The distribution and use of persimmons (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) and their changes in former Ogi Village, Otsu City, Shiga.

Abstract

Persimmons have been used in multiple ways and have constituted cultural landscapes, but their population has been declining in recent years. We investigated the distribution and use of persimmons and their changes in the former Ogi Village of Otsu City, Shiga. 1,284 persimmons were found in 2024, revealing differences in the distribution of persimmons between paddy fields before and after field consolidation, traditional rural villages and new residential areas. From around 1950 to 2023, the total number of persimmons in surveyed households decreased to less than half, and the number of traditional persimmon uses decreased from 13 to 5. On the other hand, new ways of using persimmons in accordance with lifestyles and the distribution of persimmons in new residential areas were identified, suggesting that new relationships between people and persimmons may arise as the traditional relationship with persimmons changes.