Comment
The view of drying persimmon in front of the houses is a distinctive autumn landscape of Noto. Dried persimmon is produced in Shika Town and adjoining Ushiroyama of Nakanoto Town. The Saisho brand of persimmon is used for dried persimmon. It is a kind of domestic astringent persimmon that grows in the wild on nearby mountains. It is very sour but the sugar concentration is high; therefore, it becomes very sweet when it is dried and the astringent substance is removed. It is harvested from late October through early November. A pair of peeled persimmon is bound with thread and hung from bamboo rods. Before drying, it is smoked for sterilization, prevention of decay during drying and for producing its beautiful yellow-brown color. After smoking, it is dried by sunlight and then each persimmon is painstakingly kneaded by hand to even out the water and flesh. In the final process, it is heated and then stored in a cool place for some time, during which the sugar emerges onto the surface as a distinctive white powder. Crowds of people gather at roadside stalls when the persimmon are shipped in late November.