farmers' Restaurant　Mikan-Batake

The Country of Akizuno

In the country of Akizuno, you can eat, stay, buy, and play!
It’s nice to have regional cuisine made by local mothers in the farmer’s restaurant, to stroll around Akizuno Garten, or to try picking mikan taught by local farmers. There are different views in season in the country of Akizuno.

Here is an Old Country


5 minutes from Akizuno Garten on foot	Shrine on the Sky: Ryuzensan Ryujin-gu Shrine

　1200 years ago, Waki Kiyomaro’s (733-799) precious hawk died. He divided its bones into three and buried each in Mt. Takao in Kisyu, Mt. Takao in Kyoto, and Mt. Takao in Bizen, his home town. At that time, he built Senko-ji Temple on Mt. Takao in Kisyu and Jingo-ji Temple on Mt. Takao in Kyoto, and he mourn for the hawk’s death. Later, it was burned down by Hideyoshi’s attacks of Kisyu. A small temple was built on the foot of the mountain, but again it was burned down. Moving to Hiraoka, and it merged Saiko-ji Temple on that land and present Senko-ji Temple was built. After that, the temple registered as twenty fifth of Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage.
It is said that Kobo Daishi was in Ryujin-gu Shrine, the sacred place, which stood on 500 meter above on top of the mountain. Ubame oak is sacred tree and it lives about 400 years. It is very valuable as a living ubame oak individually and is designated as a national treasure in Tanabe city and Wakayama prefecture.
Other than that, there are cultural and historical sites in Kamiakizu. Please look at Akizuno Guide Map for details. Those historical spots are tied up with regional resource.

The Country of Mikan and Ume


Nationally Famous for Fully Ripened Mikan of Akizuno	Kisyu Nanko-ume Growing District

　The mean annual temperature is 16.5 degrees, the annual precipitation is 1650 mm, and it rarely goes sub-zero even in winter; those genial climate really fits for the cultivation of citrus fruits. Commencing with Unsyu-mikan, Hassaku, Sweet Summer Orange, Sanbo-kan, Pon-kan, Iyo-kan, Kumquat, Valencia Orange, and Kiyomi Orange, there are more than 70 kinds of mikan in the region which is really unique. Kamiakizu is one of the few regions which harvest mikan throughout the year and is a base of year-round supply of mikan. Fruits harvested on the slope of the mountain with plenty of sunlight and well ?drained land are high quality and have high market values, so the name of Akizuno becomes popular as mikan bland. Other than that, Akizuno is also known as a producing district of Oishi, Soldum, and Kiwi. Also Tanabe is the most amount of Ume producing district in Japan and Kamiakizu is one of ume producing areas in Tanabe.
The year-round supply crops are valuable for the farmer’s market and green tourism. One of the biggest regional resources is crops in Kamiakizu.

The Country of Regional Development


Mixed Functions Kamiakizu Area	Akizuno-jyuku Organization Chart

　At beginning of Heisei era, as mixed functions started to increase, there were more troubles in the area. Akizuno-Jyuku was established in June, 1994, by setting an ideology and a goal to materialize ‘aromatic firming village cultural society which cannot find in the city’ and ‘vitality and affluent hometown.’
Please look at the chart. All groups in Kamiakizu are joined in Akizuon-Jyuku. So after Akizuno-jyuku was formed, it became easy to handle various matters rapidly in the area.

The Country of Community Vitalization


Akizuno Flower Festival	Akizuno Summer Festival

　Beginning of Heisei era, there were 600 houses in Kamiakizu, and in 2010, it increased to 1150 houses. Troubles began to increase especially between farmers and new residents. For example, troubles about houses next to farmland, differences of culture and lifestyle habit, traditional rules in the area, and so on. To fix the near collapse community, Akizuno-jyuku, which was established in 1996, at the center, events were held. Especially events children interested in were added so that parents came with them. Also it is continued until now that old and new residents gather and hold events as volunteer under Akizuno-jyuku. In addition, there has been a firming experience learning for students, and local farmers as teachers has taught the importance of firming in this area. The information which children got there handed down to their parents, and it developed an understanding about the area.
Where children gather, parents gather; that’s how people meet in the region.

The Country where Residents Tries Hard


Farmer’s Market Kitera which Moved to the Current Place in 2003.	Kitera’s Feature: Citrus Fruits throughout a Year!

Since 1996 after we received the Emperor’s trophy of regional vitalization, we have tried a lot of different ways to revitalize the region. In those days, we had held events such as flower festival and Mt. Takao marathon meet, and sold regional production like mikan there. It was a great hit, and it led to open a farmer’s market.
In 1999, the movement of economic activity related to regional vitalization occurred. Akizuno-jyuku couldn’t take all business management, so we offered investments to the residents, and 10 people gathered and brought a hundred thousand yen each. With that, a farmer’s market was started in the used prefab house. As business went well, projects of Oren-chi Juice Club and Akizuno Garten went on.

Human Resource Cultivation for Regional Vitalization

　It is natural to think about own region, build, and develop it. However, due to busyness of individual lives and work, there is less time for residents to consider about own region. In addition, more communities seem to rely on the administration about revitalizing regions because there is less time and power and also population aging progresses rapidly.
There isn’t any pipe dream that a big company brings a factory or a place to work. By the economy globalization, we might lose working place with losing attention to own region.
We have to start development of human resource to support regions for the future. It doesn’t matter the ages. The leader who can balance between regional vitalization and economic activity and apply the regional resources to develop the region is needed in this time. Therefore, Akizuno regional vitalization school had opened for three years since 2008, ahead of Kisyu-Kumano regional vitalization school.