Niigataology

Shinheki Pears is a variety that was born in 2021 with the "Shin" referring to new variety and "Heki" comes from the green skin of the fruit. It is characterized by its large fruit, weighing about 600g, and is full of juice and juicy, yet crunchy and chewy. It has a mild sour taste and a strong sweetness. It is a rare variety that is not yet available outside the prefecture.

Shin'o Pears were registered as a variety in 2013 and has the word "Shin" for another new type. The same year there was the Shin-Mizuki Pear as a well-rounded tasting pear that isn't too sweet, but a variety that has a lot of sugar is the Shin'o variety that is touted as the sweetest of all Japanese pears. It combines strong sweetness, crunchy, and a solid texture, with large dots on the skin and it also feels like a rough texture.

Shinmizuki also known as Niimizuki Pears 新見月梨 is Niigata Prefecture's original pear variety and was registered in 2013. It has a rich sweetness, a balanced taste, and the juice has a refreshing acidity. It also has a crunchy texture. The key to know the variety is the round shape, thick long stem, green-yellow sheen.  

La France Pears are available in Niigata Prefecture, however a place that has it as their signature autumn and winter fruit is Yamagata Prefecture. It is soft, mellow fragrance, and juicy, without much crunch, but it is known as the "Queen of Fruits". "La France" is a type of pear that also originated in France and was  discovered by Claude Blanche in 1864. It was brought to Japan in 1903 and to Yamagata Prefecture in the early Taisho period, but due to its poor appearance and the laborious cultivation, it was only used as a pollinating tree for Bartlett pears. In the world of Japan Pear Production the Barlett is historical for this time period, but around 1980 the La France Pear would catch on and make a name for itself as a popular Pear type.

  Le Lectier Pear, is a European variety of edible fruit pear that was introduced to Niigata in 1903 from France. The story goes that Niigata farmers had a taste of the pears and the flavor of the sweetness left such an impression they decided to grow them themselves, so they began ordering saplings from France. The time that the pears arrive and disappear are about a month per year and because of that it has the nickname “The Phantom Pear”. The word pear comes from the word piriform which means pear-shaped that can be traced back from latin, greek, and german origins.  Le Lectiers are carefully cultivated, harvested, and ripened by hand in such a way that it imparts a delicious, juicy, and fragrant crunchy flesh to it. Le Lectier pears are set in a controlled environment for 40 days as it becomes green and its aroma starts creating the smell of pears when it changes to a yellow color. The texture feels crunchy and a really rich flavor that was juicy with a flesh that is smoot...

[updated. 2025.21.5] The pears that are eaten are often Japanese pears in Japan. They had come from the west during the Edo period as an early fruit that gives it records and roots to the country and the prefecture of Niigata. Niigata is largely famous for its "Western Pear" varieties that lead people into eating all sorts of different pear varieties and potentially become pear lovers. It was used to promote the country as there were discoveries of certain european variations that thrived in certain areas that would change into Japan varieties through seedling cultivars. The seeds were planted in Niigata, becoming Niigata pear tree. While Niigata is known for its pears the first thing people become excited about is the variety called "Le Lectier". Historically Niigata Prefecture has been the one of the largest producer of Japanese & Western pears in Japan. Japanese pears are a fruit with deep ties to Niigata Prefecture, as they were once presented as tributes to...