Collection: Japan

Japan’s hot pepper cultivation is rooted in regional specialties and small-scale farming, with bell peppers and local varieties like Tochigi Santaka and Yahei Togarashi thriving in districts such as Ibaraki, Miyazaki, Kochi, and Shiga.

 Peppers are harvested from April through July, and the country produced approximately 144,000 tonnes of bell peppers in 2025. Traditional farming methods, such as hand-picking and seasonal air-drying, persist alongside innovative greenhouse and hybrid techniques to improve disease resistance and flavour diversity.

Pepper-based products—kanzuri, shichimi togarashi, and yuzu kosho—demonstrate the integration of chili into Japanese cuisine and food culture. Farmer-led variety preservation and regional festivals contribute to sustaining local chili identities while responding to changing preferences and climate conditions.