What will happen to the 20th century pear in the 21st century? ! September 9, 18:25

What is the image of hearing Tottori Prefecture?
As a result of a questionnaire survey, the 2nd place was "20th Century Pear" following the 1st place "Dune". The “20th century pear” is so well-known, but now there are few pear gardens that are abandoned due to the aging of farmers and the emergence of new varieties.
Under such circumstances, a business is underway to develop tea using “leaves” instead of “fruits” and to make effective use of pear trees. I visited the site to see what kind of business it is. (Tottori Broadcasting Station reporter Atsushi Koyama)

The roots of the 20th century pear is Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture! ?

Pear that represents the taste of autumn.

There are various pear varieties, such as Kosui, Hosui, and Nitaka, but the 20th century pear is the one that Tottori Prefecture boasts of the nation's largest shipment.

In Tottori Prefecture, full-fledged shipments for this season have started since the end of August.

The history of the 20th century pear is old, and it is said that in 1888 (Meiji 21), a boy was discovered by chance in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture.

Growing as an unprecedented sweet and fresh variety of pears, around 1898 (around the 19th year of the Meiji period) around the 20th century, “I want to be a representative variety of the 20th century” It is said that it was named “Pear”. Matsudo still has the place name “Twenty Century Gaoka Nashimoto”.

After that, a Tottori farmer who heard about his reputation got a 20th century pear seedling and began cultivation.

Tottori's 20th century pear has become a popular variety nationwide because Tottori, with its flat land and many slopes, is suitable for cultivation, and the people concerned put effort into overcoming diseases. It was.

Increased number of abandoned pear gardens

The shipping price of such 20th century pears is about 1,445 million yen, and Tottori Prefecture is still the number one in the country.

However, the cultivation area has decreased year by year. Around 1975, the peak has been cultivated over 3000 hectares in the prefecture, but now it has fallen to nearly one-tenth of the peak.

Pear cultivation involves various tasks such as pruning branches, artificial pollination, bagging, and harvesting. The 20th century pear is especially troublesome compared to other pears, such as carrying out bagging twice.

Farmers are aging and the work is hard labor, so the abandoned pear gardens cannot be left behind. In addition, changes in consumer taste preferences have spurred the decline of the 20th century pear.

The peculiar taste of “sourness” in sweetness is still popular among middle-aged and older people, but it seems that sweeter pears are preferred by the younger generation.

In Tottori Prefecture, there is a variety of fruits with a strong sweetness called “Shinkansen” developed by the prefectural horticultural testing grounds. Now, there is a growing sense of crisis that the brand of the 20th century pears built by Tottori pear farmers will continue to decline.

“The 20th century pear has been rooted in the region for more than 100 years and has become an indispensable part of Tottori's agriculture. It is true that we are in a harsh environment such as change, and we want more people to understand the goodness of the 20th century pears from now on. "

It ’s not “fruit” but “leaf”

I want to restore my 20th century pear. With this in mind, a variety of businesses that make effective use of pears have begun in production areas.

Of particular note was tea made with “leaves” rather than “fruits” of pears.

The 20th century pear has been processed into juices, wines, sweets, jams, etc., but it uses only the fruit. Under such circumstances, I heard that a company in Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture has developed tea using leaves instead of fruits.

Mr. Naofumi Nishida, president of venture company "GPC Research Institute" welcomed us.

The “Pear Leaf Tea” is just like a black tea.

When you actually drink it, it feels like it ’s easy to drink and you can enjoy the smell of pear. I interviewed during the hot summer months, so I enjoyed the cold chilled pear leaf tea and it was very delicious.

The pear leaves used in tea were previously abandoned.

According to Nishida, pear leaves in the 20th century contain a lot of polyphenols that are considered to be good for health, and the amount is higher than leaves of other fruits such as peaches, loquats, and blueberries.

Nishida focused on the benefits of pear leaves and formed a project team with researchers at Tottori University to find out if they could be commercialized into foods, cosmetics, and supplements. After trial and error, he decided to sell it as tea.

“As farmers grow older and trees get older and older, I felt that if I didn't do something new, it would disappear as an industry. I hope that the pears will be energized, the area will be revitalized and gain momentum. ”

Will it solve local problems?

The finished products are “Pear Leaf 100%”, “Black Tea Flavor” and “Rooibos Flavor”.

Because caffeine is not included, a tasting party held at a shopping center in Yonago City in June was well received by pregnant women and children.

From September 1st, this tea is lined up in stores at antenna shops in Tottori Prefecture, Shimbashi, Tokyo, as well as on the project website.

Is it possible to develop a new leaf business by taking advantage of the power of the “20th Century Pear” leaf, an important local resource, as well as helping to solve the local problem of saving pear farmers? Has also attracted attention.

Last year, I was assigned to the Tottori Broadcasting Station and felt that the 20th century pear has been rooted and loved in the region for over 100 years.

In Kurayoshi City, central Tottori Prefecture, there is also a facility called “Nutsukokan, the 20th Century Pear Memorial Museum in Tottori” that is the only Japanese pear theme museum.

The future history of the “20th Century Pear” fruit that has passed through the 20th century will be noted in the 21st century.

Toshitori Broadcasting Station reporter Atsushi Koyama Joined in 2004 Kagoshima station, news station TV news department, etc. In charge of prefectural government coverage etc. at Tottori station from last year