It seems lemons are currently enjoying a renaissance. You can find them in sweets, condiments, and even ramen. I’m talking about the widely used lemon. It’s a masterful supporting actor that adds a refreshing touch of tartness.

Perhaps a novel with ties to Kyoto is also giving it a boost. It is Motojirō Kajii’s “Lemon.” The spindle-shaped, vivid yellow fruit, its coolness and weight when held, help soothe the protagonist’s heart. Depicted as a symbol of beauty, it is ultimately placed in a picture book as a statement. With its sharp, vivid prose, line by line, it is described as a “work possessing a mysterious magic.”

Lemon cultivation began in various regions starting in the late Taisho era, when Motojiro’s masterpiece was published. After the war, the industry stagnated due to import liberalization, but the fruit gained popularity for its flavor in alcoholic beverages, sparking the first boom in the 1980s. Total harvests exceeded 10,000 tons, driven by warm-climate regions such as the Seto Inland Sea.

A young farmer in Miyazu City is challenging this trend with “snow country lemons.” He began growing them near the sea six years ago, and this season’s harvest exceeded 2 tons for the first time. It has been a “fruitful” winter.

He refined his essential cold-weather protection measures through trial and error. Although heavy snow sometimes caused branches to break, he took steps such as tying up the branches and bagging the fruit. As the number of fellow growers increased, they created the “snowy landscape × lemons” scene he had envisioned.

“In the winter calm, the lemons turn a faint shade of yellow” — Mizuhara Shuoshi.

In Kyoto Prefecture, farmers and businesses—centered on the Yamashiro region in the south—are working to establish the “Kyoto Lemon” as a specialty brand. It would be wonderful if it could become a new star that showcases the local area of Tango as well.

A ray of sunlight pierces through the lingering snow covering the seashore.

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