Peach and grape field

Today I went to our company's grape and peach field. In Yamanashi it will soon will be the season of peach. Around July until August is the time to enjoy peach, and around August to September is grape. Today I was able to learn how to cultivate peach and grapes. It was harder than I thought it would be. There is so many things that you have to do to grow a good peach.

Regular peach

In our farm, we cultivate some kinds of peach. There are the regular pink peach, the golden peach, the Kimiko peach etc. As for you who don't know what Kimiko peach is, it is one of the expensive kinds of golden peach. In our company, one box consist of 9 peaches is priced more than 10.000 yen! 

Kimiko peach

I learn that when the peach reach a certain size it will be covered with a paper wrap. This is so that it will not get sun burn. It seems that if the peach got sun burned it will turned brown when it is ripe. Actually the pink color of the peach is from the sun burn. When it is big and ripe enough, the covers will be taken out so that it will got that pink colored peel.

Golden peach

As for the Golden peach and Kimiko peach, the covers are a little bit different.  To get that golden color, the peach is wrap with a wrap that does not allow sun shine to get in. These wrap won't be taken off until the peaches are ripe and ready to be harvested. I also learn that 90% of peaches that one tree produced were thrown away and only 10% of the fruits are able to sold. This is done in order to grow a big and delicious peaches. As for Kimiko peach, only 5% of the fruits will be harvested. It is because Kimiko peaches are more delicate and hard to grow. That is why the price is also expensive. 

After looking around the peach field, I went to the grape field. There I found a lot of small grapes buds. I learn that a bundle of grapes could only consist of 36 to 40 buds. So if there are more or less than 36 to 40, it will be taken out. This is done so that the grapes will grow big and so that it won't be too heavy for the vines to hold. Later when it is a rainy season, the grapes will be wrapped so that it won't get bad. Grapes are sensitive to rain. That is why before the rainy season starts all of the grapes will be covered by a plastic or waterproof material warp. 

That's all from me today, I can't wait for the peach season to start!

Cherry Farm Hakusanen

It is the season of cherry in Yamanashi so last week I went to a cherry picking farm called Hakusanen. For your information in Japan, Cherry season is last from May until June. 

Here I learn a lot about cultivating cherry. Here, in Hakusen, they have around 12 different kinds of cherry. Here you can eat pick up and eat cherry as many as you want for 40 minutes for 2000 yen for adult and 1000 yen for children. It is located about 20 to 30 minutes walk from Enzan station. It has a really nice environment and atmosphere. 

Here I learned how to pick cherry, how to choose a delicious cherry, and I also learned that cherry tree can grow until 7 meter high. Hakusanen also sells Shine muscat and dried persimmon that you can order online at the farm home page. You also need a reservation to do cherry picking that you can do online or by phone. 

Since it is quiet far from the station, I suggests to take a taxi from the station. It only take 15 minutes by taxi. If you want to come here by walking and get lost in the way, you can call the shop and the staff will pick you up or give you direction to the farm. 

Near the cherry field there is a place for the customers to rest after cherry picking. The resting place is design as a traditional Japanese room. It also has a unique terrace with a grape vines roof. It is said that this kinds of roof is a Yamanshi style of terrace. The grape vines help blocked the sunshine in summer making the entrance chill and nice. This roof is not just a decoration, it could also be harvested. 

Here you can also buy cherry that the staff picked as a souvenir and send it all around Japan.