From winter to spring, I often see “Dekopon” in supermarkets. I sometimes buy Dekopon because it is sweet and tasty, with a distinctive appearance of the head sticking out like a hump. A product called “Shiranui” (Shiranuhi,), which looks like dekopon, can also be found.
Both “Dekopon” and “Shiranui” are the result of crossbreeding “Kiyomi” and “Ponkan,” but “Dekopon” is a registered trademark of the Kumamoto Prefectural Fruit Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (JA Kumamoto Kajitsuren) (Japanese Registration No. 2495156), while “Shiranui” is a common name.
Because the name has a great impact, when you see a citrus fruit with a hump on its head, you tend to say “Dekopon!”. However, “Dekopon” is a type of “Shiranui” citrus that must meet quality standards such as a sugar content of 13 degrees or higher and a citric acid content of 1.0% or lower, and only licensed agricultural organizations are allowed to use the “Dekopon” trademark.
March 1 has been registered as “Dekopon Day” by the Japan Anniversary Association, in honor of the first shipment of “Dekopon” from Kumamoto Prefecture on March 1, 1991. “Dekopon” is also produced in Aichi and Mie Prefectures. (Syszo)
JA Kumamoto Kajitsuren – Trademarks
JA Kumamoto Kajitsuren – Beware of unauthorized use of the registered trademark “Dekopon”
Wikipedia – Dekopon
J-PlatPat – Japanese Trademark Registration No. 2495156