---
title: Setoda lemons
url: https://karigurashijourney.com/en/notes/setoda-lemons/
lang: en
journey: https://karigurashijourney.com/en/episodes/onomichi-2/
---

# Setoda lemons

A little of each town’s story　/　Onomichi, Hiroshima

Hiroshima Prefecture grows more lemons than any other in Japan: 4,861 tons in 2020, or 56% of the national crop. Setoda in Onomichi (Ikuchi and Kone islands) has a mild climate and well-drained granite soil, and has been developed as a lemon-growing area since 1927. Open-field lemons are harvested from around October; green lemons, picked before they turn yellow, have a fresher aroma and sharper acidity, and yellow lemons follow from December to April.

## This moment in the journey: With green lemons from Setoda

I had bought some locally grown Setoda lemons. Setoda, on Ikuchi Island in Onomichi, is one of Japan's biggest lemon-growing areas, and Hiroshima Prefecture produces more than half of the country's lemons. The ones in my hand were still green. From autumn onwards, I was told, these brightly colored green lemons come onto the market.

I cut one in half, poured soda water over ice, and squeezed in a wedge. The lemon bobbed among the bubbles. Sitting by the window, looking out at the garden, I took a sip. The refreshing sourness felt wonderful after a day of walking the slopes.

![Cutting a green lemon in half on the board](https://karigurashijourney.com/img/onomichi-2/s33-1200.jpg)
- Sources: https://www.pref.hiroshima.lg.jp/lab/topics/20230630/01/

Read this scene in the full journey: https://karigurashijourney.com/en/episodes/onomichi-2/