Greetings

Walking among the peach blossoms spreading all over in spring April, I am filled with happiness every year to be able to place myself in such a beautiful scenery. The sweet and fresh peaches ripen from the lovely and beautiful flowers, and the peaches of Ichinomiya in Fuefuki-shi are attracting attention from all over Japan and, in recent years, from overseas as well. I am sure that our ancestors who started peach cultivation in the early Showa period must have been surprised that this area has become Japan's largest peach-producing region.

This area is located in the middle of a fan-shaped area. The fan-shaped area has good drainage and fertile soil, making it the best land for fruit tree cultivation. Father Shuaki researched the herbaceous cultivation method, which takes advantage of the characteristics of this land and also preserves the water retention capacity of the land, which is a weak point of this land, and introduced it to peach cultivation. The sweet, fresh, and delicious peaches are the result of the fan-shaped topography and this herbaceous cultivation method.

The first work in the peach fields in spring begins in mid-February with bud thinning. At this time, we begin by saying to the peach trees, "I will help you as much as I can to produce sweet and delicious fruit this year. After the harvest is complete, we bow to the trees and say, "Thank you for producing another year of magnificent, delicious fruit," and leave the field. The soil in the field and the trees are as important to us as if they were our family. We are very happy that everyone who has had the opportunity to taste our peaches, which we have grown with such care.

In recent years, abnormal weather has repeated itself year after year, and conditions for fruit cultivation continue to be difficult. However, like my predecessors, I will continue to make efforts to maintain the production of delicious peaches with wisdom and ingenuity. We look forward to your continued support.