Natsumikan: The Bitter-Sweet Citrus That Shaped Hagi

Natsumikan ('summer citrus') is a large, tart-sweet yellow citrus strongly associated with Hagi, a castle town in Yamaguchi. After the Meiji Restoration in the late 1800s stripped many samurai of their income, some former samurai families in Hagi reportedly began planting natsumikan trees on their now-idle residential grounds as a new source of livelihood, and the fruit became closely tied to the city's identity as a result. Old samurai-quarter neighborhoods in Hagi still have natsumikan trees visible over garden walls today.

Fresh natsumikan is more tart and bitter than typical eating oranges, so much of the harvest is processed rather than eaten out of hand, showing up as marmalade, candied peel, juice, and flavoring in local sweets and even some savory dishes. Peak season runs roughly through spring, so fresh fruit availability is seasonal; processed products like marmalade are sold as year-round souvenirs and are usually the more practical option for travelers.