This tree is vigorous, very upright, well formed, and highly productive. Crops should be thinned to prevent limb breakage and maintain annual bearing. Shinko is much less susceptible to fireblight than most Asian pears, and it has also demonstrated resistance to pseudomonas. This one is a winner for no-spray cultivation. Like most Asian pears, Shinko is partially self-fertile, but better crops will be obtained when a pollenizer is present.

The fruit is medium to large (14-20 oz.), round and flattish, with an attractive brown to golden-brown russet. The flesh is yellowish-white, crisp, and juicy with a distinctively rich, sweet flavor. It ripens about a week after Yoinashi and two weeks before Olympic. Shinko will store well for three-four months; it is an excellent winter keeper.

Shinko translates as "New Success." Formerly described as an open-pollinated seedling of Nijisseiki, Shinko is now known to be a cross of Nijisseiki and Amanogawa. It was bred in Japan and introduced in 1941. The first evidence for Asian pear cultivation in Japan is found in the historical work The Chronicals of Japan (720 AD). In more recent times, Nijisseiki was among the most common early commercial varieties, favored for the superior texture of its flesh, and all modern Japanese Asian pears are in some way descended from it.