Arakawa no Momo

"Arakawa no Momo", or Arakawa Peach, has been cultivated since the Edo period ⁽¹⁾, and is the largest peach produced in western Japan, with its primary production area located in Momoyama-cho, Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture.
　Having a beautiful external appearance characterized by attractive color and uniform size, the fruits are widely purchased at department stores, etc., as summer gifts and the like and traded at high prices in wholesale markets.
　During the peach blossom season, the producing area is covered by marvelous pink carpets reminiscent of a hidden paradise. The scenery is the seasonal symbol of the area and is also a popular tourist attraction.

The varieties used for producing "Arakawa no Momo" are those recommended by the Arakawa Peach Promotion Council (the "Council") and are basically cultivated based on the Arakawa Peach Cultivation Calendar.
　Only peach fruits that satisfy Arakawa Peach Shipping Standards specified by the Council are shipped. Fruits that fail to meet the standards, except rotten ones, can be shipped for food processing purposes. 

The producing area is located on the south bank of Kinokawa River ⁽²⁾, which flows through Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture. The warm climate and well-draining sand and gravel soil, among other natural conditions, are suitable for peach production, which can be dated back to the Edo period.
　In the area, methods have been established for producing peaches that look beautiful and tasteful. Backed by cultivation technologies accumulated over long years, these include early disbudding and defloration and fruit protection bags.
　In 2002, all producers engaged in peach cultivation in the producing area agreed and founded the Arakawa Peach Promotion Council. With the cooperation of public institutes, the Council conducts cultivation experiments of new varieties before introduction, breeding of superior varieties, testing of fruit protection bags of mutually different materials, and demonstration experiments on pest control aiming to improve the quality of the fruits further.
　As a result of efforts to promote production by the entire community, peach orchards are spreading seamlessly in the producing area, resulting in vistas where "100 thousand peach trees might be visible at a glance."

1. The Edo Period: 1603-1867. It is a period of Japanese history characterized by the establishment of a shogunate (feudal military government) in Edo (now Tokyo). Political administration under the Tokugawa clan began when Tokugawa Ieyasu became the era's first shogun.
2. The Kinokawa River: It is a Class A river (length: 136km). The name comes from "Kii" province, the ancient name of the geographical region.