PROFILE
Born in 1993 in Uwajima, Ehime. After studying tourism at university and studying abroad, he took over his family's mandarin farm in 2019. He has since branded his own mikan products and apparel under the name "Tangerine. Currently living in Ehime and Tokyo, he brings the charm of mandarin oranges and Uwajima to the rest of Japan.
Instagram:@tangerine7993751
Ehime's Mikan, Mr. Wakamatsu's thoughts.
Mikan oranges bring vitamins to Japan in winter. Along with Wakayama, Ehime is known as a major producer of mikan.
Landing at Matsuyama Airport, you can drink mandarin orange juice from the tap, and in the fall and winter, the orange-red fruit is everywhere, adding color to the landscape.
Uwajima City, located about an hour and a half drive from the airport, is the birthplace of Ehime mandarin oranges. It has a complex cove on a rias coast and steep mountains inland. This unique topography allows for the growth of delicious oranges.
Yuichiro Wakamatsu, who was born and raised there, took over his grandfather's mandarin farm in 2019.
My grandfather told me that there was a time when we were losing money no matter how many oranges we produced. That's why my father didn't take over, and I was always told to get a stable job. Still, I felt that if I didn't take over the business, everything I had grown would be destroyed and it would be a waste, so I decided to come back from overseas in 2019 and take over the business.
After graduating from a local high school, Mr. Wakamatsu went on to a university in the Kanto area. In addition to studying tourism and environmental issues, he was also into skateboarding. He then went on to study abroad in Canada and Australia.
As he fondly recalls, "I played a lot," he met a lot of people and broadened his horizons in the fashion and skate culture. I brought back the sensibility I cultivated there, and now I am not only a mandarin farmer, but I have also established "Tangerine" to convey the appeal of mandarin oranges.
I started the brand because I wanted to find something I could express to the outside world using mandarin oranges. We make fresh squeezed juice from the oranges we harvest, and we also make goods. I also do pop-ups with these products all over the country, and my wife and I have a stall at events as a caterer. I would be happy if even just a little bit of Uwajima could be known through these events, and if more people became interested in oranges and farmers.
Mr. Wakamatsu is busy shuttling between the fields and the city. His feet are supported by "Brand Stone" boots.
