Sharing Biwa from My Garden

In the corner of my garden stands a big biwa tree—bigger than I ever expected it to grow. Every year around early summer, it quietly begins to glow with soft orange fruit, and before I know it, the branches are heavy with ripe biwa.

One day, a neighbor shyly asked, “Could I maybe have a few… if you’re not eating them all?”
That little moment made me smile. Of course they could. In fact, please take as many as you like.

What started as a simple tree has become something more. A reason for a casual hello. A small gift that brings people closer. A quiet reminder that nature gives us plenty—sometimes more than we can use—and the joy often comes from sharing it.

Biwa season has become one of my favorite little chapters of the year. Not because of the fruit itself (though it is delicious), but because of what it stirs between neighbors, friends, and even strangers walking by with curious eyes.

Sometimes, kindness is just hanging from a branch, waiting to be picked.

Yuko