抄録
In the Edo period, the kunenbo (Citrus nobilis Lour. var. kunep Tanaka) was one of the most common varieties of citrus fruit grown in Japan. Kunenbo are mentioned in important historical documents from Yamaguchi Prefecture, such as the menu for the banquet held for Admiral King of the British Royal Navy in 1867, and the records of refreshments provided for Yoshida Shoin during his imprisonment. There are records of kunenbo cultivation in Yamaguchi Prefecture from the middle of the Edo period, and in the 1840s kunenbo became the signature crop for Mitajiri. By the start of the Meiji period, Yamaguchi Prefecture was the largest producer of kunenbo in Japan. Today, few people know the name of kunenbo and it has become a forgotten variety of citrus. However, when considering the food culture of the Edo and Meiji periods, the kunenbo was an important agricultural product. With the intention of utilizing the kunenbo in the modern age as a regional resource, this is a report of the quest to find kunenbo trees (as of yet, no trees have been discovered in Yamaguchi Prefecture) and efforts made to develop the kunenbo as a resource for food, tourism, and regional contribution.
