Protected local food
Otake Ichijiku
大竹いちじく
Small figs from Nikaho on the Akita coast that stay green even when ripe. They are mostly simmered whole in sweet syrup, a local winter preserve.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 30 March 2020
- Region
- Tohoku
- Official name in Japanese
- 大竹いちじく
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 秋田県にかほ市
Figs that stay green
Figs are unusual this far north in Japan. Nikaho, on the southern coast of Akita, gets less snow and warmer weather than the rest of the prefecture, so growers here could plant a cold-hardy variety. The fruit is small and the skin stays green when ripe, and you can eat it skin and all.
Simmered in syrup
Locals have long simmered figs in sugar syrup, called kanroni, to keep through the winter. Otake figs are picked while still firm and sorted by size. They have a lovely colour, a strong aroma and a refined sweetness, and they keep their shape in the pot, so they sell for more than other figs grown for cooking.
A fig village
Growers in the Otake district built a dedicated fig orchard area and improved their methods together until Nikaho became known for figs.
Good to know
- Look for jars of fig kanroni in Akita souvenir shops and roadside stations. They go well with cream cheese or yogurt.
- Nikaho sits below Mt Chokai, with coastal views and the Mototaki spring-fed waterfall nearby.
Questions travellers ask
Can I eat them fresh?
Yes, but they are grown mostly for kanroni and other processed products, so you will usually find them in jars.
When is the harvest?
Late summer into autumn, when the figs are picked firm for simmering.
Where it comes from
More protected foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.