Harvesting of adzuki beans has begun in earnest in the Tokachi region of Eastern Hokkaido, which accounts for approximately 60% of Japan’s entire adzuki production.
Due to high temperatures between late August and early September, the beans are smaller and the quantity is expected to be less than in normal years. Harvesting will continue until late October.
　Harvesting began on September 28 at a farm with 3.3 hectares of fields in the town of Otofuke in the Tokachi region. A combine harvester reaps and simultaneously threshes the beans, which are then vigorously discharged onto the bed of a truck. According to the farmer, “Since spring, drought and long periods of rain have affected the crop but the resulting harvest is not so bad.”