Discover Odawara Luxury Fruit Jellies Direct from Tokyo’s Closest Fruit Region

Whether in Japan or another country, supermarkets stock a wide variety of reasonably priced fruit jellies. While the products introduced here might fit into that broader fruit jelly category, in truth they are completely different. Nature Inc., a Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture based company, uses local fruit or fruit from Japan’s leading production areas to produce luxurious, fresh fruit jellies by hand. 

Odawara City, a castle town located on the western edge of Kanagawa Prefecture, developed during the Sengoku Period as a base for the Go-Hojo clan. During the Edo Period, it was a prosperous lodging station on the Tokaido Highway between Tokyo and Osaka and, during the early-modern Meiji Period, it was a favorite vacation spot for the political and cultural elite. Blessed with lush mountains, crystal clear rivers, fertile plains and the Pacific Ocean, its mild climate produces a wide variety of fruits, including mandarin oranges, plums, lemons, kiwi, and unique citrus fruit. It has been called the hidden fruit kingdom closest to Tokyo. 

The fruit jellies produced and sold by Nature Inc. capture the freshness and taste of these Odawara fruits. For example, their Odawara Mikan Jelly is a popular product made from Odawara’s famous Onshu mandarin oranges, a type of mandarin orange characterized by its high acidity and firm pulp. Sold throughout the year, it is a refreshing treat for the palate. Shonan Gold Jelly is made from Shonan Gold, a specialty citrus fruit developed over 12 years by the Kanagawa Prefecture Agricultural Technology Center. With the perfect balance of sweetness and sourness, it has a pleasing citrus aroma. Finally, their Sakura Jelly uses salted Yaezakura cherry blossoms, which are picked from mid to late April when they are at near peak blossoming, and are characterized by their many petals and deep pink color. Many of the cherry blossoms in this product are supplied by an Odawara-based pickling manufacturer, which uses the plum vinegar and salt produced during the manufacture of umeboshi, Japan’s famous pickled plums. Salt-pickled cherry blossoms produced in this way create a color cherry blossom jelly. 

The company currently offers 17 types of fruit jellies, including various seasonal products. The president of Nature Inc. studied in Australia as a student and is actively trying to introduce his products overseas. To date, they have already sold their products in Hong Kong and Singapore. We hope that try these luxury fruit jellies, made possible by the footwork of a local, small business. 

Kanagawa Prefecture Sakura Jelly

Distributor: Nature Inc.  

https://nature-kanagawa.com/en