Sakurajima radish
| Sakurajima radish | |
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| A selection of Sakurajima radishes. | |
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| Variety: | acanthiformis hortensis longipinnatus |
| Trinomial name | |
| Raphanus sativus var. hortensis f. gigantissimus | |
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The Sakurajima radish or Sakurajima daikon (Japanese: 桜島大根, Sakurajima daikon) is a special cultivar of the Japanese radish named for its original place of cultivation, the former island of Sakurajima in Japan's Kagoshima Prefecture. It is the largest radish variety in the world. Its regular weight is about 6 kilograms (13 lb), although large ones can be as much as 27 kg (60 lb). It can grow as large as 50 cm (20 in) in diameter. It is also sometimes known in Japanese as shimadekon (しまでこん, "island daikon").
The three varieties are early, middle, and late, but the most commonly encountered form is the late. The seeding period is from last August to first September and the harvest season is from December to February. To reach full size, special care needs to be taken with the region's volcanic-ash soil.