“Just because something is delicious doesn’t mean you can eat unlimited amounts without consequences.” That’s the warning from 船山信次さん, a 日本薬史学会会長 (President of the Japanese Society for the History of Pharmacy) and 薬学博士 (yakugaku hakase, Doctor of Pharmaceutical Science). According to him, even healthy foods can sometimes become harmful—depending on your body and how you eat them.
The article focuses on a surprisingly specific issue: eating too many persimmons can lead to a condition called 柿胃石 (kaki ishi), or a “persimmon stomach stone.”
Too Much of a Good Thing?
We often assume that 美味しい (oishii, delicious) foods are harmless—especially fruits. But the key question raised in the article is whether eating large amounts of something tasty has no 影響 (eikyou, effect) on the body.
Funayama explains:
「酒が飲める人と飲めない人がいるように、美味しいものでも、その人の体質や食べ方によっては『体に毒』となるので、注意が必要だ」
“Just like there are people who can drink alcohol and people who cannot, even delicious foods can, depending on a person’s constitution and way of eating, become ‘poison’ to the body—so caution is necessary.”
Let’s break that down:
- 体質 (taishitsu) — your physical constitution or natural predisposition
- 食べ方 (tabekata) — your way of eating (how much, how fast, how often)
- 毒 (doku) — poison
- 注意 (chuui) — caution
In other words, the problem isn’t simply the food itself. It’s how your individual body reacts and how you consume it.
What Is 柿胃石 (Kaki Ishi)?
The headline warns that overeating persimmons may cause 柿胃石発症の恐れ—the risk of developing a persimmon stomach stone.
When this condition occurs, it can cause symptoms such as:
- 腹痛 (fukutsuu) — abdominal pain
- 吐き気 (hakike) — nausea
- 食欲不振 (shokuyoku fushin) — loss of appetite
The key point in the article is moderation. Even something as natural and sweet as a persimmon isn’t automatically safe in unlimited quantities.
Cultural Context: Persimmons in Japan
Persimmons—柿 (kaki)—are a classic seasonal fruit in Japan, especially in autumn. They’re often enjoyed fresh, dried, or given as gifts. Because they are seen as healthy and natural, many people don’t think twice about eating several at a time.
This makes the warning particularly relevant. In Japan, seasonal foods are celebrated, and eating what’s in season is considered good for your body. But as this article reminds us, even traditional, beloved foods require balance.
The message isn’t “persimmons are bad.” It’s “know your body.”
Learn Japanese from This Article
Let’s turn this health warning into a language learning opportunity.
Key Vocabulary
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 美味しい | oishii | delicious |
| 影響 | eikyou | influence; effect |
| 体質 | taishitsu | constitution; physical predisposition |
| 食べ方 | tabekata | way of eating |
| 毒 | doku | poison |
| 注意 | chuui | caution; attention |
| 薬学博士 | yakugaku hakase | Doctor of Pharmaceutical Science |
| 腹痛 | fukutsuu | abdominal pain |
| 吐き気 | hakike | nausea |
| 食欲不振 | shokuyoku fushin | loss of appetite |
Notice how many of these are compound kanji words. Recognizing patterns in kanji will dramatically improve your reading speed.
Grammar Spotlight 1: 〜ように
Meaning: “Just like…” / “In the same way as…”
Structure: [Clause] + ように
Example from the article:
- 酒が飲める人と飲めない人がいるように… Sake ga nomeru hito to nomenai hito ga iru you ni… Just like there are people who can drink alcohol and people who cannot…
More examples:
子どものように笑う。 Kodomo no you ni warau. To laugh like a child.
先生が言ったようにしてください。 Sensei ga itta you ni shite kudasai. Please do as the teacher said.
This pattern is extremely common in both spoken and written Japanese.
Grammar Spotlight 2: 〜によっては
Meaning: “Depending on…” / “In some cases…”
Structure: [Noun] + によっては
From the article:
- 体質や食べ方によっては『体に毒』となる。 Taishitsu ya tabekata ni yotte wa ‘karada ni doku’ to naru. Depending on one’s constitution and way of eating, it can become poison to the body.
More examples:
人によっては難しい。 Hito ni yotte wa muzukashii. It’s difficult for some people.
場所によっては雪が降ります。 Basho ni yotte wa yuki ga furimasu. In some places, it will snow.
This is a very practical pattern when talking about differences among people.
Useful Expression
- 注意が必要だ (chuui ga hitsuyou da) — “Caution is necessary.”
You’ll often see this in news reports, especially in health and safety contexts.
Continue Learning
📚 Working on your reading skills? Our Introduction to Kanji: Pictorial Foundations of Japanese Script lesson is a great next step.
Introduction to Kanji: Pictorial Foundations of Japanese Script
📚 Want to learn more about culture? Check out our lesson on Honorifics: Keigo for Respectful Dialogue.
📚 To understand more about culture, explore our Basic Vocabulary Building: Embracing Words Without Latin Ties lesson.
Basic Vocabulary Building: Embracing Words Without Latin Ties
これからもよろしくお願いします。 Kore kara mo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.