Experience picking sweet gems! Strawberry picking resumes at “Ichigo no Hanakotoba” (Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture)

2025.4.15

StrawberryJoetsu CityOgata苺の花ことば

Strawberry picking at “Ichigo no Hanakotoba,” a strawberry farm in Oogata-ku, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, has resumed for the first time in six years after a hiatus due to the Corona disaster. The strawberries available for picking are Niigata Prefecture’s brand “Echigohime” strawberries.

At “Strawberry Hanakotoba,” about 15,000 plants of two types of Niigata Prefecture brand strawberries, “Echigohime” and “Toukun,” are grown in seven greenhouses. The picking experience was suspended due to the coronavirus, but resumed this year for the first time in six years. The “Echigohime” is available for picking.

Citizens were also visiting on this day, looking for big, sweet strawberries.

Visitors
I enjoy picking big, glossy strawberries that are ready to eat. I finally retired, so I can relax and enjoy them.”

 

How to identify good strawberries…?

Representative Takahashi, Ichigo no Hanakotoba
The first prerequisite is that strawberries are bright red, even down to the tips. The color is good and they are shiny. The area near the stem should be smooth. The seed-like parts must also be red to be truly ripe. Now is the best time of the season for the best taste.

For the picking experience, a box is purchased for 150 yen. Strawberries are sold by weight for 500 yen per 100 grams. Reservations are not required and the event is scheduled to last from late June to early July. The event will end when the strawberries are gone.

Representative Takahashi, Ichigo no Hanakotoba
It’s the time of year for cherry blossom viewing. It would be fun to have people pick strawberries and eat them at the cherry blossom viewing site.”

The picking experience began on Friday, March 28, and about 10 groups visit on weekdays and 20 to 30 groups on weekends. You can also insert your photo into the box that holds the strawberries, like this.