Namegata Sweet Potato (Ibaraki): season, origin and where to buy

Seasonal calendar

By rotating varieties, it is shipped year-round.

Timing shifts with the weather and conditions in each region.

Official registration details (MAFF)

The registered description as published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Characteristics

Namegata Kansho is good-tasting fruit and vegetable kansho with high sugar content and strong sweetness.Its quality and supply system are highly valued by market participants, and it ranks first in terms of volume handled per shipping field in the Tokyo market.

Link with the production area

With a relatively mild climate and well-drained soil, the natural conditions of Namegata City and its surrounding cities are ideal for growing kansho, and around 1945, the land area planted with kansho was the largest in Japan.Maintaining production focused on taste through curing constant temperature storage technology and variety relay shipping, the establishment of the Yakiimo Manual and the Yakiimo Strategy through store sales in cooperation with major distributors dramatically increased its consumption.

Characteristics and link with the area: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries website (https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/intel/gi_act/register/s131.html)

Where to buy

As a rule, only products that meet the registered standard may use a GI name (with exceptions such as prior use). Check for the GI mark and the place of origin to tell it apart from ordinary products with similar names.

Find on furusato nozei (opens in a new tab)

These links go to Japanese-language shops; check whether they ship overseas.

Some shop links on this page are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

It is offered as a Namegata City furusato nozei (hometown tax donation) gift.

FAQ

Sweet potatoes for the fresh market, grown in six cities around Lake Kasumigaura, including Namegata, Ibaraki. They are high in sugar and very sweet, and curing, constant-temperature storage and staggered shipments of different varieties keep flavorful supply going.

Namegata Sweet Potato is produced in Namegata City, Itako City, Kashima City, Hokota City, Omitama City and Kasumigaura City, Ibaraki Prefecture.

Namegata Sweet Potato is shipped all year round. By rotating varieties, it is shipped year-round.

Look for it via furusato nozei (hometown tax donation). Check the GI mark and the place of origin before you buy.

Namegata Sweet Potato was registered as a Geographical Indication on March 31, 2023 (Registration No. 131). The registered producer group is Namegata Kansho Brand Promotion Council.