Shimakaroi Farm, Ishigaki Island

The story of Shimakaroi Farm begins with a greeting: "Nice to meet you, this is Kuroshima from Shimakaroi Farm on Ishigaki Island." The farm is a small, family-run operation located in the Sakieda area on the western side of Ishigaki Island. The family chose the name "Shimakaroi" because "karoi" in the dialect of Kohama Island, where they come from, means "lucky" or "bringing good fortune." They hope that by delivering fruit nurtured by the island's nature, they can bring a little bit of good fortune to the daily lives of their customers.

In Japanese supermarkets, pineapples are familiar fruits that are available all year round at reasonable prices. However, most of them are imported, harvested well before they fully ripen and then stored at low temperatures and treated to pass plant quarantine. As a result, many people have never tasted what a truly ripe pineapple can be. Domestic pineapples are said to account for only about 1% of the market, and the share of Ishigaki-grown fruit that allows people to enjoy the true flavor of pineapple is even smaller.

The family at Shimakaroi Farm loves pineapples so much that they eat them almost every day in season. Children and grandchildren living away from the island also look forward to the fruit that arrives from the farm each year. For this reason, the farm is committed to growing pineapples that the family themselves can eat with confidence, and to sending exactly the same fruit to customers. Even under the intense summer sun and among leaves with sharp spines, they use as little pesticide as possible and invest the time and effort needed to grow each plant properly.

Shimakaroi Farm does not simply want to sell pineapples as one more product. The farmers also want to convey their feelings for the island, their love of pineapples and their gratitude toward customers. They hope that people who receive their fruit will feel the landscape of Ishigaki Island, the work in the fields and the joy of harvest behind every box. By building long-term relationships with customers who say "That was delicious" and "We want to order again," the farm aims to share a sense of happiness and wonder as a producer.

Feedback from customers who are surprised by the flavor of fully ripe Ishigaki pineapples, messages expressing concern when typhoons approach, and orders from repeat customers who return year after year — all of these connections encourage the family and motivate them to keep standing in the fields. Shimakaroi Farm will continue to deliver the true taste of pineapples and the warm family time that surrounds them, directly from Ishigaki Island.

A tiny family farm with a big wish packed into "Shimakaroi"

Shimakaroi Farm is run by just two generations and four family members in a small corner of Ishigaki Island. The name "Shimakaroi" combines "island" with "karoi," a Kohama Island word that means "lucky" or "good things will happen." The family's wish is to share fruits that are filled with the blessings of the island and to bring small but real moments of joy to the people who receive them. That spirit is behind every pineapple grown at the farm.

Only about 1% of pineapples in Japan are domestic — and Ishigaki fruit is even rarer

Most pineapples on the Japanese market are imported and harvested long before they are fully ripe so that they can withstand long-distance transport and treatments required for quarantine. It is said that only around 1% are domestic, and only a fraction of those are grown on Ishigaki Island. Shimakaroi Farm focuses on letting the fruit ripen on the plant under the island sun, then shipping it directly from the farm at peak maturity so customers can experience the natural sweetness and aroma that imported fruit cannot match.

Grown as something the family eats every day, so chemicals are kept to a minimum

During the harvest season, the family at Shimakaroi Farm eats their own pineapples almost every day as dessert or snacks, and children and grandchildren living far away look forward to the boxes that arrive from the island. Because the growers themselves are also major consumers of the fruit, they aim to grow pineapples that they can eat with peace of mind. They use very little pesticide, even though the work in the fields under strong summer sun and among sharp leaves is demanding, and they tend each plant carefully by hand.