Nakagomi Orchards — Attraction in Minami-Alps

I did volunteering at the Orchard for 4 weeks this Summer from mid-August to mid-September. It was such a good experience! Kazu-san took extremely good care of us, bringing cold water and snacks to us throughout the working day. The dormitory for the volunteers was also very comfortable, with futons, pillows and plenty of blankets provided (although it was the Summer it got pretty cold in the morning!) Kazu-san would often come to the dormitory in the evening for a 'fruit party' where all the volunteers would sit outside together and eat ridiculous amounts of peaches, grapes, pears, plums etc. Also, he was happy to drive us down to a nearby bath house in the evenings, and even took us to a couple of local summer festivals. In terms of meals, volunteers were provided with three meals on working days, and breakfast on our days off. Yoko-san's home cooked meals were particularly special! Overall, I think that every effort was made to make the volunteers at comfortable as possible. Naturally, this made us even more willing to work hard on the farm. The work was tiring but extremely rewarding. Since it was Summer when I went, most of the work was weeding, but I also got to do fruit picking, water trees, and even practise my Japanese when helping customers with parking. I couldn't recommend the Orchard enough to other budding volunteers, and I cannot wait to go back when I next go to...

Over the past seven weeks from May to June 2024, I had the wonderful opportunity to volunteer on a farm nestled in the picturesque Yamanashi prefecture of Japan. Kazu-san and Cham-san welcomed me with open arms. Their kindness and accommodation made the experience of living and working there enjoyable and fulfilling. I learnt a lot from Kazu-san as he shared about Japanese culture, fruit growing and his life. When there was time, Kazu-san would bring the volunteers to the onsen or show us around the area. I also enjoyed Cham-san's home-cooked lunches, working with her and when they would bring Yuri-chan to say hi to us! It was also great fun playing with their 5 cats who were extremely sweet and friendly. One of the highlights of my experience was working with fellow volunteers who came from many different countries. Together, we tackled various tasks, exchanging stories and laughter, shared meals and went on various road trips/outings on our off days. I also had the opportunity to work with their Japanese staff who exhibited willingness to guide us through tasks, despite the language barrier. I appreciate their kindness and patience throughout the time when I worked with them. I am immensely grateful to Kazu-san, Cham-san, the Japanese staff, and my fellow volunteers for making this...

We (6 adults + 1 toddler) visited the orchard in September last year to pick pione and shine muscat. It was a wonderful experience the grapes were huge and super sweet. We also had the opportunity to meet KazuSan. From our conversation with him, we learnt about farming, could feel his passion for the land and came to appreciate more the hard work he and his team put in to give us such high quality fruits.

This summer we wanted to go back but as a visit could not fit into our packed Nagoya itinerary, we made a special request to KazuSan. We requested him to deliver peaches and muscat to Nagoya. The fruits arrived on time AND in great condition. Both the peaches and the grapes were huge, plump, sweet, succulent and so very juicy. We gave some to our relatives and friends. You should see their faces so pleasantly surprised by the size of the fruit and juice dripping!

I thought it was a great outdoor activity for families and so recommended it to a friend (5 people). They had a lot of fun!

Another family of 6 has seen our pictures and are so impressed that they plan to visit next year!

Than you Kazu~San and hope to...