Karikachi Soybean

Glycine max

Approximately ~ 30 seed per packet

Germination 80%  Packed for 2026

Days to Maturity:  Approximately 70–90 days

Origins and History of Domestication

Karikachi Soybean belongs to the legume family, Fabaceae, and the cultivated soybean species Glycine max. Soybean was domesticated in East Asia from wild soybean, Glycine soja, and developed over thousands of years into numerous food, oilseed, forage, and vegetable types. Karikachi itself has a particularly well-documented Japanese breeding history. It was developed at the Hokkaido Tokachi Agricultural Experiment Station and released in 1959. Japanese agricultural literature identifies Karikachi as a variety bred specifically for improved cold tolerance and adaptation to eastern and northern Hokkaido.

Spread and Diversification

Karikachi represents an interesting chapter in soybean diversification because it combines the long history of Asian soybean cultivation with twentieth-century Japanese plant breeding. Its cold-tolerant parentage made it particularly useful in Hokkaido, where cool summers can limit soybean production. Karikachi germplasm subsequently entered international collections: USDA records document Karikachi-related material originating from Japan and held or grown in the United States by the 1960s. Today, Karikachi is maintained as an open-pollinated soybean and is commonly offered to gardeners as an edamame-type vegetable soybean.

Appearance and Characteristics

Karikachi produces vigorous, upright plants with an indeterminate growth habit. Modern seed descriptions generally place plants around 24–30 inches tall, although environmental conditions can affect height. The plants bear large, plump green pods, commonly averaging three sizeable beans per pod, and have light tan pubescence. Karikachi is particularly valued for its heavy yields, sturdy stems, resistance to lodging, and relatively long harvest window. Because it is indeterminate, pods mature over a somewhat extended period rather than all becoming harvest-ready simultaneously. 

Culinary Uses

Karikachi is especially well suited to edamame, in which the immature green soybeans are harvested after the seeds have become plump but while the pods remain green. Whole pods can be steamed or boiled in lightly salted water and the tender beans squeezed from the pods. The cooked beans have a pleasantly mild, slightly sweet and nutty soybean flavor and can be eaten as a snack or incorporated into salads, grain bowls, soups, stir-fries, vegetable dishes, dips, and other recipes. The beans should be cooked rather than eaten raw. Karikachi can also be allowed to mature completely for use as a dry soybean.

Growing Tips and Vegetation Zones

Karikachi is an annual, warm-season crop that can be grown across a broad range of USDA zones wherever there is a sufficiently long frost-free season; commercial seed guidance lists approximately Zones 3–13. Rather than hardiness zone alone, soybean success depends heavily upon warm soil and adequate summer growing time. Plant in full sun after danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed. Well-drained, moderately fertile soil is ideal. Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer, which can encourage lush foliage at the expense of pod production. Maintain consistent moisture, particularly during flowering and pod filling.

Sowing Depth and Spacing

Direct sow Karikachi approximately 1 inch deep, placing seeds about 2–4 inches apart; wider spacing of around 6 inches can be used where especially vigorous individual plants are desired. Rows can be approximately 24–30 inches apart. Germination is generally rapid in properly warmed soil, commonly occurring within about 5–10 days. Cold, wet soil can cause poor emergence or seed decay, so waiting until the soil has warmed is preferable to planting simply because the calendar indicates that frost danger has passed.

Days to Maturity

For catalog purposes, approximately 85 days to maturity is a good standard figure for Karikachi or approximately 70–90 days depending upon climate and growing conditions. Gardeners growing Karikachi primarily for edamame should watch pod development rather than relying solely on the calendar.

Harvesting Guidance

For fresh edamame, harvest when the pods are still green and the developing seeds have become large, rounded, and clearly fill the pods. Quality is highest before the pods yellow and the beans become hard. Because Karikachi has an extended harvest window, plants can be checked repeatedly and mature pods picked as they become sufficiently plump. Cook or refrigerate the freshly harvested beans promptly to preserve sweetness and tenderness.