The harvest of Tamba chestnuts, a specialty of the Tamba region that straddles Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures, is at its peak in the northern part of the prefecture. At a farm in Fukuchiyama City, shiny reddish-brown fruits peek out from the burrs, giving a sense of the depth of autumn.
Kenkichi Yamauchi (81 years old) of Tano, Fukuchiyama City, Kyoto Prefecture, who serves as the chairman of the Fukuchiyama Region Tanba Chestnut Promotion Association, grows 64 chestnuts of three types, including ''Tsukuba'' and ''Ginyose,'' in approximately 23 acres of idle land. There is. Due to the continued drought in the summer, the harvest is smaller than usual, but the grains are large and have a concentrated sweetness.
On October 3, they deftly used tongs to pick out the fruit from the burrs that had fallen to the ground and collected them in baskets. Harvesting work will continue until mid-October, with the farmers busy with sorting to match the size and color for the competition to be held on October 6th in Kyotanba-cho, Kyoto Prefecture.
Mr. Yamauchi said, ''The thick fog created by the difference in temperature between morning and evening allows the chestnuts, which store sugar, to grow.I want local people to enjoy the taste of autumn as well.''
