Citrus workshop with Mr. Yoshitomo Maruta Covering, harvesting, and ripening of Shiranui (4 hours x 2 days)｜Tourism

[Tsunagi, Kumamoto] Enjoy learning about eco-friendly agriculture in a town of art with a lunch of local vegetables!

Tsunagi Town・Citrus workshop with Mr. Yoshitomo Maruta: Covering, harvesting, ripening of Shiranui Citrus (~4 hours x 2 days)

Paint pictures on protective bags for citrus fruit

Cover the Shiranui of your choosing with the bags you painted

Fruit is stored in a warehouse for ripening

On this tour, you will meet with farmers who aim to grow citrus fruits without relying on pesticides and fertilizers as much as possible, do some work with them in the orchard, see how trees are pruned and the soil is maintained, and actually taste the citrus fruits. First, you will help to cover the Shiranui with protective bags in late November - early December. Then, you will harvest the fruit that you covered with bags in late January - early February and leave them with the farmers for safekeeping. Shiranui will be delivered directly to your home in March or April after they have been ripened to the perfect level of sweetness. On this tour, you will learn firsthand just how much time and effort it takes to make the best possible tasting Shiranui citrus fruit.

● Visit a citrus orchard that uses as few pesticides and fertilizers as possible.
● On this tour, you will visit an orchard twice to see how it changes with the seasons and talk with the farmers at length.
● Shiranui will be delivered directly to your home after they have been ripened to the perfect level of sweetness.
● Enjoy lunch made from local vegetables.
● Ideal for teaching children about food or as a gift from grandchildren to grandparents.

Yoshitomo MarutaShiranui farmer

After retiring early, Yoshitomo Maruta took part in the town's eco-friendly practical agriculture training program before taking over his mother's mandarin orange orchard. He currently works at Tsunagi Hyakkado(Tsunagi Store) while also practicing what he learned in the program about seedlings, pruning, and post-harvest management in his orchard.

Destination Info

Tsunagi: A Town of Citrus and Art

With a population of around 4,500, Tsunagi Town is located in southern Kumamoto Prefecture. It is a beautiful town on the calm Yatsushiro Sea with abundant citrus groves dotting its hillsides. Tsunagi has been working on “Community Building Through Art”, an art-based initiative to reinvigorate the region in the wake of Minamata disease. Additionally, through a community farm, it aims to promote natural farming that uses as little pesticides and fertilizer as possible.

Scenery of Shiranui Sea (Yatsushiro Sea) and Citrus Fields

Sculptures are scattered throughout the town

Tsunagi FARM Project

Tsunagi is one of the towns that was ravaged by Minamata disease. The project called “Tsunagi FARM” aims to grow produce using as few pesticides and fertilizers as possible to keep the waters clean. The farm holds regular workshops with experts like Masanori Doho, known for his revolutionary pruning methods, and Tomonori Yano, who works to spread the word about his unique soil preparation and grass-cutting methods.

Soil preparation using Tomonori Yano’s method of earth regeneration

Program Contents

Yoshitomo Maruta, Shiranui farmer

After retiring early, Yoshitomo Maruta took part in the town’s eco-friendly practical agriculture training program before taking over his mother’s mandarin orange orchard. He currently works at Tsunagi Hyakkado(Tsunagi Store) while also practicing what he learned in the program about seedlings, pruning, and post-harvest management in his orchard.

Learn about eco-friendly agriculture at Mr. Maruta’s farm

Painting protective bags

Shiranui are not eaten immediately after harvesting, but are instead put in storage for several months to reduce their acidity. They are usually harvested around December to January and are stored until April or May before being shipped and sold. To prevent mold and rot during storage, chemicals are typically used. However, since Mr. Maruta aims to use as few chemicals as possible, he delays the time of harvest and allows the citrus to ripen on the tree as long as he can to shorten the time in storage. To limit damage to the fruits, each shiranui is individually bagged. In this program, paint your favorite image on the bags during the first visit, and harvest the shiranui on the second.

Harvest ripening Shiranui from the end of January to early February

Learn about citrus fruits in a fun way

If you are interested in organic citrus and how to grow it, or have inherited a citrus tree from a parent or friend but do not know how to care for it and make it bear fruit, then this program is right for you! We hope this tour will not only be a valuable learning experience but will also provide opportunities to exchange ideas about how to continue safe and reliable farming and make the most out of citrus fruits.

Lunch made from local vegetables

In addition to citrus fruits, Tsunagi Town produces vegetables and rice using environmentally friendly methods. For lunch, enjoy a meal featuring organic vegetables and rice from the town and its suburbs. Risa Hamaguchi of 「SEN&CO」, a local pesticide-free rice farm and nature experience company, will serve the meal.

Enjoy a lunch plate made with local organic vegetables and rice.

Citrus workshop with Mr. Yoshitomo Maruta (4 hours x 2 days)

Late November – early December: Paint protective bags: You will paint pictures on protective bags for citrus fruit.

Late November – early December: Orchard tour: Tour the orchard and learn about soil preparation and pruning.

Late November – early December: Cover fruit with protective bags: Choose your Shiranui and cover with the bags you painted

Late January – early February: Harvest Shiranui: Harvest the Shiranui that you covered.

Late January – early February: Clean and prepare Shiranui: Cut any leftover branches off the fruit.

Late January – early February: Store fruit in the warehouse: Fruit is stored in a warehouse for ripening.

March – April: Shiranui are delivered to your home.: Shiranui will be delivered directly to your home after they have been ripened to the perfect level of sweetness.

*We may not be able to harvest the shiranui you bagged due to animals, birds, frost or cold weather. In that case, we will give you replacement Shiranui.

＼Tour Participant Comments／

・ I thought it was a wonderful idea to let the participants harvest the same fruit that we placed bags on.
・ I learned that citrus fruits have different aromas and grow differently depending on the tree, and I felt like the tour was time well spent even though I am not a farmer.
・ Mr. Murata’s personality really created a friendly atmosphere for everyone.

Tour Code	GKTN05
Dates	Up to 10 people per group; 2 groups per year x 2 days Day 1: A weekend in late November – early December (tentative) Day 2: A weekend in late January – early February (tentative)
Duration	4 hours
Schedule	Day 1 (late November – early December) 11:00 Gathering and Introductions (Tsunagi Art Museum). Learn about the town’s development through art. 12:00 Visit Tsunagi Hyakkodo. Learn about the town’s environmentally friendly agriculture. Afterward, enjoy a lunch plate made from local vegetables. 13:30 Paint protective bags for citrus fruit. 14:30 Make your own way to Mr. Maruta’s citrus orchard (10 mins. by car, one-way). 14:40 Tour Mr. Maruta’s citrus orchard; attach protective bags. 15:30 Recap and discussion (end time: 16:00). Day 2 (late January – early February) 12:00 Meet; introductions; lunch made from local vegetables Tsunagi Hyakkado – Tsunagi Store. 13:30 View art installations in Tsunagi. 14:30 Make your own way to Mr. Maruta’s citrus orchard (10 mins. by car, one-way). 14:40 Harvest, clean, and store Shiranui. 15:30 Recap and discussion (end time: 16:00).
Language	Japanese
No. of Participants	Minimum: 5 / Maximum: 10
Meeting place	Tsunagi Art Museum 494 Iwaki, Tsunagi, Ashikita District, Kumamoto 869-5603, Japan Tsunagi Hyakkado(Tsunagi Store) 1601 Iwaki, Tsunagi Town, Ashikita-gun, Kumamoto Pref. ※By public transportation 1) Take the Kyushu Shinkansen from Hakata Station to Shin-Minamata Station (about 1 hour and 10 minutes). 2A ) From Shin-Minamata Station, take a cab (about 15 minutes). 2B) From Shin-Minamata Station, take the Hisatsu-Orange Railway to Tsunagi Station (10 minutes). Take a cab from Tsunagi Station (about 10 minutes). 2C) Rent a car from in front of Shin-Minamata Station (about 15 minutes) *By Car Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes from Hakata. Free parking is available.
Dress code	・ Clothing that can get dirty, hat (to provide protection from the sun) ・ Boots or hiking shoes
What to bring	・ Work gloves ・ Writing utensils ・ Water bottle
Notes about the Citrus workshop	・ Farmers from the orchard or our staff will lead the way from Tsunagi Hyakkado (Tsunagi Store) to the orchard. Please follow in your own car or a taxi. Please let us know if you need help arranging a taxi. ・ The harvest date for the second half of the tour may be moved up due to climate or other factors. If this happens, we will contact you in advance. If you are unable to attend, we will harvest your fruit for you. Thank you for your understanding. ・ You may not be able to harvest the same Shiranui that you placed bags on due to factors like wild animals, birds, frost, or cold weather. In this case, we will provide you with other Shiranui. ・Students of elementary school age and younger must attend with a parent or guardian. We ask parents to keep an eye on their children as this is a working orchard, not a tourist site, and there are some dangerous areas like stone walls. ・ You can come to Tsunagi Hyakkado (Tsunagi Store) to pick up your ripened Shiranui or have them sent to you by cash on delivery.
Other Notes	・ This is a program that requires participants to travel to the meeting place on their own. ・ UNA Laboratories staff will not accompany guests on this program. ・ All photos are for illustrative purposes only. ・We recommend that you purchase domestic travel insurance for your participation in the tour. ・ The tour will be canceled in the event that it becomes difficult to smoothly conduct the tour due to the new coronavirus infection situation, wind and wave conditions, or other factors. If the tour is canceled, the full amount of the tour fee will be refunded.
Cancellation Policy	If you wish to cancel your reservation, please contact us as soon as possible. In the event of cancellation due to the customer’s convenience, the following cancellation fees will apply: – Cancellation 7 to 2 days prior: 30% of the fee – Cancellation on the day before: 50% of the fee – Cancellation on the day of the reservation: 100% of the fee Please note that we may not be able to accommodate requests for changes due to the time of year or availability of reservations.
Recommended Spots	We recommend visiting the following places before or after your program: Tatzu Butsu (Carved Buddha Statues): An outdoor project created by artist Tatzu Nishi where 33 Buddha statues have been carved directly into the forest’s trees. Stone Spirit Forest: An outdoor work created by contemporary artist Yukinori Yanagi that was inspired by the works of a local writer, Michiko Ishimure. Here, in a ginkgo grove, recitations of Michiko’s poems can be heard. This is located next to the artwork, Tatzubutzu. Tsunagi Art Museum: Open 10:00-17:00. This municipal art museum opened in April 2001 and has served as a hub for artistic and cultural activities in the Minamata and Ashikita areas of Kumamoto Prefecture. Closed every Wednesday. Tsunagi Cultural Center: Located just a 3-minute walk from the Tsunagi Art Museum. Open 9:00-21:00. Yukari Ohira’s artwork, Tsunagu , is on permanent display in the lobby. Closed on Mondays. Tsunagi Hyakkodo: Open 9:00-18:00. This store sells local specialty products selected based on environmentally friendly farming methods as well as tastiness. Tsunagi Town Area Guide: Please see the Tsunagi Area Guide more recommendations around town.

Travel Planning: Implementation

Tsunagi Town Hall (2123 Kotsunagi, Tsunagi-machi, Ashikita-gun, Kumamoto)

Contact for consignment sales and inquiries

UNA Laboratories Inc. (Fukuoka Prefectural Governor Registration #2-951)
3-12-22-302 Yakuin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka Prefecture 810-0022
TEL: 092-982-7956E-MAIL: tour@unalabs.jp
Domestic Certified Travel Supervisors:
Aya Tamura, Noriko Yahata, Rei Watanabe
Business Hours:
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (Closed Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays)
*Requests received outside of business hours will be processed the following business day.
*Domestic Certified Travel Supervisors are responsible for transactions held at the sales office that processes customers’ travel. Please do not hesitate to contact the aforementioned Domestic Certified Travel Supervisors with any questions or concerns regarding the travel contract.

Tour Information

Dates: Day 1: A weekend in late November - early December (tentative)
Day 2: A weekend in late January - early February (tentative)

Duration: About 4 hours

Target ages: All ages

Price: 8,000yen (tax included)

Remarks: ※ Items included in the tour fee
Shiranui citrus (x8), participation fee (x2), Lunch (x2)

tourism