Fruit Picking Experience

Pick, Taste & Take Home Japan's Best Apples

Harvest your own apples straight from the branch in the heart of Nagano.
Farm-fresh flavours, mountain air, and memories that last a lifetime.

🍎 Apple Season: September — November

About the Farm

Three Generations of Growing Excellence

Nestled at 800 metres altitude in the Nagano highlands, Yamamoto Apple Farm has been cultivating premium fruit for over 70 years. Our family has dedicated three generations to mastering the art of growing apples that are sweet, crisp, and bursting with natural flavour.

Today we open our orchard to visitors from around the world — not just to pick fruit, but to experience the rhythms, patience, and pride of Japanese farming culture.

Our Philosophy

We grow apples slowly, the way nature intended.

No shortcuts. No artificial ripening. Every apple on our farm is left on the branch until the exact moment it is ready — when the sugar has built, the skin has deepened, and the fruit releases with the gentlest twist. This takes patience. It takes decades of knowledge. And it produces an apple unlike anything you will find in a supermarket anywhere in the world.

What's Growing

Apple Varieties by Season

Tsugaru

August — September

Light, refreshing sweetness with a delicate aroma. Perfect for those who prefer a milder apple.

Shinano Sweet

September — October

Exceptionally sweet with honey-like richness. Named for the Shinano region of Nagano.

Fuji

October — November

Japan’s most celebrated apple. Dense, crisp, and beautifully balanced between sweet and tart.

Orin (Golden)

October — November

A rare yellow-green apple with tropical notes and a firm bite. Highly sought after by food lovers.

Your Visit

What to Expect

Arrival

Welcome & Orientation

Meet the farm team, receive your basket, and learn how to identify a perfectly ripe apple.

Orchard

Free Picking Time

Roam freely through the orchard rows. Pick and eat as much as you like during your session.

Tasting

Variety Tasting

Taste different apple varieties side-by-side with a farm guide. Learn to distinguish flavour profiles.

Shopping

Farm Shop & Take-Home

Purchase additional apples, homemade jam, apple juice, and dried fruit at our farm shop.

Our Guides

From orchard to table — in the same afternoon.

After picking, our farm kitchen serves hot apple cider, freshly baked apple pie, and apple soft-serve ice cream made from the morning’s harvest. There is something deeply satisfying about eating a dessert made from fruit you picked yourself, still warm from the mountain sun. Our farm kitchen is open from September to November, daily from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Farm Products

Take the Taste Home

Fresh Apples

Hand-selected apples packed in a gift box. Available in 3kg, 5kg, and 10kg options. Domestic shipping available.

¥1,200 / kg

Homemade Apple Jam

Small-batch jam made from Fuji and Shinano Sweet apples. No artificial flavouring or preservatives.

¥680 / jar

Pure Apple Juice

Single-variety cold-pressed juice. Available in Fuji, Orin, and seasonal blends. Refrigerated.

¥480 / bottle

The Farmer

Kenji Yamamoto, Third Generation

Born in the orchards, Kenji took over the family farm at 28 after studying agricultural science in Tokyo. He returned with new ideas — but kept the old values. His philosophy: respect the soil, respect the tree, and the fruit will take care of itself.

Gallery

Farm Visit

Reviews

Visitors Love It

★★★★★

We visited in October during peak Fuji season. The apples were extraordinary — nothing like what you buy at home. The farmer took time to explain each variety. A wonderful, peaceful half-day.

Anna K. — Germany

★★★★★

Brought our two kids aged 6 and 9. They were completely absorbed — picking, eating, asking questions. The apple pie in the farm kitchen was the best we’ve ever tasted. We shipped a box home too.

The Chen Family — Taiwan

★★★★★

I expected a tourist trap. Instead I found a real working farm, a genuinely passionate farmer, and apples that ruined supermarket fruit for me forever. This is the authentic Japan I was looking for.

Sophie L. — France

Visit Info

Plan Your Visit

Experience Fee	¥1,800 / adult　¥900 / child (3–12) · Includes unlimited eating in the orchard
Take-Home	¥1,200 / kg (minimum 1kg). Gift boxing available at no charge.
Season	September — November. Exact variety availability changes weekly.
Hours	9:00 AM — 4:30 PM daily (last entry 3:30 PM). Closed on Tuesdays.
From Tokyo	Approx. 2 hours by Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano Station, then 30 min by taxi or shuttle.
Languages	English-speaking staff available on weekends. Multilingual signage throughout.

Book Your Visit

The Orchard is Waiting

Weekends fill up fast during peak season. Reserve your spot in advance to avoid disappointment.

Access

Getting to the Farm

Address	○○-○○ Yamamoto, ○○ City, Nagano Prefecture
From Tokyo	Hokuriku Shinkansen → Nagano Station (90 min) → Taxi / Shuttle (30 min)
By Car	Joshinetsu Expressway → ○○ IC, 15 min. Free parking for 50 cars.
Shuttle	Weekend shuttle from Nagano Station (¥500 / person, advance booking)
Tel	+81-000-000-0000