Japanese citrus facts for kids
A number of citrus fruits are grown in or strongly associated with Japan. Many of these fruits are of Chinese origin, but have been modified or specially bred for cultivation in Japan.
Japanese taxonomy
Japan usually follows the botanical names of the taxonomy from Tyôzaburô Tanaka, often referred to as the "Tanaka system", giving for each cultivar a separate name no matter if it is pure or a hybrid of two or more species or varieties. While elsewhere it is more popular to classify the genus citrus into species, and further into varieties, and then into cultivars or hybrid. Such a system was created by Walter Tennyson Swingle from Florida and is called the "Swingle system". The different approaches of the two systems lead to partially-overlapping or nested 'species', for example, Citrus unshiu and Citrus tangerina (Tanaka) versus Citrus reticulata (Swingle). Likewise, common terms, like "mikan", do not always align with these taxonomic groups.
Japanese citrus (partial list)
Japanese citrus fruits include the following:
| Common name(s) |
Image | Taxonomic name/constituents |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amanatsu |  |
Citrus x natsudaidai | Yellowish-orange in colour, about the size of grapefruit and oblate in shape. The fruit contains 12 segments and about 30 seeds. |
| Banpeiyu (pomelo cultivar) |  |
Citrus maxima | |
| Bushukan (Buddha's hand) |  |
Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis | |
| Daidai |  |
Citrus × daidai | |
| Dekopon |  |
Citrus unshiu x sinensis x C. poonensis | |
| Haruka |  |
Citrus tamurana x natsudaidai | |
| Hassaku orange |  |
Citrus x hassaku | |
| Hyuganatsu |  |
Citrus tamurana | |
| Iyokan |  |
Citrus x iyo | |
| Jabara |  |
Citrus x jabara | |
| Kabosu |  |
Citrus sphaerocarpa | |
| Karatachi (Japanese bitter orange) |  |
Citrus trifoliata | |
| Kanpei |  |
Citrus x natsudaidai | |
| Kawachi Bankan (Mishokan) |  |
Citrus kawachiensis | |
| Kinkan (Kumquat) |  |
Citrus japonica | |
| Kinkoji unshiu | Citrus obovoidea x unshiu | ||
| Kishu | .png) |
Citrus kinokuni | |
| Kiyomi |  |
Citrus unshiu x sinensis | |
| Kobayashi mikan | Citrus natsudaidai x unshiu | ||
| Koji orange |  |
Citrus leiocarpa | |
| Kuchinotsu No.37 | Kiyomi x encore | ||
| Mikan |  |
Citrus unshiu | |
| Ōgonkan |  |
Citrus flaviculpus | |
| Ponkan (Tangerine) |  |
Citrus poonensis | |
| Reikou | |||
| Sakurajima komikan (mandarin orange cultivar), |  |
Citrus x sinensis | |
| Sanbokan |  |
Citrus sulcata | |
| Shonan gold |  |
Citrus flaviculpus x Citrus unshiu | |
| Shikuwasa (Shiikwaasaa, Shequasar, Hirami lemon) |  |
Citrus x depressa | |
| Sudachi |  |
Citrus sudachi | |
| Tachibana |  |
Citrus tachibana or Citrus reticulata var. tachibana | |
| Tankan | Citrus poonensis × Citrus sinensis | ||
| Yukou |  |
Citrus yuko | |
| Yuzu | .jpg) |
Citrus junos |
