Cherry Picking at Ono Youran Fruit Park

by Kendra Evans

June is the season for cherry picking, and when it comes to food-related seasonal events, I am always excited to try things out! Yamanashi is most famous for its grapes and peaches, but cherries have also been produced in Minami-Alps since the Edo period. We were given the chance to try it out, and learn a little more about fruit production in Yamanashi.

We visited Ono Youran Kajuen, or Ono Fruit Farm, in Minami-Alps City. Mr Ono, the owner, very kindly showed us around, and told us a lot about his farm, which has been in his family for generations.

The area around Minami Alps is perfect for growing cherries, as the water that comes down from the mountains is very clean, and good for the fruit. Mr Ono grows six different types of cherries on his farm, such as the delicate Satounishiki, the slow growing Beni-shuuhou, and Mr Ono’s personal favourite, the flavourful Takasago.

But even cherries growing from the same tree can taste very different. It mostly depends on how high the fruit is growing, how much sunlight it gets and how thin and wide the leaves are. All these features add up to make delicious cherries, no matter the type.

The cherry trees grow inside a greenhouse, with sprinklers and shrubbery on the ground to help them grow. What is perhaps quite surprising is that there are goats on the farm as well! During cherry picking times, they are tied to posts at the edges of the greenhouse, but after the customers have left, they are given free rein to eat the weeds, cherries which have been discarded or fallen, and unfortunately perhaps even the cherries still on the trees, if they can reach them! Goats have lived in the Minami Alps area for many years, and have always helped farmers in the area, so although they might not strictly be necessary, Mr Ono keeps his goats partly as a sign of respect for the long history they have in Minami Alps agriculture.

We then had a wander around the farm, and spoke to some other visitors. It seems that Yamanashi’s reputation for rich nature was one of the main reasons for people to come and visit, along with its proximity to Tokyo. The women we spoke to had all come to Yamanashi especially for fruit picking, and were enjoying the calm atmosphere. According to Mr Ono, there are many visitors who come for cherry picking, and as the season is quite short, it is usually a huge burst of work for him and his company. However, the number of foreign tourists still doesn’t yet reach 10% of his clientele, despite several tour groups from Taiwan, China and other East Asian countries.

In my next article, I'll talk about one of the most popular activities for visiting tourists - jam making! See you next time!