Hashimoto City in Wakayama Prefecture is known for its persimmon fruit production, and many types of persimmons are grown in our area. The two main types are the rounded sweet persimmon, such as the Fuyu-gaki, and the slightly angular astringent persimmon, such as Hiratanenashi. Shibu persimmons are shipped after their astringency is removed (the tannins are made insoluble so that they are no longer astringent) with carbon dioxide gas. Many other types of persimmons exist in satoyama, and they are eaten as dried persimmons: hung by strings or stuck on a skewers.

In mountainous areas, cultivation is increasingly abandoned due to the aging and shrinking population, and many abandoned persimmon fields can be seen. One day, we were given a trunk of a persimmon tree that had been cut down after its production had been discontinued. The persimmon trees are repeatedly pruned so that they grow horizontally and are kept at a height that is accessible for easy harvesting. The trees that grew horizontally were found to be greatly distorted as they dried, probably due to internal stresses.