So dainty!! Seasonal fruits picking in Yamanashi prefecture!

Preparation for enjoying fruits picking!

By following the next few recommendations you can fully enjoy the experience of fruits picking!

1. Go with empty hands Picking cherries or peaches from the higher parts of the trees is often facilitated by stepladders provided by the local farms. If you’re not empty-handed it would be hard to pick the fruits and even a bit dangerous to balance on the stepladder, therefore climb without any baggage. A little pouch over the shoulder is recommended for female visitors.

2. Take a big towel The fruits are very juicy, therefore prepare a slightly bigger towel to wipe off your hands and mouth. You can wash your hands at the wash-basin inside the farm.

3. Go to the toilet before you start picking fruits Probably the most essential recommendation. Go to the toilet at a convenience store or a service area on the way to the farm. Some farms have small toilets but there are big waiting lines in case of many visitors.

4. Take measures against heat and sunburn! Yamanashi prefecture holds the record of biggest number of sunny days, so in the summer it is always hot, no matter sunny or cloudy! Even inside the greenhouses which are prepared for all types of weather the sunbeams can be rather strong, so bring a hat and sunscreen.

Finally, put on comfortable shoes, as well as clothes that would be fine if they get stained, and you’ve done all the preparations necessary for fruits picking.

The attraction of cherry picking can be enjoyed until July!

The author of this article went to Nakagome Farm in Minami-Alps city to try cherries and peaches picking. Depending on the season, that farm provides a satisfactory set of two experiences: “cherry and peaches picking” or “peaches and grapes picking”!

There are two sorts of cherries in the farm: Takasago and Satonishiki. You can try and compare their different tastes. Takasago is larger, sweeter and juicier, while Satonishiki is smaller with a good balance of sweetness and sourness. There are signs on every tree showing the sort, so you can freely eat and compare.

It is easy to pick cherries – you simply grab the fruit and twist slightly. The rule is to pick only the fruit in order to preserve the tree branches for next year! Feel free to throw the seed to the ground.

Look up and find the cherries!

As shown on this photo, you stand on the stepladder and pick the cherries. An effective way to enjoy when going together with someone else is to divide the roles: one will be on the ladder picking, while the other will receive the fruits from below.

The cherry trees are very high, usually about 5-6 meters each. The farmers have installed greenhouses to surround and cover the trees. It can be quite troublesome to grow and pick cherries at such height. Therefore be nice to all the people who take care of the cherries.

Different sorts of peaches depending on the season! Go many times and compare!

Usually peaches picking starts around the end of June, but Nakagome Farm grows the “Himekonatsu” sort which starts from the end of May, therefore the fruits picking can begin in mid-June. After Himekonatsu ends, the time for other sorts like Hakuho and Asama-hakuto comes, so you can always eat peaches in their best season. Himekonatsu peaches are rather small and as shown on the photo, you can hold several in your hand. Unlike them Hakuho and Asama-hakuto have very large fruits, so you can only hold one in hand. You can visit the farm twice or three times during the peach season and compare the different sorts.

You can peel the peaches and eat them directly, or you can borrow a knife and plate and cut them in smaller pieces. Leave the seed and the peelings in the plate and give them to the farmers when you leave. There is a wash-basin in the farm where you can wash the peaches or just wash your hands. So don’t worry and eat a lot!

The fruits picking season starts now and can be surprisingly long!

The fruits picking season begins from early summer and ends in the autumn! In general, the bets periods for fruits picking in Yamanashi prefecture are as follows:

Cherries: end of May till beginning of July Peaches: end of June till beginning of September Grapes: mid-August till mid-October Pears: end of August till mid-October

In Yamanashi prefecture you can also find plums, prunes and apples! Even if you think fruits picking season is over, call the local farms for confirmation and you might be lucky. The season tends to be longer than most people expect. Only in fruit kingdom Yamanashi you can see Mt. Fuji’s majestic figure while enjoying the fruit picking! Both experiences complement each other and make your trip even more enjoyable.