Kitazawa Seed Company

Good selection of interesting vegetables. I've had good germination and yields with eggplant varieties and Fushimi pepper in particular. Turnaround on seed orders/shipping has been fast.

Extremely positive review. Ordered online and literally 2 days late the USPS delivered my seeds (from West coast to east). I appreciate their seeds and the pricing. Really couldnt be happier :)

I have been a customer for over 5 years, I honestly say this is my favorite seed company. I have placed about 5 separate orders with them, they always come through. This year I purchased; Korean mellons, blood sorrel, korean squash, mizuna and chrysanthemum greens. All are growing great. They have always responded to my emails, they have never gotten an order wrong. You can learn a lot by flipping through their catalog.

Horrible service. I will never deal with them again and recommend you don't either. I placed a small order for seeds and requested a rush as I was near the end of the season. After telling me the order was accepted, they emailed me telling me that my bank had rejected the charge. I contacted my bank and they told me they had approved it TWICE!. So I phoned them, told them that I was in a hurry to get the seeds, and that the problem was their bank, not mine, as the charge had been approved. They promised to get it straightened out and send me the seeds. Two weeks later, no seeds. So I contacted then and found that they had done nothing with the order, not contacted me to tell me it had not shipped, in spite of the fact that I had made very clear in both text and phone that I was in a hurry for the seeds. Now it is too late in the season for me to plant. Do yourself a favor, buy your seeds from someone else.

I've ordered lots of seeds from Kitazawa over the last few years. Honestly speaking, most of their Asian vegetable seeds were good in germination, which is kind of expected from any seed companies. However, some of their seeds had very poor germination. The worst thing about this company is that they sometimes sell left-over seeds and that's the very reason for the low germination. Kitazawa's customer service is also not friendly. When you challenge their seed qualities, they would invoke some kind of California Law as a defense. Yes, Kitazawa is located in California. I asked Kitazawa questions via email and they usually avoided answering my questions directly, which is a good sign of their honesty. I've found a Canadian seed company (//www.agrohaitai.com/) which sells high quality Asian vegetable seeds. We do have choices for Asian vegetable seeds.

My Fushimi seeds are up in 9 days. Not unexpected but justl an affirmation of what to expect from this excellent company.

I love that this seed company has varieties that you can't get anywhere else. I have used their seeds before and have always had good results. I recently picked up a copy of Frank Tozer's "New Vegetable Grower's Handbook" and he mentions several brassicas that can be grown even during the warmer months. I went looking on the net, and sure enough, Kitazawa was the only place that had the ones I wanted. If you like shelling beans I recommend their Shirohana Mame and Akahana Mame beans. I grew some last year and the individual beans are huge - bigger than any runner bean I have ever grown. I was amazed at the turn around time for this order - I got my seeds in just 3 days!

Here's a first: A negative for Kitazawa, and they deserve it. I tried to order seeds, and was OK with that they only ship to US addresses, and OK with the high seed prices, and an even higher shipping price for one seed packet. I only wanted to try some Odoriko seeds, and can have relatives foreward them from the states. But when I got to checkout, and tried to fill in my billing address in Norway, I found they charge 10 dollars to charge to a Visa card in foreign country! I've ordered seeds from a number of U.S. companies, and have never had to pay extra for billing, and I stopped the transaction.

I have been ordering from Kitazawa for several years now and have never had a bad experience. But this year, all I can say is "WOW"...I placed an order on Monday and received it here in NJ by Wednesday. All was perfect with the order! I have had amazing luck with the seeds I've purchased from them over the years and expect that this year will be no different. Such speedy service and excellent product makes for one amazing seed company!

I took a chance with this company this year and was not disappointed. I purchased some tomatoes, peppers, mustard, greens, and cucumbers. Except for the tomatoes which were slightly below average, the rest of the plants produced quite well even the cucumbers, which I have not been able to grow for the last few years. I planted several varieties of cucumbers and I had extras to give away. I know where I am going to purchase cucumbers next year along with the greens. The peppers were above average.

Though Kitazawa Seed Company is not perfect, they have very good customer service that makes up for any mistakes that they occasionally make. I have bought seeds from them three times now and have been very satisfied with my purchase. One time, a seed variety turned out to be the wrong variety; it happened to be a mistake on the part of the supplier. When I told staff at Kitazawa about the problem and emailed them some pictures of how the vegetable turned out, they gladly asked me if I wanted to try again. I asked for a substitution of another similar variety, and they gladly agreed. There are some other vegetable seeds that Kitazawa offers that I will gladly purchase from them in the future. It is nice to know that, if anything goes wrong with a seed order, friendly and knowledgeable staff are available to help me. Thanks Kitazawa!

This is the second year I have ordered seeds from Kitazawa. As before, it was a very good experience. Shipping is ultra fast, and the seed count is generous. Although the packets are slightly expensive compared to other vendors, I am happy to pay a little more for such excellent service and quality seeds. They also carry varieties of Asian vegetables that are very difficult to find elsewhere. Last year I had excellent germination, nearly 100% with every type of vegetable and herb, even things like shiso that have not germinated well for me in the past with seeds from other vendors. This is why the (slightly) higher price per packet doesn't bother me - I know almost every seed I start will germinate. Their catalog is fantastic too, full of useful information and recipes. I would definitely recommend Kitazawa.

This was my first year ordering from Kitazawa, although I've grown Asian vegetables for many years. Despite a difficult drought year, the Kitazawa seeds had great germination and very good yields. There was a generous amount of seeds in each packet, so it was a good buy, as well. I will definitely order again!

They have super-fast USPS Priority Mail flat rate box delivery. I love their selection of hard-to-find Japanese vegetable seeds. The germination rates are always excellent.

I made my first order from Kitazawa about ten days ago. The seeds arrived very quickly and now, they have already germinated. Their selection of Asian vegetables is fantastic, including three kinds of Sesame - white, tan, and black. They also carry several types of soybeans and they do not sell GMO seed.

The short version for people just looking for a reputable seed company. I have ordered from the following companies for years they all have good prices, customer service and good germination rate. Johnny's, Kitazawa Seed, Rohrer seeds, Territorial Seed Comp, and Seed Savers Exchange.

I ordered from Kitazawa for the first time this December. I found their website very easy to negotiate, was quite pleased with the quantity and variety of seed offered, and very happy with their speedy delivery. We will definitely be doing business with them again.

Wow! Fast service, beautifully packed and generous amounts in each package. What a great experience!

I was born in Japan and have since had a love of anything Japanese. When I found Kitazawa, I was ecstatic, and promptly ordered seven varied seed packets. They arrived within a week, so fast! (CA to GA) I actually thought I'd been stiffed at first, and emailed them to ask about the missing seeds. I got a very polite response in just a few hours and the lady actually seemed genuinely concerned. I found my cousin who was visiting from Alabama had actually picked them up with the mail and forgotten about them, so I emailed back and apologized. The lady even followed up and said she was glad I'd found them. That's customer service. The packaging is lovely, they just have tiny problem with sending extra catalogs.

I ordered some seeds from Kitazawa on Sunday evening, and on Wednesday they were in my mailbox...all the way from Oakland to Georgia! That's some service. Everything arrived safely and seemed in order. Thank-you for great customer service Kitazawa!

Ordered two 15 seed packets of Odoriko tomatoes via internet on 12/12/09. Received both packets today (12/16/09). Now that is FAST! They also sent a confirmation email to me on 12/12/09 with an order confirmation # and what was on the order. The seed was very expensive, but it is difficult to find anywhere else. Will use them again. Now I just have to contend with 75 day tomatoes!

Great experience with this company. Ordered, received everything I ordered very quickly, and Kitazawa even combined my two orders into one without being asked, saving me money on shipping! After I received my order, I was so happy that I quickly sent the company a little email expressing my gratitude. In about 20 minutes I received a reply! Awesome people.

wonderful, wonderful

I received my shipment within 3 days after placing my order, very fast delivery. Nice packaging and they also include a nice catalog with recipes. Good germination so far. I would order from them again.

Extremely fast shipping! As a long time vegetable gardener, I was looking for something different. I think I found it! Kitazawa Seed Company offers many vegetable varieties that are new to me, but sound like they might definitely be worth a try. I can't wait to see how they compare with my old "tried and trued" favorites...

As a returning customer, I was very please to see my order delivered in a snap. I ordered by internet on Thursday from NJ and I got a Saturday delivery! If you want something different from the main seed companies, give them a try. You can find them expensive, but the packets I received hold between 1 and 6 grams which is quite a lot. As a previous customer, they send me a nice catalog with good advices and some recipes, very helpful if you are from Europe like I am. The seeds are good quality and I was very pleased with my last year crop. Now the hardest thing will be to wait before starting my exotic veggies

2/20/08...Received my seed order this week from this seed company....They shipped order within a week, well packaged, with seed packets listing information about the seeds....ordered 4 types of bean seeds ,not sure how many I was getting for each kind...these were large bean seeds and smaller bean seeds, plus a salad green. Seeds are expensive at $3.25 packet, but I don"t mind paying it to try the unique and different...Larger bean varieties did not have many seeds in the packet....not sure why....their catalog is well worth ordering, as it has awesome recipes for those following a healthy lifestyle....I have already started their seeds in my indoor grow light unit....great place for unique vegetables!!

Superfast service. Ordered seeds on Saturday,delivered to Florida from California on Wed. Will definately order from again.

This is the first time I ordered from this seed company. This company has some of the fastest customer service I have ever seen. My order was 3 days from order to delivery. I live in Kentucky, and packages from California usually take some time. They have an awsome selection of hard to find varieties. I only ordered a few packets this year, but I'll be back next year for more.

I have some Japanese and Indian co-workers. They would talk about how they could not find any good vegetables in the stores - at least not the ones that they really liked. I sent for various catalogs and brought them in to ask them what kind of vegetables they wanted. They were especially interested in the eggplant and soybeans. Plus some of the greens. They wanted some that they saw in the Kitazawa catalog. I ordered and planted them, watched them grow, and shared them - quickly making some great friends. They gave me some recipies and even prepared some of their favorite dishes for me. One note: some Yard long beans are day length sensitive - because I am so far north, some did not flower for me until late September. Also, start the greens extra early - summer makes them have a stronger taste. They said they like them better with a mild taste. Today I just recieved another order from Kitazawa. I ordered Thursday night and it is already here all of the way from California. I live in MA.

Had excellent luck with Kitazawa seed in 2006. Very fast and reasonable shipping too. Nice information on their varieties along with some recipes in their print catalog.

Placed an order online Monday, Jan 29, 2007. Seeds arrived today, Feb 1. Very nice looking packs with lots of seeds. They also sent a paper catalog filled with all kinds good information & recipes. So far I am happy with them.

We bought some seeds at Soko Hardware in SF; love the packaging and excellent growing info on the back. Looking forward to exploring the website and exploring the different veggies they have available.

Just received my 2nd order from them this year, very quick shipping are reasonable rates. Many nice varieties you don't normally see.

I have grown several of their products purchased from retail outlets. They are wonderful people and publish a great catalog. Very quick to respond to questions. My only complaint would be that they do not list Botanical Latin names for plants in their catalog or website, only Asian and English common names. An incredibly valuable resource for anyone interested in Asian cooking and culture.

Great products. I have used their seed for years. Many retail outlets in Northern CA.

I sent e-mail questions to them on several occasions and ALWAYS recieved a reply within hours. I placed my first order with them on Thursday 01-20-05 in the afternoon, I recieved my order on 01-22-05 at 9 am. In addition I was not charged an arm and a leg for "shipping and handling" Their phone person (Maya) was very helpful and made suggestions for a couple items that would be better for my area than what I was going to order!

These people are wonderful! I had read about a Japanese tomato variety that I wanted to try and found out that they sold it, so I emailed them asking if I could purchase just a couple of packs of seeds. They emailed me the same day, said I could order by fax or phone, and after I left a message they called me back promptly, within an hour or so. I ordered my seeds and had them within a couple of days - now THAT is what I call customer service! They have other interesting varieties in the catalog they included, and I look forward to ordering from them again.

I've been dealing with the fine folks at Kitazawa for many years, and I've been raising specialty veggies for more than twenty years. They have some varieties you won't find anywhere else. Need a chinese cabbage that's truely slow to bolt, producing a huge head, try WR-70. Have a question, call them, their english is a lot better than my japanese and their advice has always proven sound.