grown where the mountains meet the sea

400 years of consistent excellence

Wakayama's rugged mountains, abundant sun, and sea breeze prepare ripe plums that are transformed into umeboshi.

A rugged landscape

Unique terroir

The Ishigami area in Wakayama is home to Hamada Farms and conditions that are uniquely suited to producing the finest umeboshi - which has been happening since the 1600's.

ishigami village, Wakayama - a jewel of Southern japan

South of Osaka, Wakayama's mountains push to the sea. Here, 72% of Japan's umeboshi are produced.

Ishigami Ume Village is where our umeboshi is cultivated - at Hamada Farms.

In Wakayama, The Stone Terraced Mikan Orchard System - another Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System - produces the mikan used for our Select Citrus products.

mineral-rich sea winds feed the mountains

Sea breeze is one of the most important factors for ume cultivation. Many of the areas where ume are cultivated are located facing the sea, to harness a moderate sea breeze.

Strong winds from typhoons and other storms have caused salt damage along the coast, but in the Ishigami area, a short distance from the coast, the Kuroshio Current's sea breeze is caught by Daijamine Peak (400 meters elevation), depositing much needed minerals into the soil.

Harsh slopes develop rich ume

More than 90% of the Ishigami area comprises steep slopes. In the Edo period (1603-1868), Naotsugu Ando, the first lord of the Tanabe domain in Kishu, encouraged the cultivation of ume on the steep slopes, and this led to the full-scale cultivation of ume in the Ishigami area.

The harshness of the natural environment, including low nutrient density of the soil and the temperature difference between day and night, have been turned into favorable conditions for ume cultivation.

Annual yields hang in delicate balance

Yields are greatly influenced by the weather and pollinating bees during the flowering period. For strong yields conditions must be met:

Nanko Ume and many other varieties of ume are in full bloom at the same time
The temperature at full bloom is above 15 degrees Celsius and bees are active
This weather at full bloom lasts more than three days

The mild climate caused by the Kuroshio Current and the sunlight that pours into the Ishigami area promote the growth of the plants and also have a great impact on pollination.

From Soil to Fruit

Sustainable cultivation

Low nutrient soil means we must start with properly tending to the earth before managing orchards and fruit.

Each step is key to maintaining our Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System.

In recent years we have also made efforts to improve our cultivation techniques, such as the establishment of a thinning pruning method and a test garden where we select the best varieties from thousands of seedlings.

Learn about the 9 keys steps in harvesting the highest quality ume fruit below.

soil building

Compost is applied to the orchard to improve the soil for ume cultivation.

It also maintains the health of the trees, stabilizes crop yield, improves water retention, and protects the roots from drying out.

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Making Seedlings

Seeds from the best ume trees are planted in the field and grown for two years.

A branch of another superior tree is grafted onto the base of the young tree.

This process results in a sapling that will produce plentiful fruit.

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Installation of Bee Hives

We bring beehives into the orchard in February, the time of flowering.

Honeybees do the cross-pollination for us.

The lowest temperature at which bees are active is around 8°C, and the weather at the time of flowering has a great influence on the year's crop.

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Anti-Gradation Work

Ume are a delicate fruit, and easily affected by pests and disease.

To protect them, we use the minimum amount of chemicals necessary, which is about half of conventional methods.

We also engage in approved special cultivation methods and organic farming.

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Netting

Only ume that have ripened on the tree and fallen naturally are used for umeboshi.

In order to prevent damage from falling and insects, we spread nets under the trees during the harvest season.

They are blue to contrast the ripe yellow fruit.

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Harvesting

The harvest season lasts about a month from early June to early July.

The ume ripen on the trees, turn yellow, and fall naturally.

We collect only the ones that fall naturally each day.

Fully tree-ripened ume often spoil if they are not macerated on the same day so we quickly move them to be processed.

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GLobal recognition

Hamada Farms orchards are part of the Minabe–Tanabe Ume System, recognized by the United Nations as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) for over 400 years of sustainable cultivation.

Together, we’re proud to carry this tradition forward — preserving the land, the craft, and the soulful taste of Japan’s ume for generations to come.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Designation Details.

Vineyard inspiration

Since the 1700's, coppice forests have been trimmed above and around the ume orchards, to function in watershed conservation and slope collapse prevention while also acting as a habitat for diverse plants and animals.

In order to efficiently cultivate high-quality fruit, Hamada Farms also created a flat area like a vineyard.

This has enabled the establishment of a unique cultivation method, "Kojo Cultivation," allowing for easier harvesting in order to make umeboshi using only tree-ripened fruit.

From harvest to table

Hands on Processing

Once ripe ume falls from the trees, they're managed through a hands-on process that's been followed for centuries.

Learn about the 9 keys steps in producing the highest quality ume below.

harvesting

During the harvest period, from early June to early July, the ume orchard is covered with blue nets under the trees.

The fruits ripen on the trees and fall naturally, and are collected by hand daily.

Fully tree-ripened ume often spoil if they are not macerated on the same day.

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Cleaning

After harvesting, the fully ripened ume are thoroughly washed and then sorted by quality and size, with each ume checked by the craftsman's eyes.

They are then soaked in water for about 30 minutes to remove any insects.

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Sun Drying

Then the ume are dried in the sun from around August.

In order to ensure that all the ume are evenly dried, we turn and reposition them according to the color and condition of the skin.

The experience and intuition of the craftsmen are put to good use here.

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Washing, Desalination, & Flavoring

When they come out of storage, the umeboshi are washed again and desalted for about half a day.

After that, we soak them in a flavoring liquid unique to each product.

The flavoring liquid is handmade with carefully selected ingredients to ensure a good fit with the ume.

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Quality Control

Seasoning is done for a minimum of 18 days.

During this time, each tank is inspected at least three times to ensure that each flavor meets the prescribed values.

Since the taste will vary depending on the batch of ume fruit, strict adjustment is essential.

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Inspection, Packaging, & Shipping

Finally we label the containers, pack them, and get them ready to be distributed to retailers, restaurants, and individuals.

Each step plays a critical role in getting the highest quality umeboshi to people who love it.

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visit wakayama

Ishigami ume village

Perched on the slopes of mountains, Ishigami Village stands among rows of ume treees.

Coppice forest surround the orchards, providing watershed conservation, slope collapse prevention, and a habitat for floura and fauna.

what makes a heritage superfood

health

A potent combination of organic acids, minerals, antioxidants, and fermented compounds is what has given umeboshi its enduring reputation as a food prized for restoration, resilience, and balance throughout Japanese culinary history.

Discover