In the previous article, we told you about a single university student who poured his passion into acerola. His name was Yasufumi Namizato, a young man who had just finished graduate school in 1982. When he decided to begin acerola cultivation in his home of Motobu Town, almost no one was on his side. The reason he refused to give up is the story we’d like to tell today.
A Couple Who Knocked on More Than 200 Farmers’ Doors
The first thing Yasufumi did was try to convince local farmers. Together with his wife Tetsuko, he walked from door to door across Motobu Town, visiting more than 200 farms.
“This will become the industry that supports the future of Motobu,” he would say. But the responses he received were cold. “What scholars say is just theory on paper.” “If we fail with a crop no one has ever grown, who will take responsibility?” There were many doors that didn’t open at all.
Even so, the couple refused to stop walking. Yasufumi knew there were many farmers exhausted by the heavy labor of sugarcane and worried about who would take over their land. Acerola, he believed, was a crop the elderly could manage. That conviction kept him moving.
In the end, eight farms agreed. Out of more than 200 visits, eight. We would like to never forget the weight of that number.
Tetsuko’s Solution to the Biggest Challenge in Acerola Processing
In 1989, the eight farms came together to form the “Tropical Fruit Research Association.” But here, another wall stood in their way.
Even if you could harvest acerola, it meant nothing if you couldn’t sell it. The fruit spoils within three days. Distributing it raw was impossible. How could the farmers’ harvest be turned into income? The person who found the answer was Tetsuko, Yasufumi’s wife.
She developed an “acerola puree” that could be processed the moment the fruit was picked, and opened a sales route to restaurants. Then she built a system where “every fruit the farmers grow will be bought.” By taking production, processing, and sales into their own hands, acerola finally became viable as an industry.
Yasufumi sowed the seeds with his power to believe in the future. Tetsuko let them take root with her power to move the present. The roles of the two complemented each other beautifully.
The Passion Passes to the Next Generation
Yasufumi Namizato passed away in 2009 at the age of fifty — before acerola had become known across Japan.
The will to continue his work was inherited by his second son, Kojiro Namizato. In 2019, at the age of 31, Kojiro became president of the company. He continues to expand the integrated six-sector system his parents built, while working to establish “Acerola Fresh” as a brand.
“I want this company to become something the region cannot do without. I want it to be a place where the local children, when they grow up, will want to come back and work here.” In Kojiro’s words, you can feel the same heat as when his father walked between 200 farms.
A single young man’s conviction, joined with his wife’s power to act, became an industry. And that industry is still growing — now in the hands of the next generation. The small red fruit of acerola contains a story like this.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who rooted acerola in Motobu Town?
- In the 1970s and 80s, a farming couple in Motobu Town took on acerola seedlings that no one was willing to buy and began cultivation. They visited local farmers one household at a time, were turned away by many dozens, yet kept going — and that perseverance became the foundation for today's production region.
- What were the first difficulties in growing acerola?
- Four challenges: the fruit's rapid spoilage meant no distribution channel existed; demand could not be predicted; typhoon damage was severe; and there was resistance from local farmers. These were overcome through years of trial and error by the couple and their partner farms.
- Where can I buy Motobu-grown acerola?
- It is available at roadside stations (michi-no-eki) and farmers' markets in Motobu Town. Processed products such as juice, puree, and jam are widely distributed in supermarkets and souvenir shops across Okinawa. You can also enjoy acerola menu items at SEE THE SEA select & resort.