Persimmon trees bearing characteristic orange-colored fruits, the so-called kaki, are a familiar autumn view in Japan.

Persimmon trees, originally coming from the huge basin of the Yangtze River in China, have long been improved in Japan to harvest sweeter fruits, kaki.  A kaki is recognized as one of a common fruit in Japan like an apples, orange and peach.  It’s typical autumn scenery in Japan that many persimmon trees with kaki fruits are seen here and there in the countryside.  A kaki is not commonly sold at a fruit shop, but is picked off by themselves from the branch of the nearby persimmon trees in the country side. 

Japan introduced it to European countries in 1789, then to North America in 1870.  Since then, Japanese term kaki has been used instead of their native terms even in Europe and America.  The main producing countries are China, South Kirea and Japan, totally counting  to 90 percent of grovel production.  Like grapes and figs, kaki is also dried to have as a preserved food.  This is a vestige from an earlier time, when Japanese people’s calorie intake was not enough in winter.  Dried kaki was a good supplement in those years.

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