林檎は中国語で家禽の「禽」で鳥を示し、甘い果実の林檎の木に鳥が多く集まったことから「林檎」と呼ばれるようになりました。りんごは世界的にも人気の果物でフランスでは「C’est de la pomme qu’est ne tout le mal 」（諸悪の根源はリンゴに帰す）「The apple never falls far from the tree」（蛙の子は蛙）、スペインでは「Una manzana cada día, de médico te ahorraría.」(１日1個のりんごで医者いらず）などの諺があります。
Yoko Ono, in 1966, exhibited a raw apple with her bite mark as an art piece. It’s said that Steve Jobs, a huge Beatles fan, was munching on an apple when deciding on a name for his company, Apple, which also inspired the logo. What is it about apples that captivates people so much?
Meaning and Proverbs of Apples
In Chinese, the word for apple, “林檎”, is derived from the character “禽” which means poultry or bird. The name was given because many birds would gather on the sweet fruit-bearing apple trees. Apples are popular worldwide, with proverbs in France like “C’est de la pomme qu’est ne tout le mal” (All evils come from the apple) and in Spain, “Una manzana cada día, de médico te ahorraría” (An apple a day keeps the doctor away).
Global History of Apples
Apples were first cultivated during the Neolithic era. Charred apples from 8,000 years ago were discovered in Turkey. By 4,000 years ago, apples were being cultivated intentionally, and by 1300 BC, remnants of apple orchards were found in the Nile Delta region of Egypt. During the Greek era, apples were propagated through grafting, and by the Roman era, books on apple varieties were published. In the 16th and 17th centuries, apple cultivation spread from Europe to America, leading to many improvements in apple varieties.
History of Apples in Japan
Apples were introduced to Japan during the Meiji era. Kuroda Kiyotaka, the Vice-Minister of Development, imported apple saplings from America and planted 75 apple varieties in the Aoyama official garden in Tokyo, marking the beginning of apple cultivation in Japan. Nanae Town in Hokkaido is known as the first place in Japan where a German named R. Gartner cultivated Western apples. In the 7th year of the Meiji era, the Ministry of Internal Affairs distributed apple saplings nationwide for trial cultivation. In the 8th year of the Meiji era, three saplings distributed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the Aomori Prefectural Office were planted, leading to the birth of the Aomori apple in the 13th year of the Meiji era.
Apple Rankings
In 2022, the top apple-producing prefectures were Fukushima (5th), Yamagata (4th), Iwate (3rd), Nagano (2nd), and Aomori (1st). Japan cultivates an astonishing 2,000 apple varieties! Popular varieties include “Kougyoku” (5th) ideal for desserts, “Sun Fuji” (4th) known for its abundant nectar, “Shinano Gold” (3rd) with its sweet nectar and crispy texture, “Shinano Sweet” (2nd) with its juicy crunch, and the king of Aomori apples, “Fuji” (1st).
There are many more apples with romantic names like “Star’s Gold Coin”, “Pink Lady”, and “Love Sky”. The deeper you delve into the world of apples, the more fascinating it becomes. Why not take a bite out of an apple, pretending to be Snow White? Who knows, you might wake up to find a charming prince by your side!
