(Photo by Denisse Rauda)
For many people, the winter season means snow, skiing, hot cocoa and other cold-weather activities. For me, it means time to enjoy some of Japan’s delicious strawberries.
Every year around this time, crowds flock to the countryside for strawberry picking on farms and in greenhouses, where for a one-time fee you can pick and eat all you can. This activity is a popular pastime on the weekends for those trying to get out of the city and breathe fresh air while scarfing down some berries.
View video: Strawberry-picking at Flying Strawberries Tokyo
As I am momentarily carless, leaving the Tokyo area in search of some berries that don’t cost an arm and a leg seemed impossible. However, Flying Strawberries Tokyo, just under an hour by train from Shinjuku Station, has a green house full of delicious strawberries ripe for the picking.
Flying Strawberries Tokyo is about a 7-minute walk from Nishifu Station and when you enter, you’re immediately taken by the sight of red berries hanging from the plant beds in rows at waist level and in rows hanging from above. The greenhouse rotates the planters daily, so the strawberry crops have a rest to grow from the previous day’s pickings.
Reservations are required for 90 minutes of picking at 1,500 yen per adult/1,200 yen per child ages three and up (weekdays) and 1,800 yen per adult/1,500 yen per child (weekends). The fee covers your first 200 grams of strawberries and a small serving of condensed milk, a favorite in Japan to dip your berries into. If you pick over 200 grams, an additional fee is charged at the counter by weight. Visitors can also enjoy unlimited drinks like hot tea, coffee, juice and water from the drink bar stations in the café area.
The photogenic spot also has a café selling strawberry parfaits, drinks and other treats that doesn’t require a reservation. You can sit under the floating strawberry beds and enjoy the view while devouring a dessert.
During my visit, we went a little overboard, choosing the biggest, reddest berries and ended up with 200 grams more than our reservation allotment, so we paid an additional 600 yen at the counter. It was still early in season, so the berries were not as sweet as I like, but the condensed milk cut some of the tanginess. We finished our strawberries in no time but were too full to try any of the café items. Instead, we finished our drinks and enjoyed the strawberry view for a little bit before heading back to the station.
The picking season at Flying Strawberries Tokyo runs through from January to May, so there’s still plenty of time to get out and enjoy the star of the season. The greenhouse is warm and makes for some great photos, so dress up and get over there to make some sweet memories. Happy picking!
(Denisse Rauda)
(Denisse Rauda)
Address: 3-43, Bubai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo
Hours: Wed.- Thurs. 12 p.m- 6 p.m.; Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; closed Mon.-Tues. and Fridays.
*Advanced reservations required for picking. No reservations for café use only.
*The greenhouse is owned by Fuchu Strawberry Picking Farm, which offers an all-you-can-eat experience at a different location nearby. (see website for more details)
