Want to some freshy grown fruit and vegetables in Kumamoto? The prefecture is home to Mount Aso – one of the world’s biggest volcano calderas – and is also nicknamed the “land of water” due to its rich springs containing minerals from the volcanic ash. This makes it the perfect spot for organic farming, particularly in the southern town of Yamato that has an organic farming history of over 40 years. Here are some of the best farms, shops, markets, and events where you can try fresh vegetables grown without artificial pesticides.

Yaski Farm

A great example of how young people are becoming more involved in organic farming in Kumamoto is Yaski Farm in Yamato. The farm is run by local musician Yasuki Torigoe, who has recovered and transformed abandoned land into an organic farm using soil analysis software. During your visit, you may see wild boar and deer, which are free to roam across the ground, their droppings forming the ideal fertilizer for crops such as carrots.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/torigoe.yasuki/

Yamato Desica

A farm and restaurant combined, Yamato Desica is a collaboration between farmers and chefs. Having a meal inside a greenhouse on bales of straw is quite the experience! Plus, since the staff are closely involved in the production of the ingredients used for the dishes, they can give you some unique insights into the food you’re eating. In addition to farm produce, the menu also features other local Yamato dishes including wild boar and salmon.

Website: https://yamatodesica.com/

Nakahata Farm

You can learn all about strawberries (and sample some yourself) at Nakahata Farm. The farmers will explain the cultivation method, show you how the sugar content in the fruit is calculated, and give you more information about the different strawberry varieties. The farm produces four types of strawberries: Yubeni, the sweetest of the four; Koiminori, which has a taste somewhere between sweet and tart; Benihoppe, with its intense aroma; and Yotsuboshi, a new F1 hybrid.

Website: https://nakahata-nouen.com/

Yuuhouen Fruits Land

This pick-your-own farm has produce available all year round. Bamboo shoots and fiddlehead ferns are available in spring, followed by grapes and pears towards the end of the summer, chestnuts and quinces in fall, and finally oranges, kumquats, and local citrus fruits in winter. You can also obtain fresh free-range eggs laid by the farm’s chickens.

Website: https://www.yuuhouen.com/

Hassaku Festival

The town of Yamato also offers up the Hassaku Festival each September. The festival dates back 250 years and is when the locals pray for a successful harvest. The main event is a parade featuring otsukurimon consisting of sculptures of animals and people formed of straw, bamboo, bark, and other natural local materials. The community gathers these materials year-round and starts building the sculptures around one month before the festival.

Website: https://explore-kumamoto.com/hassaku-festival-yamato-town/

松岡明芳, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons