HOKKAIDO, Oct. 7 — Shipments of pumpkins used for Halloween decorations are in full swing in the town of Chippubetsu, Hokkaido.
The Kitasorachi region including the town is Japan’s major producing area of ornamental pumpkins.
Some 50 farms in Chippubetsu grow ornamental pumpkins of different shapes and sizes on fields totaling 12 hectares. The pumpkins include Kyoryu no Tamago (dinosaur’s egg), a fist-size variety with distinctive green stripes, and Atlantic Giant, a cultivar that could grow to weigh more than 100 kilograms.
Akiko Nakanishi, 50, a pumpkin grower in the town, lines up harvested pumpkins inside a greenhouse to be wind dried. She is busy polishing them by hand and packing them in boxes.
An agricultural cooperative in the Kitasorachi region started shipping pumpkins in early September mainly to markets in the Kanto and Kansai regions.
The area has a good harvest of high-quality pumpkins this year, and the farm coop plans to ship more than 200,000 during the season.
“Each of the pumpkins has its own unique characteristics and I adore them as if they are my children,” Nakanishi said, smiling. “I hope many people will see and touch the cute pumpkins and enjoy Halloween.”
Akiko Nakanishi handles harvested pumpkins in Chippubetsu, Hokkaido.