Japanese Sansho Pepper (whole/ground, top selection)

Sansho (山椒) — Japanese prickly-ash pepper, premium selection · Wakayama / Hyogo, Japan
Fresh & Specialty Yuzu & Citrus Ambient Growing export

Citrus-tingling Japanese prickly-ash pepper (Zanthoxylum piperitum) — classic seasoning for unagi and a core component of authentic shichimi — sold internationally in whole-berry and ground top-selection grades.

The supplierWakayama (Arida budo-sansho) is the premier Japanese sansho region; processed into whole and ground export grades.
Why it sells abroadAuthentic top-grade Japanese sansho for chefs/spice connoisseurs worldwide

Buyer's brief ✓ SOURCES VERIFIED

CertificationsHACCP at processors (industry norm). Organic lots: not publicly verified. Wakayama Budo-sansho (Aridagawa) is the largest sansho production area; cold-dried/stone-milled processing confirmed.
Pack formatsRetail tins/pouches; bulk spice cases. Confirmed (dried whole + powder).
Shelf lifeAmbient 12-24 months (dried) typical.
StorageCool dry ambient, sealed; away from light.
Minimum orderTypical: bulk-case lots for trade
Lead timeTypical: from dried stock
CapacityHarvest early summer; dried stock year-round
Container loadTypical: ambient LCL/parcel
PricingTypical: premium specialty-spice pricing
OEM / private labelPrivate-label spice plausible (category-common) but not verified per named processor. Keep unverified.
Wholesale & MOQTypical: bulk dried spice cases; retail tins/pouches
Key exporters & distributorsJapanese spice processors, international specialty-spice merchants
Export regulationDried processed spice: food-safety/labeling, possible pesticide-residue limits per market; dried/processed so generally not phytosanitary as a culinary spice (confirm seed-vs-processed status per destination).
Market demandRising global interest in Japanese spices and 'mala'-adjacent flavors
How to source itWakayama grower/processor (Aridagawa/Shimizu Budo-sansho) -> spice merchant -> overseas retail/chef. EU brand launch via prefecture/JETRO confirmed.
Verified sourceshttps://budo-sansho.com/en/ (Aridagawa Budo Sansho official site; Wakayama largest producer; EU brand); https://hirano-seishoan.com/en/about/ (Aridagawa sansho cold-dried/stone-milled processing)
MakerWakayama (Arida/Budo-sansho) & regional sansho growers/processors
OriginWakayama / Hyogo, Japan
CategoryFresh & Specialty / Yuzu & Citrus
Available inWorldwide
HandlingAmbient
Price tierPremium
ChannelSpecialty
Export readinessGrowing export
HS code0910.99
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Profile maintained by Japonity (japonity.com), May 2026. General sourcing information only — confirm current availability, pricing, MOQ and the destination market's import rules with the maker or exporter before contracting. Japonity is not affiliated with this brand.