Naturally grown Ponkan

Naturally grown ponkan oranges by Yuji Fukushima in Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture

Minamata City is located in the southern part of Kumamoto Prefecture.

The mountain slopes extend directly from the sea, allowing the area to be bathed in plenty of sunlight.

Fukushima Yuji's orchard is located in this area, where citrus fruits have long been popular.

Mr. Fukushima grows a wide variety of citrus fruits at a citrus farm that has been in operation for generations.

Fukushima-san has been trying natural cultivation for 20 years now.

"I live in Minamata, Kumamoto, and Minamata disease has been a worry for people all over the country for a long time. I am particularly aware of environmental pollution, and I know how horrible it is, so I am enthusiastic about organic farming," says one of the many organizations. Minamata is a place where there is a particularly large amount of information available to each other.

Minamata City in Kumamoto Prefecture has a history of ignoring the "Minamata Disease Problem," which was officially recognized in 1956, but it is also an environmentally friendly city that has faced the problem as a whole region and rebuilt. There are many farmers who are working hard, and Fukushima-san is leading the way among them as a pioneer.