Jerry Fig / Jabuticaba

A jerry fig is a native tree of Taiwan found accidentally by a tea trader in the 1800s when he drank from a river near Chiayi. He found a clear yellowish jelly in the water he was drinking and was refreshed upon trying it. Examining the jelly, he noticed it was fruit hanging on vines that exuded a sticky gel when rubbed. He marketed it under his daughter's name Aiyu (pronounced o-gio in Taiwanese) successfully. Today, lemon aiyu jelly is loved by children and adults alike as their favorite summer refreshment. I heard there are aiyu jelly specialty shops in Tokyo. The problem is that preparation takes a lot time for a small profit margin.

I had a chance to try it in Taiwan and was interested in taking a look at the tree. I looked up Chiayi Toastmasters website to ask where I can see the tree. Bingo! The president of Chiayi Toastmasters was Dr. Lai, with the Chiayi Experiment Station, Governmental Agricultural Research Institute. He introduced me to Dr. Chung, an expert working on low land cultivation of the jerry fig. I learned that the jerry fig thrives in a misty highlands like Alishan, which requires plant breeding in the lower land and special farming preparations such as a watering networks, trelliswork, vining support, etc. I was looking forward to meeting Dr. Chung. So I sent email when I decided to join the Spring Toastmasters Conference in Taichung, he didn't respond. I contacted through my Taichung friend. I was told he retired last year.

An alternative advice came from Taichung Toastmasters friends. A new member joined them who was with the Taichung Experiment Station and he could drive me to a jerry fig farm. It was a case of wish fulfillment and I jumped on the opportunity.

The Taichung Experiment Station Complex in Wufen we dropped in on the way (about an hour drive from central Taichung through a new highway) has been the main headquarters of the Government Agrarian Research Institute since 1997, occupying 145 hectares (ha) including 17 ha building and 128 ha of experimental farms served by complete irrigation and drainage systems.

Unfortunately, the Puli farmer we visited no longer owned jerry fig farms any more. He took us, the disappointed guests, to a jerry fig farm in the neighborhood mountain. They are taller than I thought. The owner didn't go into detail, but I'm guessing he either sold it or changed all of his plant acreage from jerry fig to jabuticaba, a new lucrative business, grape tree native to Brazil for the following reasons: l) the fruit is new to Taiwan and has rarity value; 2) farmer receives possible Government subsidies; and 3) provides opportunity for sightseeing and on-site grape picking tours. He was excited to welcome tourists coming soon after us. He gave us fresh jabuticaba on trays. Tasted like grape, more viscous than regular grapes.

Edson Aoki, my Brazilian friend (see Imamura Church post) sent me info on Jabuticaba from the Netherlands. He wrote:

Jabuticaba is indeed a typical Brazilian fruit from the Atlantic rainforest, and hence is common in my state of São Paulo. I don't think jabuticaba is produced in a large scale, but it is commonly found in small farms and ranches, mostly for local consumption. ‘Jabuticaba’ is actually a word from Tupi (a Native Brazilian language) and it means ‘button fruits.’ But ‘Jabuti’ alone is also a word from Tupi, which means ‘tortoise.’

My jerry fig hunt caught jabuticaba instead! I met a smart farmer ahead of his time!

Notes:

I searched books giving information on jabuticaba in the library. I found one "The Fruits Hunters - A Story of Nature, Adventure, Commerce and Obsession" (2008) by Adam Leith Gollner. Here is some information from the book:

1) Appearances are embryos of cosmonauts. Tastes, however, are fantastic, incomparable to any other fruits.

2) Jabuticabas grow on the trees like mushrooms. Children in Brazil sneak into the orchard of others to play "jabuticaba kiss", pluck jabuticaba by mouth, with sounds like puk, gooch, pooch.

3) At Hilo Airport, Hawaii, I pulled out souvenir jabuticabas from my pocket. As I gazed at them, these cubes I've never been aware of before seemed to veil unworldly riddles. I photographed them, one sharp focusing, the other blurred and hazy to have cubes melt in a geometric pattern. Jabuticaba promised hopes, endowing revelations which I have not experienced. Just holding jabuticabas in my hands, I felt miracles to descend, answering my prayers I'm humming without notice.

4) Brazilian photographer Silvestre Silva stopped endangered white jabuticaba from extinction after his 10 years of personal battles. It was in the suburbs of Guararema, the State of Sao Paulo. Soon the white jabuticaba will be cultivated and we will be able to see it.

Imamura Church

Edson Aoki, a Japanese Brazilian, whom I just got to know, visited Tachiarai**, Fukuoka recently. Tachiarai, easily reachable by train from Kurume (20 km further inland) or Fukuoka Tenjin Station, is a quiet rural country with rice paddies. We can't imagine what it looked like during World War II. Tachiarai back then was heavily bombed because the Imperial Army Air Force base was there. It was the training center of young pilots and AA artillery armies. I barely remember the odd name Tachiarai in the Kamikaze pilot song of my younger days, but I didn't know where it was located.

I read that in the early 1900s the Army looked for a suitable site for an airbase that met the following conditions: 1) was close to Korea and China; 2) was reasonably inland and impregnable from coast bombardment of enemy warships; 3) had no tall obstacles around to hinder flight activities; and 4) had few human habitations. Thus Tachiarai prospered for more than half of a century as military capital.

I read also that returnees from China and Korea right after the war were mass allotted there to turn airbases back to rice paddies. The story was that they worked hard sweating and with blisters. The hard asphalted airstrips remained in town as main roads.

Edson's visit, however, had nothing to do with the penitence of the war. He told me he visited "Imamura Church" in Tachiarai, showing me a colorful pamphlet. "Do you know Imamura Church, Imamura-san" was his first question to me. Imamura, in this case, is not a surname but the name of the village inside Tachiarai.

"No, I don't! Any particular reason for the visit?" I asked him.

"My ancestors were from Taichiarai. "

"No kidding!"

I remembered again that many Fukuokans immigrated overseas to Hawaii, the U.S. mainland, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Argentine, etc. ever since the early 1900s**, and quite a few were from the Yabe River area, the branch river of Chikugo River further inland. Fred Nabeta, father of my San Diego friend Joyce was from Kuroki, along Yabe River. Father of Senator Daniel Inoue, Hawaii was from Yame, also along Yabe River. George Ariyoshi, ex-Governor, Hawaii has his father born in Buzen. Antonio Ueno, President of Parana State Chamber of Commerce had parents from Fukuoka. Marcia Uematsu, currently a court judge in Sao Paulo is a 3rd generation Nisei who graduated from Kyushu University with her law degree. Yes, Brazil boasts 2 million Japanese Nisei population.

According to the brochure Edson showed me, there were quite a few Christians in Imamura in the late 1500s, influenced by the Christian Lord Sorin Otomo. But after 1638, when Tokugawa had a bitter experience suppressing the Christian's Revolt at the Shimabara Peninsula and subsequently closed the doors of the nation, Christians were expelled and punished. It was the beginning of hidden or crypt-Christians in Kyushu. Informers were awarded with prize money. Joanne Hirata Mataemon, who was crucified on the cross by the Kurume Clan, was memorialized in the corner of the Imamura Church. When the ban was withdrawn in 1853, about 200 from Imamura stepped forward as Christians.

Missionaries arrived and the construction plans were drawn under Rev. Honda. It was in 1913** when the red-brick church was completed by architect Yosuke Tetsukawa with donations from Europe, Germany in particular, and from the Imamurans who immigrated overseas in early Meiji period. Religious freedom and limited land acreage to share among the families were reasons for the exodus.

Today, I had a sudden revelation and visited Kitakyushu City Library to research Tachiarai Village books. Tachiarai and Kitakyushu are in the same prefecture.

I was quite thrilled to discover a couple of Imamurans who were active in Brazil as reported by Asahi Broadcasting (the book dated 1997). One was Rev. Aoki, who assisted Rev. Honda while in Imamura, the other Mr. Hirata, politician, probably descendent of the martyr Hirata. I understood now why Edson was so eager to visit the Imamaura Church.

Introducing again, Edson Aoki, is a researcher from the University of Twente, Enschede**, Netherlands visiting the Kitakyushu Institute of Technology during the month of April. He is a member of Twente Toastmasters (see photo) and he wanted to visit Kitakyushu Toastmasters as a courtesy call and exchange information while staying here in our city. Kitakyushu Toastmasters greatly enjoyed the company of this tri-national visitor.

** Notes

1) The name "Tachiarai" comes from the old fierce battleground Chikugo River in the Northern and Southern Courts Period (1336-1392), when the civil war spread nationwide. Kikuchi Clan, Kumamoto, siding with Southern Court, confronted with Isshiki and Shoni Clans, the Kyushu Commissioners of Northern Court of Muromachi Bakufu. The statue of Takemitsu Kikuchi, the brave lord warrior stands in Tachiarai River Park, as the site where he washed his sword blade after winning the battle.

2) The first boat to Brazil sailed in 1908.

3) Centennial Anniversary this year

4) Enschede, famous for Twente Canal, is a northern Netherlands city, close to the German-Nertherlands border, which is about 100 km north of Dusseldorf.