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[Image1]As soon as winter arrives, a box of tangerines always appears in a corner of the living room. That f
[Image2]As soon as winter arrives, a box of tangerines always appears in a corner of the living room. That f

As soon as winter arrives, a box of tangerines always appears in a corner of the living room. That five-kilogram box is usually eaten down to the last fruit by my family in less than a week.

Datun Mountain in my hometown of Beitou District produces plenty of ponkan. Though the skin is thicker, the flesh is full and the sweet-tart balance makes them an essential offering during Lunar New Year rites.

By contrast, Japanese mikan are small and charming, especially the SS size that you can pop into your mouth whole. I often realize, to my surprise, that I’ve already eaten more than ten.

But my favorite is Obara Beniwase from Kagawa Prefecture. Its flavor closely resembles Beitou’s ponkan, with a perfectly balanced sweet and tartness that never grows tiresome.

Both the peel and flesh of Obara Beniwase are deeper and redder than those of ordinary tangerines, and it is said to be the most vividly red citrus in Japan. The top grade is called Sanuki Beni, with sweetness over 12.5, followed by the excellent Kintoki Beni, with sweetness above 11.5.

Sakaide City in Kagawa Prefecture is the main growing area for Obara Beniwase. Once, when I visited Shiramineji Temple, the 81st site on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, I stopped at an orchard at the foot of the mountain to pick tangerines. Looking at those glossy red-orange fruits in the sunlight awakened my appetite, and I ate several dozen at once, then brought home a large bag to enjoy slowly.

Perhaps because of all that, the box of tangerines that inevitably appears in a corner of my home each winter is more than a seasonal symbol; it is a small warmth in my heart that bridges Taiwan and Japan and ties together memories and flavor.

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Dec. 1, 2025
Today I had the fortune to follow in the footsteps of local elders, experiencing a deep Shikoku ohenro pilgrimage by bus and on foot. We walked along several ancient ohenro paths from No. 86 Shido-ji Temple all the way to the final stop, No. 88 Okoji Temple. On this journey through time, the elder recounted, as if naming familiar treasures, the origins and stories behind the guideposts and ohenro graves. His vivid explanations seemed to make the long years layered on these old roads reappear before our eyes, turning the pilgrimage into more than just walking. In the past, when I hiked up the mountain, I used to take the path in front of the Ohenro Koryu Salon. This time, however, the elder first led us onto a little-known ancient trail that runs along the mountainside past the salon. Because few pilgrims use that old path, the ohenro graves along it have been preserved intact, serving as precious witnesses to history. Next, we turned to another ohenro route that winds by the river near a settlement. This stretch shows the clearest traces of changing times— as the settlement grew and new roads were built, some of the directional stone markers were relocated, leaving their inscriptions pointing inexplicably elsewhere. The elder’s on-site explanations linked all those originally puzzling “misplaced” changes together at once, allowing us to keenly feel both the fascination and the frustrations of history. Perhaps because of road construction and environmental changes, some of the ohenro graves that once lay scattered along the roadside and slopes were moved and gathered into one place. This ohenro journey was not only a physical walk but also a deep conversation of the heart with history.