Vaccinium hirtum Thunb.

A shrub that loses its leaves. It grows 90-120 cm tall and has many branches. The young stems are green and slender. The leaves vary in shape. They can be broadly or narrowly oval or sword shaped. They are 5 cm long and 1-2 cm wide. They are bright green or can have a reddish tinge. They have fine teeth. The flowers can occur singly or in groups of 3 on shoots of the pervious year's growth. The fruit are round or oval and red. They are 8 mm across.

Thickets and pine woods, often on rotting logs and stumps, in hills and at low elevations in mountains all over Japan. Sunny, stony places; at elevations from 100-1,700 metres.

Plants can be grown by seed.