In Buddhism, the persimmon is used as a symbol of transformation. The green persimmon is acrid and bitter, but the fruit becomes very sweet as it ripens. Thus, man might be basically ignorant but that ignorance is transformed into wisdom as the persimmon's bitterness is transformed into sweet delicious fruit.
Dried persimmons or hoshi gaki are served at New Year's time in Hawaii. They signify health and success in life for the new year.
From "Favorite Island Cookery", a Japanese Cookbook put out by the Honpa Hongwanji in Honolulu, Hawaii.
This answer was posted by Gaye Miyasaki of Honolulu, Hawaii