Learning Space No. 3: With Persimmon Trees

“Although peaches are often the main characters in old tales, such as Momotaro, persimmons are very familiar to us, but there are no old tales in which they feature as the main characters in a spectacular way.”

As if to back up the words written in the persimmon folklore,

"Persimmons are delicious on their own, but when combined with other foods, they become a supporting role."

Yu Yun spoke up.

I find the persimmon's position in this tree intriguing, and the more I look into it, the more I learn about its role as a living tree that lived alongside people. At the same time, I am drawn to persimmons, which have come to seem somewhat modest in modern everyday life this fall.

"The more difficult a child is, the more lovable they become."

Look at and face them as if they were your own child.

For the third learning session, we invited Yu Yun to speak about her overwhelming love for persimmons and then we made some sweets.

On the morning of the delivery, I picked the Utsushiki persimmons to check their taste and condition, but they looked different from the persimmons I had sent previously; their expression had completely changed.

Even when we talked, the atmosphere was different from usual calm. Oda-kun and I, who were taking pictures, watched the profile of the serious Uja-nee (Yuyun-san).
Those morning hours when even the mosquitoes held their breath are now just a laughing matter.

Until the very last moment, Uja-nee was thinking about how to bring out the flavor of the persimmon, which was lighter in taste than she had expected.

A few minutes before it started, he said, "Yes, it's okay!" and it was very reassuring.

Once it starts, your morning face disappears.

This was an opportunity to learn about Yu Yun's love for persimmons and her passion for the plant-based sweets she always makes, and everyone in the group, including myself, was absorbed in the work.

This time, it was an event to enjoy whole persimmons.

On Sunday, my 3-year-old son caught a whiff of the delicious aroma halfway through and started eating the persimmon peel chips, and once he was hooked on the exquisite sweetness and crunchy texture, he couldn't stop.

The jam, created with Yu Yun's unique sensibility, has a gentle persimmon flavor that seeps into your mouth when you bite into it, and it looks like it will become a new pleasure when enjoying persimmons.

You can see what's going on on YouTube , the dialogue will be updated on Tuesdays, and Uja-nee's writing on Rakugaku will be updated on Wednesdays, so please enjoy it from various perspectives.

There are said to be 900 to 1000 varieties of persimmon.

The persimmon you get may not be the same, and even if it is the same tree, the height at which the fruit grew, the date it was picked, etc.
Over the course of two days, I witnessed how the taste changed depending on how long it was left out.

I wonder how many decades have passed since my ancestors planted the persimmon tree here.

It's a step away from the years of fretting over the rotting persimmons.

I hope that this tree will continue to grow as a living tree for many years to come.

And starting on Saturday, the exhibition by Iiro Ookami + Flower Shop Nishibeppu Shoten began.

Decorating with plants is something I always enjoy.

The tree Nishibeppu chose was the persimmon tree in front of the coffee shop.

There is beauty in the natural flowing branches, which become the focal point of the space and blend in with the artwork.

I hope you enjoy the scenery that you can't see with your usual mirror.

We look forward to your visit along with the persimmon trees.

Ono Karori