We Have Already Missed This Years Growing Season In Japan,

for decorated apples like these,

they are called ‘Mojie Ringo’ which is a Japanese technique of harnessing the power of the sun to create beautifully decorated apples without the use of any sort of chemicals, photographs from the Apple University, Japan, 

for centuries, apple growers in Japan’s Aomori Prefecture have been creating stunning heirloom apples by using the mojie ringo technique. The process is fairly simple, as basically involves depriving the apples of sunlight for a period of time and then applying stencils to ensure that some portion of the apple peel remains discoloured,

according to some the mojie ringo technique was perfected by Aomori farmer Haruo Iwasaki, whose son, Chisato Iwasaki, is widely regarded as one of the most talented apple artists today, large apple varieties like “Mutsu” or “Stark Jumbo” are used for Mojie Ringo, with designs of good luck charms and Christmas-related items, etc.

although the mojie ringo technique seems fairly straightforward, it requires a lot of work and patience over long periods of time, and for many growers the effort and attention just aren’t worth it from an economic standpoint, which is why the old tradition is slowly fading, with only a few Aomori orchards producing the eye-catching fruits, but hopefully some growers will continue with the tradition, if buyers agree to pay a little more for the growers efforts.