When visiting Karuizawa, you can not only enjoy the beautiful mountain and forest scenery, but also have fun picking strawberries year-round! Karuizawa Garden Farm’s Strawberry Garden is located in the highlands and uses greenhouse cultivation, so you can enjoy fruit picking even during the cold fall and winter months. Different varieties are grown depending on the season, and in winter you may even have a chance to try rare white strawberries. When I visited, the wind outside was bitterly cold, but the greenhouse was warm and cozy, so I could leisurely pick and eat strawberries. After trying them all, my favorite was the Benihoppe strawberry. The berries were large and plump with a beautiful red color, and both the sweetness and aroma were satisfying. It’s also a great place to bring children, and you can ask the farm for condensed milk. Sweet strawberries dipped in sugary condensed milk—a double treat that surely no child could resist~
Karuizawa Garden Farm, Strawberry Garden | Review by Linda Liao
Other Reviews by Linda Liao
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Pleasure Boat Benten-maru
The pleasure boat "Benten-maru" offers a quick and scenic 10-minute ride, connecting Enoshima's Bentenbashi at the entrance of the island to the Chigogafuchi marine plateau on the west side. Although it's a 30-minute walk between these points, the boat ride provides a convenient alternative, especially for those who may not be confident in their physical stamina.
If, like me, you’ve already visited Enoshima several times, consider seeing it from a different perspective by taking the Benten-maru pleasure boat for a different kind of sightseeing trip on the water. After getting off at Enoshima Station, it’s about a 10-minute walk to the boarding area, and a one-way ticket costs JPY 400, which is quite affordable. Once the small boat sets off into the sea breeze, you can admire Enoshima’s distinctive landscape and coastal scenery from the water, offering a completely different experience from sightseeing on land. If the weather is clear and the waves are moderate, you can also see plenty of surfers and sailboats out on the water, making the scene lively and energetic. The deep blue sea and relaxed figures on the water create a real vacation atmosphere and offer a fresh perspective on familiar Enoshima.
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Okashigoten “Original Beni-imo Tart”
A tart with a striking swirl of purple beni-imo sweet potato paste. The moist tart crust is topped with a rich, sweet paste made from 100% Okinawan beni-imo sweet potatoes sourced from more than 140 contract farms. No preservatives or artificial coloring are used, allowing the natural color and flavor of the sweet potatoes to shine through.
While shopping along Kokusai Street, I happened to discover Okashigoten’s signature souvenir, the Ganso Beni-imo Tart. Its vivid, bright purple appearance immediately caught my eye, and I couldn’t help stopping to take a closer look. The filling, made with Okinawa’s famous purple sweet potatoes, has a beautiful color and tastes sweet and smooth, with a rich sweet potato aroma. What made it even more tempting was that I happened to find a limited-edition set that came with a cute shopping bag, available in blue or pink! This way of combining something delicious with a practical little gift was just too effective, and I immediately bought it without hesitation so I could keep the cute bag. Of course, there was no way I could finish so many beni-imo tarts by myself, so I decided to bring them back to the office to share with my coworkers and give everyone a taste of Okinawa’s sweetness.
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Taikoubou Kokuryo Store
Using particular ingredients, this restaurant specializes in carefully baked taiyaki. The skin is made from an original mixture that blends wheat flour from Hokkaido, and while leaving behind a springy sensation, it is made as thin as possible to produce a crispy texture.
While passing near Chofu Station, I was suddenly drawn in by the delicious smell of taiyaki. It was just about time for an afternoon snack, so I decided to buy one and try it~ As a devoted red bean fan, I love the smooth, fluffy red bean filling paired with a pastry shell that has just the right amount of sweetness. Every bite felt satisfying, and after finishing it, I still wanted more. When the weather is cold, I’m more likely to order the indulgent custard flavor. The rich, smooth filling with the piping-hot shell is a comforting winter treat.
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