While I was traveling in Japan I saw, usually at a distance from a train, trees with orange balls and no leaves. I speculated that these were persimmons, but confessed that I didn’t know how persimmons grew. Today I got the whole story about wild persimmons in this wonderful blog I’ve been following about living in Japan.
100 Books Before I Die 
You should try the Asian persimmon, called Fuyu. They are usually firm to the touch when you buy them and can be eaten then but are best when they are slightly soft. There is an interesting article about persimmons at http://www.tonytantillo.com/fruits/persimmons.html
What a coincidence–I just tried my first persimmon this week. Can’t say I liked it a whole lot, but you can’t beat it for color!
I wish I liked persimmons, but after eating a green one…very difficult to eat again…