Toyohashi Nambu Tougan

"Toyohashi Nambu Tougan" is a wax gourd that has glossy and vivid-colored skin with little color irregularity. After harvest, it is stored temporarily until the entire gourd becomes colored, and is then polished, classified, sorted and shipped. Thus, gourds of uniform quality, such as gloss, color and shape, can be shipped over a long period of time.
　It accounts for about 60% of the entire shipment of wax gourds in Aichi Prefecture, which is the second top producing prefecture in Japan. The gourd is highly rated for having few cracks and producing little loss when it is sold cut. It is sold at a price 10 to 30% higher compared to those produced in other areas.

For "Toyohashi Nambu Tougan", a designated variety possessed by executives of Nambu Ryukyu Togan Dokokai (Nambu Ryukyu Togan Association), which is a producers' organization of JA Toyohashi, is used. Other varieties selected by the JA based on cultivation aptitudes in the area can also be used.
　The gourd is cultivated in greenhouse or plastic tunnel. To reduce cracks and pest damage from the soil, a protection mat (cushioning material) is used for each gourd.
　After harvest, downy hair and dirt are removed from the surface before shipment. To make it glossy, each gourd is polished by using a "wax gourd polisher" and so on.
　Based on the "shipment standards table", only gourds that are entirely colored outside, have little color irregularly, and are free from serious damage are to be shipped.

"Toyohashi Nambu Tougan" are cultivated by making use of the warm climate of the region and abundant water supply from the Toyogawayosui Channel.
　In 1968, the entire Toyogawayosui Channel started service to ensure water supply in the region; and horticultural agriculture became active. Full-scale cultivation of wax gourd also started in 1987.
　In 1990, producers started to use protection mats (cushioning material) beneath gourds during the growth period. Gourd polishers were introduced next year on a trial basis. Efforts have been made to improve the quality and reduce labor.
　From the start of cultivation, the gourd is grown and shipped by completely following strict shipping standards, such as holding meetings to ensure uniformity of gourds several times a year according to the growth state and standardization of cultivation technologies. 
　As of 2019, the number of producing households is 25 with an annual shipment of 897t.