Agriculture
Gamagori is nationally recognized for its mandarin oranges. Gamagori’s warm climate and soil are well suited for producing the sweet, popular fruit. During the winter, the mountain slopes are covered with heavily laden mandarin orange trees. Recently, kiwi fruit has been added to the local product line. The yield of mandarin oranges, kiwi fruits, and other fruits adds up to 79% of total agricultural and cattle output. However in recent years, vegetable and flower farming have been growing steadily, and the agriculture in Gamagori has been gradually changing to a more urban type.
Gamagori Orange Park
In Fureai Nogyo Park, local agriculturists and citizens of the city can meet and become friends as they pick mandarin oranges, strawberries, melons, or grapes together. There are 700,000 visitors to this park every year.
Hakoirimusume, Special Mandarin Oranges
The Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Association designates several mandarin orange fields for the production of Hakoirimusume mandarin oranges and manages them with strict quality control. Because the sugar level of the crops is so strictly controlled, the resulting mandarin oranges are very popular as an oseibo gift (a gift given out at the end of the year).
Gamagori Greenhouse Mandarin Oranges
The quality and productivity of Gamagori’s greenhouse mandarin oranges are considered the best in Japan. There are 320 farms involved with approximately 120 hectares of greenhouses, yielding 5,500 tons per year. At the moment, there is an ongoing project to develop terraced greenhouse mandarin orange fields. By the year 1996, there will be 66 greenhouses and 10 hectares in this development project.
Tsumagiku
This is a chrysanthemum used as a garnish for raw fish. The flowers have been grown and shipped by the members of Mikawa Greenhouse Association for the past 65 years. They yield 8,000 packs per day, which is 40% of the nation’s share and is the highest in the country.
Fishing
Fishing is a traditional industry of Gamagori, a marine city. Mikawa Bay is abundant in its fishery resources, such as sillaginoid, sea bream, flatfish, rock cod, rock trout, and goby. The main fishing method is by dragnet. The sum of amount of fish handled by the Miya, Katahara, and Nishiura fish markets totals up to 10,000 tons.
Industry
According to Nippon Koki (a Japanese historical text), people had already begun weaving cotton in the Mikawa region by the year 799 BC. This later developed into the distinct Mikawa textile style, and this style has turned into a local tradition. Gamagori started developing textile and fiber rope industries from very early on. By the 1960’s, 80% of the area’s industrial yield was dominated by textile-related products. However, the change in demand and the diversification of industries resulted in a decrease of this share, to 26% in 1991. Nevertheless, the textile industry still holds the largest share within Gamagori’s industries, and its fiber rope industry is still the largest in Japan.
Local Specialities
Sanshuu mochi (rice cake), boufu mochi (rice cake), marusa chikuwa (fish cake), kintobimen (noodles), ebisenbei (shrimp chips), gourmet seafood products, clams, mandarin oranges, sesame oil, decorative trinkets, Mikawa manjuu (sweet bean cake)
