Yuzu farmer Tosaku Arai proudly told us.

"Sawai Yuzu" produced in Sawai, Ome, used to be a royal warrant of appointment to the kind during the Edo period. Although it doesn't look pretty outside, the aroma of yuzu is extraordinary. In fact, it was said that there was nothing better than "Sawai Yuzu" when it comes to the smell. This brand of yuzu is the best for cooking as a small amount of fruits is enough to retain the fragrance. 

 "Sawai yuzu" is often produced from seed-grown trees rather than grafted trees – this way, fruits can be vigorous and long lasting. Enjoy the aroma of Sawai yuzu, adored by the king of Edo. 

Yuzu is a citrus fruit with a powerful fresh aroma.
Newly planted yuzu trees will take more than 10 years before producing the first fruit. There is an old saying: "Peaches and chestnuts take 3 years, persimmons take 8 years to bear fruit". Well, do you know there is more that follows? It goes like this: "and yuzu takes 18 damn years..."

*The meaning behind this is that everything requires its own time for maturing.

It will take a long time for yuzu trees to bear the first fruit, but they are vigorous, long-lived, hardy, and deep-rooted compared to other citrus trees. It is not surprising that a 100-year-old tree bears a fruit with a pleasant aroma. There are 200-year-old trees in Oume that have yuzu with an exquisite citrus scent. Yuzu trees are late bloomers. While the leaves of other citrus trees fall in June, the leaves of yuzu trees fall in Autumn.

Beauty and health benefits of yuzu.
Absorbed through the skin and nostrils, essential oils help expand blood vessels and stimulate blood flow. Since long ago in Japan, the fruits have been used in a hot bath on winter solstice to ward off a range of winter ills, such as colds and flu. Shiseido says that yuzu seed extract boosts the production of hyaluronic acid that helps skin to maintain moisture and elasticity.
*Report of Shiseido

There are wonderful yuzu wood crafts in Oume as well.