The surprisingly different definition of fruit in Japan

In English, “fruit” is a broad botanical category: anything that develops from a flower and contains seeds qualifies. But in Japan, the everyday definition is shaped less by botany and more by how people actually eat. 

In Japanese usage, kudamono typically refers to sweet, raw, tree‑grown produce—apples, pears, peaches, grapes, cherries, citrus, and so on. These are the fruits that appear in lunchboxes, seasonal gift sets, and supermarket displays. But here’s the surprise: many foods that English speakers instinctively call “fruit” are officially classified as fruit‑type vegetables 果実的野菜 (kajitsuteki yasai) in Japanese agricultural statistics. Strawberries, melons, watermelons, bananas, and pineapples all fall into this category, not because of taste, but because of how they’re cultivated and distributed.

In reality, the average day person still considers strawberries, pineapples, melons and so forth as a fruit. They are eaten raw and often used in desserts. But while they are treated and eaten as fruit in culinary contexts, they are categorized as vegetables in Japan's agricultural production statistics.