Protected local food
Akebono Daizu
あけぼの大豆
A giant, extra-sweet soybean from the Akebono area of Minobu, Yamanashi, grown for more than 100 years. It is eaten as edamame in autumn and as dried beans in winter.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 31 March 2022
- Region
- Chubu
- Official name in Japanese
- あけぼの大豆
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 山梨県南巨摩郡身延町
A giant bean
Akebono daizu is so large that ten beans in a row stretch about 18 centimetres, six old Japanese sun. People once nicknamed it toroku-sun for that reason. It has about 20% more sugars than other soybeans and 40% more sucrose, so it tastes noticeably sweet.
Cold nights in the mountains
It grows in Minobu town in the mountains of Yamanashi. From October, when it is picked as edamame, to December, when the dry beans are harvested, days and nights differ by more than 10°C. That builds the sweetness.
Kept pure for generations
Akebono growers keep their fields apart from other soybeans so they do not cross, and they have chosen the best seed for generations to keep the beans big. The local co-op pays two to four times the national average for ordinary soybeans.
Good to know
- Minobu is home to Kuon-ji, the head temple of Nichiren Buddhism, famous for its weeping cherry trees in spring.
- Look for Akebono edamame in October and dried beans or bean sweets later in the year.
Questions travellers ask
Is it edamame or soybean?
Both. It is picked green as edamame in October and left to dry for soybeans in December.
Why is it so expensive?
It is rare, very large and sweet, and only grown in a small area.
Where it comes from
Crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.