Why are oranges in Japan so terrible?

Over the past month, 4 times out of 5 I've bought oranges (the large or standard size ones) and 4 out of 5 times found them to be almost inedible. They are dry and sometimes have knarled sections at the top. It's like chewing cardboard.

I have noticed this before, but just never so consistently over so many purchases.

Is it just me having bad luck, or what is going on?

Maybe you're not buying actual oranges? Japan has a ton of citrus fruits I've never seen before coming here. The bit at the top reminds me of Dekapon, but it could be a lot of different ones:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_citrus

I don't like oranges (too acidic) so I can't recommend brands/names/types/whatever, but I really love mikan. Try looking for those, it is the season for them now!

Oranges in Japan are terrible. Just give it up (at least if you're from California, Florida or southern Europe).

Go for mikan instead. You can't enjoy anything better than mikan in this season in Japan! And tasty food of the season is good for your nutrition too!

Otherwise, go to imported-foods supermarkets like Kinokuniya and buy fresh squeezed orange juice. Yes, the expensive ones. That's the closest you could get to what we've all missed.

Most fruits in Japan is more focused on appearance than on taste. For example also apples look way more beautiful than in Europe, but taste boring.
(Especially compared to "old breeds" which come more and more rare here in Europe too... But i guess in Japan there are some "back to better taste instead of look" movements aswell...)

Which one you got?
Where? (in Japan or import one fr Japan?)
What color?
Remember label name?
No photo?
How to ate? cooked with peel?
From which country? (livin' Japan?)

Maybe you just ate right side one closer lemon acidity stronger.
http://www.ito-noen.com/images/item180_009.jpg

If Dekopon/デコポン very sweet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dekopon
But if Minneola/ミネオラ(import) not sweet quite different taste.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangelo

If Mikan/みかん(Mandarine) very sweet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citrus_unshiu
But Seminole/セミノール not sweet quite different taste.
https://ja.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E3%82%BB%E3%83%9F%E3%83%8E...

The mikan are great, particularly at the beginning of the season.
Are they domestic oranges? Oranges are often imported and IMO suffer from the transportation process.

The oranges in supermarkets are imported and usually have a sign indicating that they contain some preservative. Supermarkets also sell bottled orange juice (eg. POM Juice brand) which appear to be preservative free.

Just so that you'd know, POM Juice is mikan juice, not orange. But they're great as 100% mikan juice!