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The people of Japan love nothing more than fresh seasonal fruit picked right off the tree, and Miyoshi’s Hirata Farm is a pioneer in the world of fruit-picking experiences. Not only can visitors pick and eat fruit to their heart’s content at this family-owned farm, but they can also use that same fruit in fun on-site cooking classes and workshops, or see what it’s like in dazzling parfaits! With a huge variety of produce growing alongside Hirata Farm’s barbecue facilities and a stylish cafe, this spot is popular with local families, young couples, and of course travelers.

Hirata Farm was originally a small apple orchard, and they began to welcome visitors when fruit picking took off as a leisure activity in Japan. Unfortunately, Miyoshi was hit by a strong typhoon not long after the farm began to expand, and the storm destroyed the orchards and the delicate vines of the added vineyard, devastating the Hirata Farm. Still, the Hirata family was determined to keep going, with a mission to keep showing visitors the beauty and abundance of the Miyoshi countryside. Now, the third-generation owner of Hirata Farm has expanded the offerings to over a dozen different fruits and a handful of vegetables grown over a huge swath of hillside, and the wide variety of options means that there’s something in season at just about any time of year! 

Hirata Farm offers different options and experiences, but most visits include a trip to the orchard, vineyard, or greenhouses for an all-you-can-eat fruit picking experience, where visitors can eat the pesticide-free fruit right off the tree. Even during the cold months at the beginning of the year, greenhouses of bright red juicy strawberries of myriad different varieties are ready to be picked, and once the weather begins to warm, different fruits start to ripen one after another. Cherries in all shades of red and pink, more than 15 varieties of grapes, then blueberries, peaches, figs, plums, and more. In fall, apples and pears fall ripe from the trees in the crisp mountain air. The busiest time of year is at the end of summer and the beginning of fall, when a huge number of fruits are in season at the same time, and visitors can go from one field to another, gorging themselves on the abundance of fresh fruit!

The fun doesn’t stop at just fruit picking, though! Hirata Farm also offers workshops where visitors can use freshly-picked fruit to whip up some interesting dishes, like dessert pizzas or fruit-filled daifuku mochi. The farm has even experimented with some more complicated cooking classes, like workshops where participants try canning and preserving the fruit to enjoy later in the year. The staff at Hirata Farm are always taking customers’ ideas into account and trying to dream up fun new ways for travelers to enjoy their time in the Miyoshi countryside, with the lighthearted goal of becoming “the Disneyland of fruit!”

For a more substantial meal or a savory bite to eat, Hirata Farm has a few options. One of those is for visitors to rent out a grill at the farm’s barbecue area and bring their own meat and veggies. The other popular option, particularly for travelers and anyone who likes a nice cafe, is Noqoo. Hirata Farm’s cafe Noqoo is constructed within an old-fashioned Japanese farmhouse, complete with beautiful wooden beams and a raised seating area with Japanese-style low tables and cushions. The menu has plenty of fresh fruit options that go great with an afternoon coffee, but their spicy curry dishes are perfect for lunch!

For dessert, it’s hard to resist the cafe’s fruit parfaits, decadent and beautifully arranged constructions with generous piles of fresh seasonal fruit. The parfaits are truly a feast for the eyes and the stomach, and they’ve become especially popular after making a splash on Instagram. But the fantastic presentation doesn’t mean they’re skimping on flavor, and each spoonful is a truly delicious mix of perfectly tart fruit, sweet ice cream, and crunchy granola.

Fruit parfaits are also available at the Noqoo Deli, a separate building with picnic benches. Plus the deli offers some other sweets and snacks, like spiced sausages made with wild boar and deer meat!

Hirata Farm is also home to goats, sheep, ponies, and a pair of huge Brown Swiss cattle, who lazily graze on a sunny field next to the farm’s vineyard area. Don’t forget to say hello before heading home!