Visit the farm and experience authentic fruit and vegetable cultivation firsthand. After working the fields, enjoy cooking and dining together with the farmers using the ingredients you harvested. Immerse yourself in the satoyama landscapes of Minami Shinshu and savor the flavors of the season.
Nature/Cuisine
From ¥ 19,000 JPY – p,p
4hours
LEVEL 1
LEVEL 1
1. Farm Work Experience
Farming tasks in Iida, Southern Shinshu, vary from autumn through winter. In October, you can experience gathering walnuts and harvesting apples ripe and crimson. From late October, persimmon peeling begins, and by November, the unique sight of persimmons swaying in the wind, hung from eaves and drying poles, spreads across the landscape. After sun-drying, the crisp winter air enhances their sweetness, and by December, the dried persimmons are ready. The melt-in-your-mouth texture of the semi-dried persimmons enjoyed along the way is truly exceptional. By experiencing these tasks rooted in daily life, from harvest to food preservation, you can feel the wisdom of Japan’s satoyama and the rhythm of the seasons firsthand. *Various farm activities are available depending on your desired experience period. Please inquire in advance.
2.Cooking with farmers
After finishing farm work, we enjoy cooking together with the farmers. The meals mainly consist of warm soups and rice balls, with a focus on gentle, plant-based ingredients. In spring, we savor the sprouting of winter vegetables like butterbur shoots and bamboo shoots. In autumn, we enjoy freshly harvested leafy greens. Throughout the seasons, we gather around the table with blessings from the fields and mountains, feeling nature’s cycle. This simple yet memorable shared dining experience, “From Field to Table,” fosters warm bonds within the local community. It promises to be a deeply memorable time during your journey, as if you’ve found a second home in the Japanese countryside.
Access to the Area and Travel Arrangements
Access by car from Nakatsugawa Station to Minami Shinshu is exceptionally convenient. We recommend incorporating this program the day before your Nakasendo walk. After enjoying agricultural experiences and food culture, you can carry local specialties like dried persimmons as “special snacks for your Nakasendo walk.” This allows you to fully savor the local food culture while enriching your journey along the Nakasendo. Experiences in Minami-Shinshu will undoubtedly make your subsequent Nakasendo walk even more special.
Meal arrangement
If you have any allergies, or vegetarian, vegan, or other dietary requirements, please inquire in advance.
Tattoo Policy at Bathing Facilities
This program does not applicable.
Application Deadline
One month before the desired date
What is included in this program
What is not included in this program
Notes
Summer Farm Experience
Spring Mountain Vegetable Gathering
Persimmon orchard
‘Kaki Sudare’ (Curtain of Dried Persimmons) / Sun-dried
The Production Process of Dried Persimmons
View from the Experience Site Central Alps and Satoyama
Wild vegetables harvested in the foothills of Minami Shinshu
Apple Orchard
Straw Craft Experience (Example Option)
Naked Festival at Nanakuri Shrine
Threshing in the terraced rice fields
【Cancellation Due to Customer Circumstances】
Except in the cases listed below (limited to those where the planning fee amount is explicitly stated in the contract), an amount equivalent to the planning fee will be charged.
Cancellation on or after the 20th day prior to the travel start date (10th day for day trips): 20%
Cancellation on or after the 7th day prior to the travel start date: 30%
Cancellation on the day before the travel start date: 40%
Cancellation on the travel start date: 50%
Cancellation after travel start or no-show without notice: 100%
【Cancellations at the discretion of the organizer (including service providers)】
In the event of cancellation due to severe weather such as storms, when such weather is forecasted, or due to unavoidable circumstances, notification will be provided by the day before. In such cases, notification will be made by telephone by the evening of the day before. No cancellation fee will apply in these circumstances.