About Wakayama

Wakayama Prefecture is located on the Kii Peninsula near Osaka and Kyoto. The prefectural capital is Wakayama City. Wakayama has a warm climate and abundant nature, and produces more fruit (including mandarin oranges, Japanese persimmons, and ume (a Japanese plum) than anywhere else in Japan. It also has thriving farming, fishing, and forestry industries, including fresh seafood such as tuna and skip-jack tuna.

Koyasan, the Kumano Sanzan (Three Grand Shrines of Kumano), and the pilgrimage routes that connect them were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 7, 2004 and are also famous tourist attractions.

Location

Wakayama Prefecture adjoins Osaka Prefecture to the north and Nara Prefecture and Mie Prefecture to the east. It is also situated conveniently close to Kansai International Airport.

Kan-non Yama (pronounced kan-non-yah-ma)
Origin and History

Kannon Bosatsu is the goddess of mercy whom Japanese have worshipped since the 6th century. World renowned camera brand, Canon is taken from the word, Kannon.

The founder of Kan-non Yama Fruit Garden started cultivate mikan (mandarin orange) in 1910. Kan-non Yama is now managed by Mr Fumio Kodama, the 6th generation of the founding family. His vision for Kan-non Yama extends beyond the local Japanese market where they have been extremely successful to date.

Kan-non Yama Now!

Unlike other growers and manufacturers Kan-non Yama sells by direct marketing, mainly on-line and to selected fresh food outlets throughout Japan. They don't go through the traditional Japanese wholesale market. So tens of thousands of customers now consume their produce.

Not only fresh fruit is sold but also dried fruit, juice, conserves and other creative original products.

Kan-non Yama also collaborate with café chains, confectionery manufacturers and department stores to create new and original fresh food products for their customers.

Kan-non Yama's produce

Kan-non Yama produces unique Japanese citrus fruit such as Hassaku, Dekopon, Haruka, Harumi, Kiyomi, Seto, etc. These are not cultivated overseas.

Japanese Ume is known as "Japanese plum/apricot" in western countries. Wakayama produces the best Ume and Umeboshi (pickled ume) is regarded as the best in Japan. Kan-non Yama not only produces Ume jam but also jam from Japanese white peach, special kaki, etc.

We deliver!

Please contact us if you are interested in any of Kan-non Yama's products; including fresh fruit. Fresh fruit is subject to your countries quarantine regulations so please check with your Government requirements before ordering.

Juice, conserves and other processed products can usually be sent without any problems, so please contact us.

We are here to assist you!

Anybody interested in our help for the growing of unique Japanese fruit, especially citrus, Kan-non Yama will advise. Mr Fumio Kodama has hundreds of years of experience behind him and, as managing director of Kan-non Yama, is the Japanese citrus expert you need. His son, Yoshinori, the 6th generation family farmer, also holds a bachelor of agriculture degree, so if you want to grow quality Japanese citrus or fruits, please ask us.

We will, and are happy to, give you a hand!

International Internship Program

Kan-non Yama has International Internship & Visitors programs. We welcome people from overseas to experience Kano-non Yama and enjoy fruit growing with us.

Junpei Iwasaki was once a trainee and now working as a full time for Kan-non Yama. His dream is to own his citrus garden in near future.