In the Minamikushiyama area, terraced fields spread up to the top of the hills, making good use of the gently sloping terrain. The fields are covered with yellow soil, and potatoes are the main crop grown here.
The source of yellow soil, which is ideal for growing potatoes, is the andesite erupted from a volcano, estimated to have been present in this area about 1,5 million years ago.
Potatoes are harvested twice a year here, in spring and autumn when the sunny weather lasts long, avoiding the heat of midsummer that is not suitable for growing potatoes.
The climate and yellow soil ideal for growing potatoes, the gentle terrain suitable for making terraced fields, and the ingenuity of the farmers who have made the best use of all these features contribute to the production of potatoes in Nagasaki Prefecture, which ranks second in Japan.