Kumihama sand dune tomatoes are a specialty of Kumihama, in the northern part of Kyoto Prefecture along the Sea of Japan. Grown in greenhouses on coastal sand dunes, these tomatoes are known for their juicy texture and rich, concentrated flavor.
Tomatoes are sensitive to excessive moisture, making the well-drained sandy soil of Kumihama’s coastal dunes particularly suitable for cultivation. The area uses a method known as liquid-fertilizer soil cultivation, in which liquid fertilizer is supplied to the plants as they grow in the soil.
By carefully controlling the amount of water the plants receive, growers produce tomatoes that are both succulent and full of flavor.
Although tomatoes generally reach their peak in midsummer, Kumihama follows a different growing schedule. Seedlings are planted after the local melon harvest ends in late June, and the tomatoes are shipped from late August through the end of the year.
This extended harvest season makes Kumihama sand dune tomatoes a distinctive local produce to enjoy from late summer into winter.
May to November