Kanagawa

Kanagawa features a diverse topography where a mild maritime climate facing Sagami Bay and Tokyo Bay coexists with the mountainous areas of the Tanzawa Mountains and Hakone. The Miura Peninsula is mild even in winter due to the influence of the Kuroshio current, resulting in less frost damage and creating an ideal environment for the open-field cultivation of Miura daikon (Daikon Radish) and Cabbage. The red soil around Miura City drains well and is suitable for Daikon Radish cultivation, allowing Miura daikon to be distributed nationwide as a stable production area capable of planned year-round shipments. Citrus cultivation is prominent from the Shonan to Seisho regions, and original cultivars, including Shonan Gold (citrus), are grown on the coastal slopes from Hiratsuka and Oiso to Odawara. Odawara has been a concentration point for marine product processing since the Edo period, with a deep history as a production area for kamaboko (fish paste) and himono (dried fish), and many long-established shops still line the streets today. Fishing for blue-backed fish such as horse mackerel, mackerel, and sardines is active in Sagami Bay, and the fresh fish markets in Yokosuka and Misaki serve as supply hubs for fresh marine products. In the inland areas of Sagamihara and Atsugi, the fruit cultivation of Japanese Pear and peach is also conducted, and they are popular among citizens as tourist farms.

Source: MAFF Crop Statistics (Reiwa 5 / 2023), JMA historical weather data

A characteristic of the agriculture and fisheries industry in Kanagawa is that it simultaneously holds large consumption areas like Yokohama and Kawasaki within the prefecture alongside a distinct production area like the Miura Peninsula. Because the Miura Peninsula is an independent peninsular terrain geologically different from the Kanto region plain, it was not swallowed by the wave of urbanization, and agricultural land remained in a relatively consolidated form. As a result, the large-scale open-field cultivation of Miura daikon and Cabbage continues even now in the Reiwa era, taking on the role of stable supply to the fruit and vegetable markets of the metropolitan area. Meanwhile, coastal cities like Odawara, Manazuru, and Misaki maintain an industrial structure where fishing and marine product processing are integrated, possessing the strength of completing everything from the landing of fresh fish to processing and distribution over a short distance. Geographic conditions that easily link tourism resources with local products are also a characteristic, and direct sales of agricultural and marine products and hands-on farming experiences taking advantage of access to Kamakura, Hakone, and Shonan are established throughout the prefecture. This structure of adjacent cities and farming/fishing villages is what supports the distribution speed and freshness standards of Kanagawa products.