For the past quarter of a century, strawberries have been Japan's best-loved fruit. Distinctively sweet, plump and delicious, Japanese strawberries started to be grown for eating around the year 1900, thanks to the patient efforts of one man. Today, Japan grows about 170,000 tons of strawberries per year. In Japan, strawberry shortcake is the definitive Christmas treat. Strawberry cultivation methods honed in Japan are now contributing to the development of a remote region in Southeast Asia.