Taisho Kintoki
(Japanese: 大正金時豆, Romaji: Taisho Kintoki mame, English: Taisho red kidney beans)
(Non-vining) In Japan, red varieties of kidney beans are collectively known as ‘Kintoki Mame’. 2 Taisho Kintoki is a well known and regarded variety of red kidney (“Kintoki mame”) bean. This variety was historically produced in Hirashimo Yamaguchi, Tokiwa Kamiyata Town, and Shikura Town Komagome. 3
昭和初期に北海道十勝地方の幕別村（現在は幕別町）で「金時」という品種を栽培している畑の中から早生・大粒の１株が発見され、これが増殖され、大正村（現在は帯広市の一部）で量産されたことからその名が付きました。赤紫色が鮮やかなことから、「赤いんげん豆」とも呼ばれることもあります。2
“In the early Showa period, an early-maturing, large-grained plant was discovered in a field where a cultivar called “Kintoki” was cultivated in Makubetsu Village (now Makubetsu Town) in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido. It got its name because it was mass-produced in Obihiro (part of Obihiro City). Because of their bright red-purple color, they are also sometimes called “red kidney beans.” 2
昭和時代に北海道十勝の幕別村で発見され、「大正村」（現在・帯広市内）で量産
されたため大正金時と名づけられました。また、金時豆の「金時」の名は「坂田の金時」の赤い肌に“It was discovered in Makubetsu Village in Tokachi, Hokkaido during the Showa period, and mass-produced in Taisho Village (currently Obihiro City). Because of this, it was named Taisho Kintoki […]” 3
金時豆の「金時」の名は、金太郎で有名な“坂田の金時”の赤い肌色に由来しているとか。
代表的な品種の「大正金時」は鮮やかな赤紫色で、
北海道十勝地方の大正村で量産されたのでその名がつきました。“The name “Kintoki” of red kidney bean comes from the red skin color of “Sakata no Kintoki”, famous for Kintaro. The representative variety, “Taisho Kintoki,” is a bright reddish-purple color and got its name because it was mass-produced in Taisho Village in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido.” 4
“The color will wash away if it gets exposed to rain, so I don’t want it to get exposed to rain at the time of harvest. […] Although it is a typical boiled bean, it is also perfect for Western-style dishes such as chili beans. It is a popular variety that has just the right amount of richness and is easy to use.” (Imomame/Murakami Farm, 2024)
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