Along with the pleasant smiles of its hospitable owners, Awajishima Fruit No Orchards (Awaji Island Fruit Farm) is a welcoming place accompanied by the mouthwatering aroma of fruit. The farm spans 10,000 square meters and hosts a variety of seasonal fruits. The founders are natives of Awaji Island and consider their farm an intimate way to introduce tourists to the island’s spirit.
Visitors can feel like a farmer for a day by harvesting and eating the crops. You can pick a wide range of crops grown on the farm, such as strawberries, blueberries, oranges and grapes. The farm has an online calendar, which lists which fruits are available for harvesting that month.
Harvesting all year
By using special greenhouse techniques, Awajishima Fruit No Orchards extends the availability of its strawberry picking for an impressive seven months from October – early June. Usually, strawberry farms only operate for about four months during the chilly winter months, so this is quite a unique point of the farm.
Their grape season is from June to October, blueberries are available from July to September, and their oranges are ready from October to December. The sweet potato digging experience is offered during the fall months of September to November.
Prices for fruit picking vary on which fruit you’d like to hunt, but their all-you-can-eat orange picking course is only ¥1,100 and has no time limit. The only rule is that the oranges must be eaten inside the farm. If you want to take some home, they calculate a fee depending on how many you want.
Other activities
You may also indulge at the cafe called “Kanomi,” which started in 2011 and is run by the farm owners. You can order a selection of fruity drinks, pastries, sandwiches and their brand of curry with Awaji beef and onions. All menu items are made with fruit and crops that they gathered that day.
Collecting fresh fruit at Awajishima Fruit No Orchards is a lovely way to unwind for an afternoon. Since you are allowed to eat the delectable fruit the moment you pick it off the tree, you can enjoy fruit at its peak freshness, untouched by anyone else.
