Hello,

I have a contact in Tokyo who could eventually buy for me some fruits on japanese markets (for the seeds )

I have no idea of which hardy citrus are popular in Japan, except classic Yuzu. If you know Japan and/or have any information (including web links) concerning hardy citrus and hybrids aviable there, tell me..

If you know the local names it could even be better..

Thx
Franck

I think the most popular citrus in Japan besides the Satsuma is Sudachi. Sudachi is available here in the US.

Are you wanting to obtain hardy citrus that you can grow outdoors in France ?
I ask because most of the citrus in Tokyo shops is going to be coming from other areas with milder climates, or even from plastic house production.

April and May will find many types in shops, less in June ? Best to get started.
Other varieties have a summer season. Many will be in cool storage, and available out of season.

Apart from that, many varieties of Japanese citrus are available in shops, along with imported types also. A lot will be seedless types.
In Tokyo, it is possible to find numerous Citrus trees growing as garden trees or as pot plants, and overhanging the fence along the railway tracks etc etc.
Fortunella cumquats, Natsumikan, Yuzu, Poncirus can be seen.
The Japanese word for Citrus is KANKITSU

A useful question in japan, " kore wa nan toe yu kankitsu des ka ?"
Literally, " this what kind of citrus is ?"

Common types available in shops are Yuzu, Sudachi, Kabosu, Hassaku, Iyokan, Mikan(mandarins), Natsumikan, Decopon.
Also imported Oranges, Lemons Grapefruit. Of no use to you.
Citrus fruit is priced about 100 yen, =a dollar each approx. A lot will be in trays (3 or 4 pacs), so the fruit enthusiast could spend up when shopping.

Dont forget about the large Loquat varieties available, taste different to the ones over here.

Thank you very much for your tips pagnr

I compiled your infos with another thread on a french forum. I excluded natsumikan wich is too sour, and decopon which is seedless. These one left :


AMANATSU
DAIDAI (citrus aurantium L. var. Cyathifera)
HASSAKU (citrus hassaku)
HYUGANATSU (Citrus tamurana)
IYOKAN (citrus iyo)
KABOSU (citrus sphaerocarpa )
MIKAN - mikan yama (mountain tangerine)
MIKAN - ao mikan (green tangerine)
MIKAN - Arida mikan (arida valley tangerine)
SHIIKUWASHAA (citrus depressa)
SUDACHI (citrus sudachi)
TACHIBANA (citrus tachibana)
TAKAN (citrus takan)
YUKO (citrus yuko)
YUZU (citrus junos)

Any idea of the taste and hardiness ?
Franck

Amanatsu, Iyokan, Hassaku, are commonly sold in shops as edible Citrus fruit.
Yuzu, Sudachi, Kabosu, are all used similarly for garnish/ flavoring but the taste of each is somewhat different. Yuko would be in this group.
http://www.tokyofoundation.org/en/series/japanese-traditional-foods/vol.-11-the-yuko-a-native-japanese-citrus

Dai Dai refers to many types of "sour orange", Citrus aurantium.
Mikan is the Japanese word for mandarin, also many types.
Shii ku wash aa ( she kwa sa ) is a small fruited, sourish mandarin,
I don't know much about the rest of your list, but much of your list has been discussed on this forum in the past.

Fair enough. I'm going to look for the threads that have been discussed earlier, around the subject.

Once again, thank you for your replies. I'm very impressed about your knowledges about Japanese citrus.


Franck

Yuzu, Yuko & Sudachi are all rated at about 10 F. The others are not quite as hardy, probably closer to 17 - 20 F. They can still be damaged or outright killed at these temps though.

Probably the best reference book, translated to english
Tanaka, "species problems in citrus" 1954
He classified and named most of the species in Japan and the rest of the world. It is a scientific paper with few pics, but most species are discussed.
Since then some new species have been found, and many new varieties developed.
In Japan many new types are tangelo or tangor type hybrids, for fresh eating, ie Kiyomi, Tsunokaori, Arike, Amakusa, Akemi, Setoka, Shiranui.

Another group is the Pummelo, known as Zabon or Buntan.

franckm, the only citrus of these that I have had fruit from is the Sudachi. The few that I have had off my plants are similar (but different) taste to a key lime. All my Sudachi plants are 1 metre tall or less and only two have produced a few fruit 2.5 to 3cm in diametre. I cannot tell you whether the taste or size of the will change as the plant matures.

meilleur de chance qui grandit vos arbres



Greg

Thanks Greg. Anyway it's not the right time to get seeds. There's no more Japanese citrus on markets over there. I should have to wait till fall.

Franck