Sumiko Hirose

Producer: Sumiko Hirose
Production area: Nishihara Village, Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture
Main product: Blueberries
No pesticides used
Fertilizer use: None

Sumiko Hirose runs the Hirose Blueberry Farm in Nishihara Village, Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture.
The tree that was planted by his father 30 years ago has been grown and protected by the combined efforts of the family without fertilizer or pesticides.
Hirose Blueberry Farm is located in a corner of a vast natural area with a spring water source nearby.
About 500 blueberry trees have been planted, and they are not pruned; instead, thinning and weeding are done almost entirely by hand. In winter, bagworms appear, which eat the buds, and these are also removed by hand.
Apparently, sometimes maple leaves from the same premises are placed around the base of the trees as humus.
The blueberry farm is behind the house, but the autumn leaves and flowers on the way there are beautiful and it is a truly pleasant space.


Mr. Hirose ran a guesthouse in his home, a 170-year-old traditional Japanese house, as a side job in addition to farming.
However, following the Kumamoto earthquake in 2016, the house was partially destroyed and the restaurant was closed for the time being.
It has not yet reopened, but it has been left in the same form as it is today, due to his father's desire to leave the house exactly as it was, and the fact that it is a place that his father felt so attached to, and the fun times he spent with his family and guests while running the guesthouse are some of the best memories of his life.
He shared the same feelings about the blueberry garden, telling us, "It's a place that our family loved, and it's a treasure, so we want to cherish it and preserve it."
Hirose-san is a very affectionate and friendly person! She often tells her grandchildren "I love you."

"The most important thing is the love of my family. If I'm having fun, my family is happy too. Harvesting blueberries is hard work, but I enjoy picking each and every berry," she said with a smile. I felt that this blueberry farm is a soft, warm place, filled with love, because those feelings are conveyed.

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