The cultivation of asparaguses started in the fourth year of Meiji (1871). People first received seeds from the U.S. and grew them in the Sapporo Land Development Bureau. After that, in the Taisho era, the first canning factory in the East was opened in Iwanai town, which canned white asparagus.

Green asparagus has been popular since the 1970's and is the main one grown today.

In Hokkaido, the production occupies 17% of that of Japan, and the most productive area in Hokkaido is Kamikawa. In Okhotsk, Engaru, Kitami and Koshimizu grow a lot, too. The hothouse asparagus is sold from April to May, and from April to July, asparagus grown outside is sold.

In Okhotsk, this is grown in almost all of the areas, and mainly in Kitami, Bihoro, Koshimizu, Shari, and Ozora.

Stand-stem cultivation is the way we grow the parent stem, which enables it to get enough nutrients from photosynthesis.

And then, we harvest the sprouts from it. The asparagus harvested this way has fewer strings, a tender but crisp texture, and is sweet until the root.

In Engaru, the asparagus produced by the Engaru Production Association of Stand-Stem Asparagus, which is composed by the seven farms in the town, was named and branded Engaru Nyokkies.

In Bihoro, since 2011, they have been experimenting with the The Laying-in Growth Cultivation Method, which aims for shipment in November, the earliest shipment in Japan.

The following describes The Laying-in Growth Cultivation Method: Until fall, they continue growing the plants of asparagus planted in spring and then, dig up the rootstocks grown underground, move them to hothouses, lay them in wood frames and steam them, and harvest them during winter. This method enables the asparagus to be shipped from November to February, which are the pre-harvest months of Japanese asparagus.