My Winter Strawberry Picking Experience in Yamagata

In January 2025, we went strawberry picking in snowy Yamagata.

 

The location was “Sagae Strawberry Farm” in Sagae City, conveniently located near the highway interchange.

It’s super easy to get to—the farm is close to the highway interchange, making it perfect for day trips.

Strawberry Prices and Deliciousness

The pricing was as follows.

Time limit: 30 minutes all-you-can-eat

Adults: 2,300 yen

Elementary school students (6-12): 1,700 yen

Young children (3-5): 1,100 yen

Children under 3: Free

 

My 2-year-old son, who got in for free, amazed us by eating 20 strawberries! That’s how delicious they were.

 

Inside, we found rows of hydroponic strawberries.

The greenhouse maintains a comfortable temperature of 10-20°C.

There were plenty of red, ripe strawberries, and we could try four different varieties even in this time of winter.

The perfectly ripened strawberries were absolutely delicious.

Thanks to the hydroponic system, there’s no soil, making it easy to walk around – you can even wear high heels!

Tips for a Successful Experience

I highly recommend arriving right when the farm opens. We did, and it was amazing!

Due to the strawberries ripening overnight, we were able to taste the freshest and sweetest ones.

However, by the time we left, the number of perfectly ripe strawberries had significantly decreased.

Note: Reservation

Keep in mind that you need to make a reservation in advance, and the only way to do this is through a phone call in Japanese (in 2025 for now).

You need to call the JA (Japanese Agricultural Cooperative) office with which you are affiliated, not directly to the farm.※ No English support is available…

↓Web page here↓

Tel: 0237-86-1811

Reservations are accepted from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

An elderly couple runs the farm, and they only accept cash, which is something to be aware of. No English support is available.