Orchard Picnic Matsukawa | Orchard Dining in Nagano

Index
1.Menu
2.Experience
3.Host Orchards
4.Price

What better way to enjoy a well-deserved vacation than to lay a blanket in the shade of an old apple tree, kick off your shoes, and feast on a picnic hamper filled with delicacies?
It sounds like a scene out of a romantic movie. And now you can experience it in Matsukawa, an idyllic orchard town in the south of Nagano Prefecture.

What is Orchard Picnic Matsukawa?

With its long fruit farming history going back 100 years and over 600 orchards, Matsukawa is one of Japan’s major fruit picking destinations.
From early June to late November, tree branches ripen with fruit. Cherries, blueberries, plums, prunes, and peaches in the summer. All kinds of pears and apples in the fall.

And if the prospect of sweet, juicy fruit is not enough to entice you, Matsukawa also offers some of the loveliest sceneries imaginable. The majestic silhouettes of the Japanese Alps rise in the background while the elegant mass of the well-pruned orchards stretch in all directions as far as the eye can see.

Book our picnic and drop by one of Matsukawa’s well-kept orchards for one afternoon of leisure. We will provide everything you need for the perfect picnic, from a waterproof blanket to a hamper full of delicious treats, so all you have to do is show up.

What is on the menu?

Of course, when it comes to a successful picnic, food and location go hand in hand. Our menu features gourmet food prepared with the freshest, locally sourced products, such as seasonal fruit and vegetables from Matsukawa’s orchards, tender pork raised in the area, and freshwater fish.

Inside your hand-crafted picnic basket, you will find seven assorted appetizers, one vegetable sandwich, one pork and apple sauce sandwich, soup, a jar salad, a refreshing fruit dessert, and a small bottle of apple juice. *As we use seasonal ingredients, the menu changes depending on what time of the year you visit.
 

What can I do at the orchard?

There is no time restraint to your visit to the orchard, so we recommend you take your time and relax. Pick one spot you fancy under the tangled branches of a pear tree grove or in the shade of a thick apple tree, lay out your blanket, and enjoy.

Some orchards sell their own juice, cider, and wine. So why not buy a bottle to accompany your lunch?

After eating, you can lay back on the blanket and relish the fragrant air and balmy wind. And if you get a bit hungry, you can go fruit picking. (Please pay the orchard directly if you decide to give fruit picking a try)
 

Seasonal Information

Our orchards show completely different faces around the year. Delicate white blossoms in the spring, sweet strawberries in June, juicy and fragrant peaches and plums in the summer, and vibrant red apples all throughout autumn.

April

April is all about flowers. The first ones to bloom are the pink peach blossoms, then one after the other, cherry, pear, and finally, apple blossoms open up and brighten up the orchards.
Nature rarely follow expected patterns, but below you can find what period the flowers usually bloom.

Peach: First week of April
Cherry: First two weeks of April
Pear: Mid-April
Apple: Last two weeks of April

Host Orchards：
・Fruit Garden Kitazawa
(Japanese pear picking -August~early October/
Apple picking late -August~late November- are available for an extra fee.
Apple juice and cider on sale.）
・Maruho Matsuo Farm　　available from late June to late November
(Japanese pear picking -September~late October/
Apple picking -September~late November- are available for an extra fee.
Apple and blueberry juice on sale.）
・Kayama Farm　April〜 October
(Cherry picking -June〜early July, Grape picking -mid September〜early October,
　Apple picking -early September〜late October- are available for an extra fee.
Juice on sale.）
・Fruit Farm Yoneyama　mid April〜October
(Cherry picking -June〜early July, blueberry picking -mid June〜late July,
　apple picking -late August~late October- are available for an extra fee.
Juice on sale.）
・Ringo no Oka Farm　April〜May, August〜November
(Cherry picking -June, blueberry picking -late June〜mid July,
peach picking -mid July〜late July, apple picking -October- are available for an extra fee.
Juice and hard cider on sale.)
・Yuzawa Farm　June〜October
(Blueberry picking -July〜August, apple picking -September〜November- are available for an extra fee.)
・Marutomo Okuta Farm　April〜May, July
(Juice and hard cider are on sale.）
・Marudai Oba Farm　　available from late August to late November on weekdays
※Marudai Oba Farm requires all picnic guests to reserve fruit picking.
Please contact the farm directly to book your preferred fruit picking session once the picnic reservation is confirmed.
(Grape picking -September~October/
Japanese pear picking -late August~late September/
Apple picking -September~late November- are available for an extra fee.
Juice and cider on sale）