Historically the peach was a symobol of immortality. This belief was brought over to Japan from China. There is a Chinese story of a man named Mu Wang, the Emperor of the Chou Dynasty who visited the Goddess, Hsi Wang Mu, in her western garden. In the garden grew the tree which bore the Peach of Immortality. The peaches were said to only ripen every 3,000 years. The peach can also be seen being carried by various other dieties throughout east Asian artwork.