Strawberry fields forever – Berry Forest, Saga
Fruit in Japan is famous, even viral at times, from prized melons that can cost an entire month’s wage, fun shaped watermelons, white strawberries that cost an arm and a leg just to buy 4, expensive grapes and more.
Before I came to Japan, I would buy fruit on my lunch break and eat a whole box of grapes or strawberries in a sitting. Fruit in the UK is cheap and being from a farming county fruit was abundant all through the year. In my garden there were apple, pear and plum trees, grape vines and a strawberry plant which usually became a prime target of my rabbits in the summer months. Fruit is everywhere and for a good price. Japan however was a bit of a culture shock, when I first arrived, I knew fruit could be pricey, but I was not prepared for my first supermarket visit and seeing the price of fruit. Gone were the days of eating a whole box of grapes or bag of apples. It should be noted that there are some fruits which are cheaper depending on the season such as tangerines or bananas, but these are usually the smaller varieties. The varieties available for daily consumption are limited.
A bunch of Grapes in Japan can be anywhere from as low as 4 to 800 pounds for ruby red a perfect bunch of deep red grapes from Kagoshima and remember this is for a bunch of grapes not a bag. It is not unheard of for a single perfect grape to be wrapped up and sold individually. Prices in the city are higher as opposed to the country where prices of vegetables and fruits are lower. The worst offender is melons; a pair of Yubari melons were sold at auction for a staggering 25,000 pounds. A pair of non-fancy melons range between 50 to 200 pounds which is still a crazy price for me.
Saga where I live is known for Strawberries it produces many varieties including the famous white strawberry. Strawberries in the store usually come in packs of about 8 strawberries for a steep but manageable price if you want to treat yourself. But there is another way to enjoy strawberries for a lower price, and it is much more fun than walking into a supermarket! Around Saga there are many strawberry farms which offer picking experiences. These are usually priced per hour; some experiences allow you to pay extra to take home any fruits you like, it is priced by weight. But you can pay for an hour and eat whatever you like. The experiences may differ from farm to farm, when I arrived some friends told me they were not allowed to take anything home. However, at my experience which I will discuss I was allowed to bring things home and pay by weight.
I visited Berry forest in Saga and paid for an hour. The farm offers over 9 different varieties of strawberry including the white ones. The white ones on offer are not the premium versions which would cost a lot, but they are the white ones which do not make the strict grading. But if you want to say you have eaten white strawberries in Japan this is your chance. For me my favourite was Ichigo San a very juicy red variety that tasted full of flavour. For me the white strawberries are mushy and watery, so I am not overly keen on them. When you go in you are given a bag for the leaves and stem and scissors, you cut the strawberry you want and then put the leaves in the bag after eating. At Berry Forest they use bees for fertilisation so there are signs warning you not to upset them.
I visited late in the season so there were only a handful of people around, but I had plenty of fruit to eat and I collected some of my favourites in a box for later. Anything you want to take home will be weighed and you can pay at the end. If you choose not to take anything you are not charged anymore. You pay your hour fee at the start and can leave if you take nothing. I really enjoyed the experience, and I was able to eat a lot of fruit and try different local varieties. I fully recommend that anyone coming to Japan try this if they visit Saga or even Fukuoka has some places that do this too. The experience will only be available at certain times of the year so double check your dates and if they have fruit. It is a fun way to spend a morning or afternoon and you will feel healthy for eating fruit!
