strawberry picking in Japan

Two years ago, I was on a hanami tour with Krishna, a bus trip that brings people to different places around Tokyo to see sakura up close. There was a stop in Oyama, at a strawberry farm called Itigo No Sato Farm. We were told that here, we could eat as many strawberries as we wanted, provided that we didn't bring any of them home.

Finally! The first time I went to a farm for strawberry picking was during Baguio's off-season (planting season). So this second time, I was determined to eat strawberries. What I didn't expect was that we'd be going inside nurseries completely covered with plastic sheets. Perhaps, this was to protect the strawberries from the elements. 

Inside each nursery, there were four rows of strawberry plants. Just pick a strawberry by hand and pop it in your mouth.. it was that easy. Until I realised that I was actually picking strawberries from the ground. Naturally, my usual litany of bacteria started playing in my head. It didn't help that one of the Filipinas that was in the nursery saw a bird flitting about in the nursery. Poop alert! But I was willing to risk it, just like my willingness to eat those giant organic strawberries sold by the bucket in UQ when I was a student.

The strawberries were so pretty! They were so red and appetising to eat! They also did not disappoint because they were some of the sweetest strawberries I have ever tasted. In contrast, the Australian strawberries were on the sour end, which was perfect for playing with counterpoints, like dipping in salt (what I do with mangoes).

I had shown this picture to Neil, former colleague at the Ateneo, earlier this year. He's into all fruits Japan, so I asked if he can tell me what strawberry this is. He couldn't say for certain; what he did tell me was that Japan's strawberries were some of the best. He recommended the varieties Amao (Sweet King), Beni Hoppe (Red Cheeks), and Hatsukoi no Kaori (The Scent of First Love). The names were imaginative, reminding me of how the Lao glutinous rice varieties were named. 

Aside from the strawberries, there was a small petting farm where we could say hello to some of the animals. There, we saw sheep and a donkey. It's my first time to see a donkey! It reminded me of Shrek at the time.

That strawberry farm experience gave good memories about my hanami Japan trip. Let's see if I can do another strawberry picking trip in the near future.