The shipment of ‘hibernated daikon’ radishes buried in soil in the city of Hakodate in southern Hokkaido, is reaching its peak. The juicy daikon, the sweetness of which increases in the severe cold, continue to be dug up.

　Uno Minoru, who cultivates radishes in 3 hectares of fields in Hakodate, has been digging up the radishes almost every morning since December of last year. The radishes were harvested at the end of last October and then buried in the soil. A mechanical digger is used to remove the snow and soil before each radish is removed and cleaned by hand.

　“The sweetness increased in the severe cold in December and January. They’re delicious either raw or boiled, so I hope people can savor the taste,” said Uno.

　According to the Hakodate Kameda Agricultural Cooperative, a total of approximately 750 tons of ‘hibernated’ daikon radishes have been shipped from eight farms in the city, and are available in the shops under the ‘Yukinoshita Daikon’ brand name. Work to dig out the radishes will continue until March.