Food · Fermented foods

Biwa (Loquat)

びわ (Biwa)

Also known as: Biwa, Loquat, Eriobotrya japonica fruit, 枇杷

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At a glance

Category	Food
Japanese labeling name	びわ
Common Japanese notations	びわ, 枇杷, ビワ
Origin	Loquat fruit (Eriobotrya japonica); cultivated in Japan since prehistoric times; principal modern production regions Nagasaki (volume leader, Mogi-biwa heritage), Chiba (Bōshū-biwa), Kagawa, Ehime; late-spring harvest (May-June)
Typical functions	Premium late-spring fruit retail, Biwa-cha (loquat leaf tea) — see eriobotrya-japonica-leaf-extract for the leaf, Confectionery (biwa cake, biwa jelly, canned biwa), Premium gift retail (Mogi-biwa Nagasaki, Bōshū-biwa Chiba)
Regulatory status in Japan	Standard agricultural product labeling. Mogi-biwa Nagasaki, Bōshū-biwa Chiba regional brands. Not a designated allergen.

Biwa (びわ / 枇杷) — loquat (Eriobotrya japonica fruit) — is a defining Japanese late-spring fruit with substantial regional gift retail. Nagasaki (Mogi-biwa heritage) is volume leader; Chiba (Bōshū-biwa) is also major. Note: the leaf is a separate functional ingredient (see eriobotrya-japonica-leaf-extract).

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Classification

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Product applications

Functions

Flavoring486

Regulatory tags

Culinary ingredient512

Origin

Plant-derived319

Common OEM product categories

Finished-product categories where Japanese OEM manufacturers commonly formulate with this ingredient.

Fresh whole biwa (May-June peak)
Canned biwa (in syrup, established retail category)
Mogi-biwa Nagasaki and Bōshū-biwa Chiba premium gift retail

Ingredient profile

Eriobotrya japonica fruit, late-spring Japanese specialty.

OEM applications

Fresh premium retail.

Canned biwa.

Confectionery (cake, jelly).

Mogi-biwa Nagasaki and Bōshū-biwa Chiba premium gift retail.

For OEM: fresh retail, canned biwa production, premium regional gift retail.

Regulatory classification in Japan

Standard food labeling. Regional brands established. Not a designated allergen.

Regulatory classification in other markets

EU	Niche specialty positioning.
USA	Niche specialty positioning.
China	China has substantial loquat (枇杷) production.
Korea	Niche specialty positioning.

Market reference formulations

Example finished products will be added after verification of regional origin.

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Seasonality & supply calendar

Harvest months: May – June
Peak supply: Late May – early June
Off-season: July – April

Source: 農林水産省果樹生産出荷統計. Nagasaki and Chiba lead production; tightly seasonal — fresh fruit supply is ~3-4 weeks per region.

Storage requirements

How the receiving OEM facility needs to handle inbound raw material.

Temperature: Chilled 4°C; very fragile to bruising
Conditions: Padded packaging; humidity 85%
Shelf life: Fresh 5–7 days at 4°C — among the shortest-shelf-life fruits

Supply concentration

Where this ingredient comes from — useful for single-source-risk planning.

Primary regions: Nagasaki (approximately 33% per 特産果樹生産動態等調査, R1 / 2019 base), Chiba (~16%), Kagawa, Wakayama
Import dependence: 100% domestic for fresh; processed loquat from China

農林水産省果樹生産出荷統計

Certifications commonly available

Certification schemes commonly obtainable for this raw material. Always confirm the specific supplier's current certificate before contracting.

Scheme	Availability
Organic JAS	Rare
Halal	Inherent
Vegan	Inherent

Alternative ingredients

Related ingredients commonly evaluated as substitutes.

Eriobotrya Japonica Leaf Extract

Quick answers

What is Biwa (Loquat)?: Biwa (びわ / 枇杷) — loquat (Eriobotrya japonica fruit) — is a defining Japanese late-spring fruit with substantial regional gift retail. Nagasaki (Mogi-biwa heritage) is volume leader; Chiba (Bōshū-biwa) is also major. Note: the leaf is a separate functional ingredient (see eriobotrya-japonica-leaf-extract).
What is the regulatory status of Biwa (Loquat) in Japan?: Standard agricultural product labeling. Mogi-biwa Nagasaki, Bōshū-biwa Chiba regional brands. Not a designated allergen.
What products typically use Biwa (Loquat)?: Fresh whole biwa (May-June peak) / Canned biwa (in syrup, established retail category) / Mogi-biwa Nagasaki and Bōshū-biwa Chiba premium gift retail
Where does Biwa (Loquat) come from?: Loquat fruit (Eriobotrya japonica); cultivated in Japan since prehistoric times; principal modern production regions Nagasaki (volume leader, Mogi-biwa heritage), Chiba (Bōshū-biwa), Kagawa, Ehime; late-spring harvest (May-June)
What is the INCI / JSCI labeling name for Biwa (Loquat)?: JSCI: びわ

Often used with

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Same category

Other ingredients in the same sub-category.

Used in similar product applications

Other ingredients commonly used in the same finished-product families.

Sharing similar functions

Ingredients that overlap on functional benefit tags.

From the same origin

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Official regulatory databases

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MEXT 食品成分DB（検索） ↗

References

文部科学省 (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Standard Tables of Food Composition — びわ各形態

Last updated: 2026-04-28. Ingredient entries are reviewed at least annually against current regulatory listings.