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| Strawberry greenhouse in Hamamatsu |
I do! I do! I do!
And you probably do too.
I haven't met anyone yet who doesn't like strawberries.
Luckily, Hamamatsu has a number of strawberry-picking places. You can't pick strawberries all over Japan. Some people have to join tours and travel for hours before they can pick fruits. So, I'm really lucky to be in Hamamatsu.
If you're carless like me, the most accessible place to go is the strawberry-picking place near Hamamatsu Flower Park. It is Hiramatsu Kanko Agurisu Hamanako. Just take Bus No. 1 (Kanzanji Onsen Line) and get off at Flower Park. The strawberry-picking place is a few minute walk from the Flower Park.
The map below shows where the Hiramatsu Kanko Agurisu Hamanako from the Flower Park. Google Maps said it's about a 3-minute walk.
There are other places to pick strawberries but you would need a car to get there. Two years ago, my friend and I tried going to the strawberry-picking place near Hamamatsu Fruit Park. After riding the bus for more than an hour and getting off at the last stop, we were told that the strawberry place is still about an hour walk. We were like WHAAAATTTT?!!!. So we went home that day without having picked a single strawberry. But, if you have a car, go ahead and go to the one near the Fruit Park.
Here are other places for strawberry-picking:
1. Kashima Harvest (It's close now as of this writing. Sorry)
2. Shimano Noen (Open until mid-May)
3. Nemotoyama Kanko Noen (This is where we tried to go 2 years ago. Sooooo far. It just closed yesterday.)
4. Ookarudao Kanko Noen (Still open until mid-May)
Some places also require phone reservations. My Japanese is like yochien level (kindergarten) so the staff usually have a hard time understanding me. Of course I can try my best but if I can avoid speaking in Japanese, I'll do just that. Also, the last time I made reservations, I didn't understand that the place was too far. (See the preceding paragraph). So, I strongly recommend the place where I went to- no reservations and no need for a car.
Other Information about Strawberry Picking:
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| Strawberry picking in Hamamatsu |
Fees: Entrance fee varies based on the month. It ranges from 1000 Yen to 1800. I went last March and it was 1600. This April, it will be only 1000 Yen. It's an eat-all-you-can strawberry for 30 minutes. The staff will also give you unlimited condensed milk. I thought 30 minutes is short (because I was greedy) but I was already full even before our time was up.
Season: Strawberry picking is season. It's only from December to April so better go now.
Time: The best time to go is in the morning. If you go in the afternoon, the temperature in the greenhouses is warmer and can be uncomfortable. (Strawberry picking in Japan is done in greenhouses not on strawberry fields). Also, if there are lots of people, the strawberry place can set a limit on the number of people who can pick.
