Japanese pears (Pyrus serotina Rehder var. culta 'Housui') collected in 1997 and 1998 were measured for their pectin constituents including alcohol insoluble solids, water soluble pectin, oxalate soluble pectin, non-soluble pectin and total pectin. Near infrared (NIR) spectra (1100-2500 nm) were measured within the range of at 2 nm intervals. The NIR spectra of intact Japanese pear were measured by fiber optics in interactance mode and the spectra of juice were measured by diffuse trans-reflectance. The spectral data used were raw spectra and their second derivative. By using multiple linear regression, calibration equations developed from the intact fruit spectra and juice spectra, the alcohol insoluble solids in the fresh weight (AIS in the FW) and the oxalate soluble pectin content in the alcohol insoluble solids (OSP in the AIS) were accurately predicted (For intact fruit spectra: R = 0.93, SEP = 0.62 for AIS in the FW, and R = 0.95, SEP = 8.48 for OSP in the AIS; For juice spectra: R = 0.93, SEP = 0.63 for AIS in the FW and R = 0.91, SEP = 7.93 for OSP in the FW). In addition, the equations from the juice spectra could be used to predict the water soluble pectin in the alcohol insoluble solids (WSP in the AIS), and the total pectin in the alcohol insoluble solids (TP in the AIS) (R = 0.91, SEP = 1.41 for WSP in the AIS and R = 0.94, SEP = 11.52 for TP in the AIS). The NIR models developed with the data collected in 1998 were not able to predict the 1997 data. This study showed that near infrared spectroscopy has potential to measure the pectin constituents of the Japanese pear. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.