The combination of white renkkon (lotus root) pieces swimming in pickle juices next to vibrant red and yellow bell pepper slices makes the whole product look like an edible flower arrangement.
The jarred product is the result of a marriage between a flower designer and her lotus root farmer husband, a combination that allows the former to match the local specialty crop with her floriculture background and imagination to create "flowery lotus root," or Hana-Renkon as the product is marketed.
"I wanted to embody the image of a bright farming village and I'm glad that I succeeded in making it a reality inside a small jar, using lotus root," says Sumiko Saito, 70, who lives in the city of Naruto, Tokushima Prefecture, in western Japan.