All-you-can-eat strawberries, free entry to apple orchards—fruit picking in Yorii, Tochigi is insanely good!
▲ The apple harvest season runs from September to the end of November each year, and freshly picked apples are sweet, crisp, and juicy!
Reported and photographed by Chen Guanzhu, Yorii Town, Tochigi Prefecture
In addition to being a hub for pottery, Yorii benefits from a unique climate and soil that nurture a wide variety of fruits. Many farms in the town offer fruit-picking experiences, allowing visitors to enjoy harvesting strawberries, apples, grapes, pears, and more all year round. Visiting in autumn or winter coincides with apple season and the ripening of “Tochiotome” strawberries, a local specialty only available in Tochigi. Pick and eat them fresh—pure satisfaction!
Shimada Apple Orchard
“Appleland Shimada (Shimada Apple Orchard)” spans two hectares and grows a variety of apple types including Sunny, New World, and Fuji, each with distinct flavors, sweetness levels, and sizes. From September to the end of November each year, the apple orchard is in full harvest, and walking into the orchard, you’ll see trees laden with big, bright red apples. The air is filled with a faint fruity fragrance, as if inviting you in!
But how do you choose among so many apples? The farm owner demonstrates while holding a long fruit-picking shear, explaining that for Fuji apples, the redder the base of the apple, the sweeter and tastier it is!
Moreover, there’s no entrance fee here. The apples you pick are charged by weight at 500 yen per kilogram. Visitors can also sample them on the spot—crisp, juicy, and sweet, it’s hard to stop at just one bite.In addition, the farm sells its own 100% apple juice, so visitors can enjoy the fun of fruit picking and go home with a full load.
% How can you tell if the apples in the orchard are sweet or not? (Photo / Provided by Yorii Tourism Association)
Yorii Strawberry Farm
Tochigi Prefecture is Japan’s top strawberry-producing region. Its unique “Tochiotome” strawberries are famous for their tender juiciness, high sweetness, and large size. The JA Hagano Strawberry Farm in Yorii has 111 greenhouses, making it not only the largest in the prefecture but also the biggest strawberry farm in northern Kanto, with astonishing production volumes.
Plump, delicate “Tochiotome” strawberries hide among the green leaves, making your mouth water just by looking at them. Tasting them on-site, you’re greeted by a faint strawberry aroma even before taking a bite. The flesh is sweet, tender, juicy, and has a refreshingly crisp texture—truly living up to its reputation.
▲ Tochigi Prefecture ranks first in strawberry production in Japan. When you come here, you absolutely must try the all-you-can-eat “strawberry buffet”! (Photo / Provided by Yorii Tourism Association)
Yorii’s strawberry farms operate on an all-you-can-eat basis with no time limit. Just pay the entrance fee and enjoy as many fresh-picked strawberries as you like, leaving visitors saying how satisfying it is. Prices vary depending on the production season, ranging from a maximum of 1,600 yen in December to a minimum of 800 yen in May.
Across the street from the strawberry farm is a strawberry-themed specialty shop, where strawberry ice cream is the most popular item. Shop staff mix two different flavors of strawberry ice cream, continuously stir in fresh strawberries, and then top the cone with a plump strawberry for contrast—the presentation alone is super dreamy!
It’s worth mentioning that on the day the reporter visited the strawberry farm, Yorii experienced its first snowfall in 54 years in early November. Tasting the pink, girly-style strawberry ice cream amid the falling snowflakes felt especially blissful!
Sotoike Shuzo (Sotoike Brewery)
With nearly a century of history, Sotoike Brewery is known for brewing mellow and delicious sake thanks to the region’s favorable climate. Its product “Sanran” Daiginjo has won multiple gold awards in Japanese evaluations, and another product “Nozomi (bo:)” ranked second in the Junmai Ginjo category at the World Sake Competition “SAKE COMPETITION 2016,” an impressive achievement.
% Learn about the traditional brewing process and taste premium sake. (Image / Provided by the winery)
In addition, Sotoike Shuzo also makes full use of Tochigi Prefecture’s specialties to produce strawberry-flavored sake with “Tochiotome.” It has even launched the cosmetic brand “Kuramoto Bijin,” developing hand creams with strawberry and sake ingredients. Among the “White Rice Fermentation” series, the toner and lotion are the most popular, loved by many female consumers in Japan and Taiwan.
▲ Sotoike Shuzo President Sotoike Shigeki explains the brewery’s history.
● ETtoday News Cloud reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, and don’t drive after drinking.
At the brewery, you can not only tour the facilities to learn about the sake-making process and history, but also experience “sake tasting” in the on-site café, paired with homemade pickles, sampling the delicate differences between “Sanran” Junmai Daiginjo and Junmai Ginjo. If you like, the shop outside displays a variety of fine sake and souvenirs for purchase.
% Don’t miss trying “Sanran,” the flagship sake of the brewery. (Image / Provided by the winery)
% The “Hakushu Corridor” series of products from Sotoike Shuzo is also highly recommended, especially popular in Taiwan. (Image / Provided by the winery)
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