The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment delegation visits the Yamanashi Fruit Tree Research Station to learn about breeding technologies and green hydrogen in agriculture.
On November 7, as part of their working visit to Japan’s Yamanashi Prefecture, a delegation from Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, led by Minister Trinh Viet Hung, visited the Yamanashi Fruit Tree Research Station to learn about its research activities.
The Yamanashi Fruit Tree Research Station is a center for scientific research and high-tech agricultural techniques, focusing on fruit tree breeding, the development of improved cultivation practices and the application of modern technologies in production.
The station traces its origins to severe frost damage to grapevines and persimmon trees in the Higashiyamanashi area in January 1936. In April 1937, a proposal to establish a fruit tree research agency was submitted to the prefecture and approved by the Prefectural Assembly. Since then, the facility has been gradually developed and has continued its operations to this day.
The station currently covers a total area of 17 hectares and is located 542 meters above sea level. Its main activities focus on researching new cultivation methods and developing new crop varieties, then transferring the research findings to technical extension officers.
The station has three main technical divisions: the Variety Research Division, the Cultivation Division and the Environment Division.
The Variety Research Division is responsible for breeding fresh-eating grapes, wine grapes and deciduous fruit trees. Notably, it focuses on developing proprietary fresh-eating grape varieties and analyzing genes associated with fruit color to improve breeding efficiency. For newly developed varieties, the division also develops cultivation guidelines and standardizes production processes, with the aim of improving fruit quality.
The Cultivation Division is responsible for researching production techniques for fresh-eating grapes, wine grapes and deciduous fruit trees.
Meanwhile, the Environment Division focuses on developing labor-saving pest and disease control measures that reduce environmental impacts and improve the use of plant protection products. It also studies the ecological characteristics of major pests and diseases and forecasts their potential occurrence, enabling timely and effective control measures to help ensure stable production.
Yamanashi is now renowned for its many high-quality grape varieties, including two notable varieties: Shine Muscat and Sunshine Red.
Shine Muscat grapes have a bright yellow-green color and the distinctive aroma of Muscat grapes. They are intensely sweet, low in acidity and can be eaten with their skin on. Sunshine Red, meanwhile, stands out for its vibrant red color and distinctive aroma inherited from the Shine Muscat variety. These grapes have a rich sweetness, low astringency and moderate acidity, and can also be eaten with their skin on.
One of the station’s notable current research areas is testing the use of green hydrogen to heat greenhouses.
In the grape greenhouse, the station has developed and installed a heating system that uses green hydrogen produced at Komekurayama in Yamanashi Prefecture as fuel. Through trials, researchers are assessing changes in heating temperatures and the system’s effects on grapevines.
The model aims to establish agricultural production methods powered by green hydrogen and renewable energy, while helping reduce carbon emissions and reinforcing Yamanashi Prefecture’s pioneering role in developing carbon-neutral agriculture.
Beyond reducing emissions, the use of green hydrogen for greenhouse heating also aims to enhance energy self-sufficiency, reduce dependence on external energy sources and limit the impact of crude oil price fluctuations.