PURPOSE: To remove shells of Japanese chestnuts in high yield without damaging their flesh, by transporting raw chestnuts along the peripheral surface of a rotary cutter, making cuts on them, peeling the chestnuts by a removing tool of a barrel to eliminate the shells.

CONSTITUTION: The clean raw Japanese chestnuts C are subdivided into several, fed to the feeder 4, transported along the peripheral surface of the rotary cutter 2 having a great number of the blade lines 6 on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical drum 5 at proper intervals in the direction of the center of the shaft, a great number of cuts are made on the shells by a large number of the knives 7 protruded outwards from the blade lines 6, the bottom parts of the shells are removed and the shells are eliminated. The raw Japanese chestnuts C are transported along the peripheral surface of the barrel 3 to remove the shells having the removing tool 11 between a pair of the circular end plates 10 attached to the central shaft at a proper interval in the direction of the center of the shaft of the central shaft 9, the bottom parts of the shells are hit to the removing tool 11, the shells are removed, and the Japanese chestnuts are taken out through the chute 12.