Nanba Nouen ~ Preserving the Original Landscape of the Yashima District in Their Hometown of Tamashima for the Future: The Challenge of a Young Third-Generation Farm Owner - Page 2 of 2

Bringing a New Breeze to a Family Business Passed Down Through Generations — Interview with Third-Generation Orchard Owner Nanba Shoji

We interviewed Nanba Nouen’s third-generation orchard owner, Nanba Shoji, about how he took over the family business, his journey so far, and what he hopes to take on in the future.

Could you tell us how you came to take over the family business?

Nanba (honorific omitted)

When I was a banker, working with the owners of businesses that received loans through my work (in sales and consulting), I gradually developed a vague admiration for business owners.

I had always thought that someday I wanted to start a business and run it myself, and then one day the peaches grown at my family home came to mind.

After that, I started selling peaches online on a trial basis and received a much bigger response than I had expected. I felt I could make a business of it, so I took the plunge and left my salaried job.

Did you always intend to take over the family business?

Nanba

I often helped out at the orchard when I was little, but I hadn’t originally thought about taking it over. My father was a peach farmer on the side while working as a company employee, so I didn’t think the operation was large enough to farm full-time.

Could you tell us about your approach to cultivation?

Nanba

When it comes to peaches, we focus on growing them for their sugar content (sweetness).

In April, peach blossoms turn the entire field pink

For example, when it comes to watering, our orchard deliberately limits watering to concentrate the flavor.
However, the downside is that the peaches end up small.

Small peaches fetch lower prices when shipped through the agricultural cooperative. And because we compete on flavor rather than appearance, shape, or size, we sell directly to customers.

Another benefit of selling directly is that we can hear from our customers firsthand.

For fertilizer, we mainly use organic compost. Recently, to reduce our environmental impact and save on fertilizer costs, we have also been composting and using household food scraps.
We also use chemical fertilizers, but the amount used at our orchard is considerably lower than the standard set by the agricultural cooperative.

We also take care to grow our crops with reduced pesticide use (less than half the level set by the agricultural cooperative), so they are gentle on the body and safe to eat.
One reason is that the fields themselves are terraced on a slope, making it physically difficult to spray pesticides and herbicides.

We grow lemons using the same methods as for peaches, with a focus on flavor.

Could you tell us about your top product?

Nanba

When peaches are in season (summer), we’d especially like people to enjoy freshly picked peaches.

Among them, our signature product is Shimizu Hakuto, a premium variety shipped in late July. We hope as many people as possible will try it.

White peach amazake (Image courtesy of Nanba Nouen)

Another product is white peach amazake, which we make as part of our sixth-sector industrialization efforts. Amazake is said to be an IV drip you can drink, much like a sports drink, and it’s very popular in hot weather.

Sixth-sector industrialization

An approach in which producers integrate not only production (primary industry), but also processing (secondary industry) and sales (tertiary industry). It uses local resources to create new added value. The term combines primary industry × secondary industry × tertiary industry to make sixth industry.

It’s mildly sweet, very easy to drink, and has a refreshing taste, so we’d love people to enjoy it alongside peaches, which come into season in summer.

White peach amazake was also featured on the Nippon TV network information program “Hirunandesu!” broadcast on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, and, thankfully, it received an explosive response. Our stock is running low, but we hope many people will get to try it.

What is difficult about growing fruit trees?

Nanba

We harvest peaches during the hot summer, so every year it’s a battle against the heat.

To give you an idea of how grueling it is, I lose about five or six kilograms between the beginning and end of the season. In these harsh conditions, all peach farmers—not just us—work hard.

I used to play baseball, so I’m confident in my ability to handle the heat, but the recent extreme heat is beyond normal, and getting used to it and enduring it takes a lot of perseverance.

Also, something common to all crops, not just fruit trees, is that working hard doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll produce a good crop. The fruit yield varies depending on that year’s weather and climate.

Even so, it makes me really happy when customers tell us, “That was delicious”. Those words make all the hardships we’ve been through disappear.

What do you look to for inspiration when developing products?

Nanba

To be honest, developing processed products was difficult at first.

I had a vague idea of making a drink, but it was difficult to figure out what kind of drink to make.

For example, we started making white peach amazake because my wife mentioned that she wanted to drink amazake while she was pregnant. I thought amazake with peaches in it sounded interesting.

Unexpected inspiration can be found in the little things in everyday life, so I hope to value those ideas and develop products that meet our customers’ needs.

Is there anything you’d like to take on in the future?

Nanba

In recent years, many peach farmers have left the industry for various reasons. So, in order to preserve the peach orchards in our hometown, I hope to gradually take on abandoned farmland and expand the area where we grow peaches.

I also think citrus fruits, including lemons, still have plenty of potential for the future.
In addition to lemons, we have started growing mandarins and the aromatic citrus fruits known as yuzu and sudachi.

This year, we made yuzu syrup for the first time and served it as yuzu squash at a market, where it received a good response.
We’re also considering making syrup from sudachi juice and serving it as sudachi squash at a market.

Citrus fruits are easier to manage than peaches and have a longer harvest period, so I’d like to make them one of our main crops going forward.

You can also fill a bag with lemons at events

With major production areas for lemons in Hiroshima, sudachi in Tokushima, and yuzu in Kochi—all in neighboring prefectures—we want to apply the know-how we’ve gained from growing peaches and take pride in producing higher-quality fruit.

From the Writer

Listening to Nanba, I felt that he had arrived at his current work through what seemed like a coincidence that was perhaps meant to be.

At the root of it all is his strong desire to take over peach orchards whose owners are leaving farming and preserve the scenery of his hometown.

And whether it’s his efforts to grow citrus fruits such as lemons in addition to peaches, or product development aimed at sixth-sector industrialization, each story had its own twists and turns.

In particular, his words, “Working hard doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll produce a good crop,” made me feel that it’s important to keep taking on new challenges.

Nanba Nouen is also actively pursuing crowdfunding to keep these efforts going.

We look forward to seeing what comes next as he trades his leather shoes for rubber boots, draws on the business perspective he gained as a banker, and brings the flexible ideas of a young producer to his next move.