Aim of KNV

Nashi pear orchards in Kunitachi-city face difficulties in maintenance due to aging of the owners and a shortage of successors. In 2001, one nashi orchard was disappeared; in 2004, a half of an nashi orchard disappeared; and in 2006, yet another nashi orchard disappeared. Further, in 2008, an nashi orchard was closed; and in 2009, yet another nashi orchard was closed due to land readjustment. As of 2012, only 2 nashi pear orchards remain out of 10.

We aim to keep the nashi pear orchards in Kunitachi-city, with the help of thoughtful volunteers in supporting maintenance of the nashi orchards. We hope to add a page in lives of volunteers through working with the nashi pear orchard owners and deepening our relationships.

Main Activities

Since 2000, we have been involved in the following activities with about 10 annual members and experience volunteers during pollination.

Cleaning up pruned branches, covering the orchards with straw mulch, pollination, fruit thinning, fruit bagging, netting over the orchards, etc. The annual working days is about 100.

Four Seasons of the Nashi Pear Orchard

Winter

Four seasons of the nashi pear orchard begins with preparing for the coming year by “pruning of branches” and “soil conditioning”.

Spring

The busiest time of the nashi pear orchard is the pollination period with a slight window of opportunity of one week. About two weeks after the pollination, a series of work continues from fruit thinning, fruit bagging, through netting over the orchards; having other works in between such covering the orchards with straw mulch and sanitizing.

Summer

Weeding is followed by harvesting of early maturing variety. There were times when we held one-day “Kunitachi-grown nashi Pear Market” in front of the Kunitachi train station.

Autumn

Harvesting of late variety followed by clearing away the netting brings the end of the four seasons of the nashi pear orchard.

About this site

Site administrator
KUMAI Hiroyuki, Secretary, “Kunitachi Nashi-en Volunteers”

Please send an email to knv@kusanone.jp any questions or comments you may have on this site.