[Self-cultivated Branches] Tenryu Village's Nandina shipped for the second time, new fields being cultivated for spring! | January 2026

I'm Hasegawa, and I'm involved in growing cut branches in Toyooka Village, Nagano Prefecture.

As introduced in last month's issue, heavenly bamboo (Nanten) is often used in New Year's decorations due to a wordplay on "nan o tenjiru" (to turn misfortune into fortune), and it is widely cultivated in Toyooka Village. The end of 2025 marked our second shipment.

A year passes by so quickly, doesn't it?

Although 2024 was said to be a year of poor harvest nationwide, in 2025, Toyooka Village was surrounded by beautiful heavenly bamboo with plump, abundant berries.

Not only heavenly bamboo, but there are also people who have entrusted me with well-maintained plum orchards (all estimated to be over 20 years old!) saying, "Hasegawa-kun, please use these." Apparently, they used to cultivate small plums for lunchboxes, but from now on, we will ship them as cut branches during the winter flowering season.

Currently, I manage just under 2 hectares of fields[*], but honestly, I want to expand even further.

[*]1 hectare = 10,000m²

Throughout the winter, I continue working to convert abandoned farmland back into active fields.

I hope you look forward to seeing the different state of the fields in spring.

I will continue to work hard, envisioning a spring where the plants grow freely and vigorously. Thank you for your continued support in 2026!

Written by
Ren Hasegawa

As a member of a regional revitalisation programme, he works on branch cultivation in Toyooka Village, Nagano. As a student, he competed nationally in canoeing, and the stamina he built now supports his work in branch cultivation.