Nagawa Fruit PIcking

Fruit Picking in Nagawa

2 October 2005 - We drove to Nagawa through Hachinohe (about 1 hour drive south). Arriving in Nagawa - stopped at the roadside fruits and veggie mart known as the Nagawa Cherry Center. Had AWESOME produce and bought a bunch, most impressive being the 3 foot long green onions. But also had great green and red bell pepper, huge radish, nice pears, huge carrots. They also had lots of apples and grapes, but since we were planning on going and picking we did not get any of those. And, no cherries - out of season.

Followed the very non-specific map to try and find the fields where you can eat as much as you want as you pick. Drove around on the side highways for a while looking for something that looked open. I guess everything is closed on Sundays, even retail fruit Some methods are easier, while others supposedly make the rice taste better. I couldn't tell you which is which, but they are all different.

In our search for the fields, we did find a huge dragon tower! Up in the hills, there is a whole resort/camping type place, complete with hotel, teepees, cabins, and jungle gyms. Also, their best feature was the hundred foot tall dragon tower with slides and ladders and ropes and such. A very interesting place to say the least.

Then, on another side road, we found the 100 pine trees supposedly 400 years old, a small Shinto shrine on top of a hill, and a 1000 year old cedar tree called Grandpa Cedar.

Continuing up that road, we then found a large temple complex towards the top of the hill (Hwy 227). Beautiful grounds - The front is walled in like an old-style castle. The grounds contained a huge koi pond, bridged footpaths, lots of smaller shrines, one huge temple building, and a 3-story pagoda at the top of the complex. Turns out this is the tallest 3-story pagoda in all of Japan, and the first pagoda we have seen. It was pretty impressive. The temple grounds wind up and around a hillside covered with trees. There are paths that connect all the shrines and buildings. And, there is also this little monk signs that tell you were to go. Pretty funny.

Here is info we found on the temple:

Hojo Tokiyori established Hokoji Temple on Mt. Hokka, the highest pagoda in Japan.
On foot of Mt. Nakui-dake Prefectural Natural Park, Houkouji Temple of Hokkasan stands quietly, with the tallest three-story pagoda (33 meters high) and one-thousand pine trees planted along the approach (trees over 400 years old, and Aomori Prefecture's Natural Monument and one of "Japan's Top 100 Pine Tree Sites"). When Hojo Tokiyori opened the temple back in Kamakura Period, there is a saying that these pines were planted while chanting and reciting Han'nya Shinkyou lines.The huge cedar (grandpa cedar in Japanese name) stands in the park as well, and the tree is about 1000 years old and 8 meters in circumference (another Natural Monument of Aomori Prefecture), teaching us how these plants survived the tough weather over the years.

Mt. Nakui-dake in Mt. Nakui-dake Prefectural Natural Park, is 615 meters above sea level, also called Nanbu-Kofuji (Southern Small Mt. Fuji) and has great view of the Pacific Ocean, Mt. Hakkouda, Mt. Iwate from the peak. Many hikers enjoy the trail to the top to experience the panoramic view.

Nearby the temple and park, Nagawa Cherry Center Village has camp sites and athletic facilities, log cabins. Keyagu restaurant serves hand-made soba noodles and also open for hands-on experience to make the noodles. For lodgings, Cherius is the Nagawa Town's Agricultural and Fishery Training and Experience facility and guests are welcome to use the accomodation.

After leaving the temple, we finally found a field that was open - the only field that was open. It was up a small dirt road. Didn't know if it was open for business, but the door to the stand was open, so we went in. Met a small older lady - she didn't speak any English. We tried to tell her we wanted to pick grapes�no luck. Luckily, a couple of young girls came in and translated for us (I think they were her daughters?) So, for 300Y a piece, and you walk down into the vineyard and eat away. The vineyard was beautiful, situated on a hillside overlooking the lush green valley below. The neat rows of both green and purple grapes called out to be eaten. So we ate and ate and ate. The grapes were different from the ones we are used to in the states. They are not as sweet, and have a slightly different consistency. But they are still good.

After eating our fill of green and purple grapes, we bought a couple apples from the orchard, and started back. We went through the town of Towada on the return. Stopped at an interesting looking place to eat. Turned out it was a place with the mini grill in the center of the table, and you cook your own meat. They got the speaks a little English waiter to come talk to us, and we managed to find out most of what we ordered. We ended up getting 6 different kinds of meat, including Japanese Kobe steak cubes, beef shoulder, beef tongue, teriyaki steak, two other pork parts. It was all very good, even the tongue. But the Kobe steak was the best.

Finally, on the way back home, we stopped by our first onsen. Onsens are hot spring baths. They are hugely popular in northern Japan. They are all over the place, even in Misawa. Some are natural hot springs, some are just regular hot water. Most are pubic baths, with a two large pools - one for men, one for women. And, evervyone is naked. It would be quite offensive to wear any sort of clothing in the water. I think they think clothes are dirty, and they are paranoid about having clean water in their onsens. So much so that they will scrub themselves for 15 minutes before getting into the onsen hot pool. There are always showers right outside the hot pools. I relay all of this information second hand, because I have yet to embrace the everyone gets naked in one room attitude. So, for our onsen experience, we opted for the private room onsen. There are not very many private ones, and they are a little more money (1200Y/hour). But, you get a nice private area. It had three rooms - an entry tatami mat room, small bathroom, and hot tub room. It was cool - water could be a bit hotter, but it is fun. Jenn is excited about trying the public kind. I think I will let her try it and report on it for everyone.