"Hime kyuri" is a cucumber about 15 cm in length, which is smaller than an ordinary cucumber.
This cucumber is cultivated in Tochigi city, which is located in the southern part of Tochigi prefecture, by eight farm producers who belong to the JA Shimotsuke Cucumber Group in a 2-ha greenhouse throughout the year.

We interviewed Mr. Ohkawa, who grows Hime kyuri. A total of six people consisting of himself, his family member and four part-timers produce the cucumber in an approximately 23-acre greenhouse.

A. The skin is soft, and the taste is rich despite the small size. It can be eaten casually, like eating the whole cucumber as is.

A. The product is provided throughout the year by planting seedlings at different times, so that fresh product is delivered to your dining table in any season.

A. The basis of cultivation is soil creation, above all. In the past, chemical fertilizer was used, but we now use abundant organic fertilizers, such as fully ripe compost that we make ourselves, aiming to provide consumers with safe and secure products.

A. In order to deliver safe Hime kyuris to consumers, it is important to create an environment where diseases and insects are unlikely to occur, aiming to reduce the frequency of dispersion of agricultural chemicals. Towards this end, we reduce the number of plants planted in the field to two thirds of the ordinary number and maintain good ventilation, thus creating an environment where diseases do not easily occur.
Furthermore, we record the history of cultivation and conduct regular testing on residual chemicals through JA.