, and sorting by size for direct stands, shipping, and market channels. After harvest, pruning prepares the trees for the next crop.
Kosui, Hosui, Akizuki, and Niitaka
Kosui opens the Shiroi season from early to late August, with strong sweetness, little acidity, crisp-soft flesh, and abundant juice suited to hot weather. Hosui follows from late August to mid-September, bringing a balance of sweetness and gentle acidity with rich juice and an orange tone when fully ripe. Akizuki appears from mid- to late September with high sugar, fine-textured juicy flesh, and a moon-like ring at the base when ripe. Niitaka comes later with large fruit, clear aroma, good refrigerated keeping, and uses in cooking and sweets.
Where the Season Meets the City
After harvest, Shiroi pears move through city direct stands and size-sorted market channels. When Kosui begins, direct stands draw more visitors and the pear season becomes visible across the city. The producer community also brings pears into public moments through market promotion, a football hometown day, the pear marathon where runners receive pears, and the October hometown festival.
Protecting Trees From Red Star Disease
The orchard landscape is also shaped by disease prevention. Red star disease can affect pear trees, and Shiroi has limited plantings of byakushin junipers since 1977 to reduce that risk around orchards. Tradition here is concrete: municipal tree planting rules, orchard protection, and the repeated work that keeps pear trees fruiting year after year.
Shiroi pears are held together by plateau soil, a 1905 planting memory, year-round orchard labor, and a summer-to-autumn variety calendar. Kosui, Hosui, Akizuki, and Niitaka each bring a different balance of sweetness, acidity, juice, aroma, keeping quality, and use. Together they make Shiroi’s pear season a stretch of August heat, September ripening, and the last large fruit before mid-October.
Compiled from public records and official sources; see the recognition links below. Details may change over time.
Recognition & registration
Where this product is officially registered, designated, or recognized in Japan.
Regional collective trademark
Registered as a Regional Collective Trademark with the Japan Patent Office.
Sources1
FAQ
What is Shiroi pears called in Japanese?
It is written as しろいの梨 in Japanese. Search Rakuten and other Japanese sites with that spelling — the English name will not bring up the listings.
What is Shiroi pears?
Shiroi pears are a pear product family from Shiroi City, Chiba Prefecture. They are tied to the Shiroi plateau's well-drained Kanto Loam volcanic-ash soil, a local beginning in 1905 when Asami Kyutaro planted more than twenty pear trees, and a year-round orchard cycle of pollination, thinning, harvest, sorting, and pruning. The main seasonal varieties include Kosui, Hosui, Akizuki, and Niitaka from August into mid-October.
What makes Shiroi pears distinct, and why is it a Chiba specialty?
Pear growing in Shiroi is traced to 1905, when Asami Kyutaro moved from Kamagaya and planted more than twenty pear trees. Shiroi orchard work includes April-May pollination and fruit thinning, followed by netting, spraying, weeding, harvest, sorting, and post-harvest pruning. Kosui is sweet and juicy with little acidity; Hosui balances sweetness and acidity; Akizuki is high-sugar and juicy; Niitaka is large and aromatic. Since 1977, Shiroi has limited byakushin juniper plantings to reduce red star disease risk for pear trees.
How is Shiroi pears used or eaten?
Kosui is harvested from early to late August, is sweet with little acidity, crisp-soft, and juicy, and is eaten fresh in summer. Kosui is also harvested around Obon and used for midyear gifts. Niitaka keeps well when refrigerated in newspaper and can be used in cooking and sweets.
How do you store Shiroi pears, and when is it ready to eat?
Fresh produce doesn't keep, so start with the grower's note in the box. Most fruit ripens best at room temperature and is at its most fragrant when it is ready to eat; refrigerate only once it is cut or fully ripe, and eat it soon after. Chilling too early stalls ripening and flattens the flavour. Follow the listing and the enclosed note for the specific variety.
Is Shiroi pears a good gift or something to take home?
Most options are shelf-stable, boxed, and travel well, so they suit gifting or bringing home. Confirm the final storage and delivery terms on the Rakuten listing.
Where can I buy Shiroi pears?
On Rakuten: the shops listed here right now are にこやかアーケード. We don't sell directly; purchase, payment, stock, and delivery are all handled on the Rakuten product page.