Japanese Strawberry Farm Experience Why So Sweet
Japanese Strawberry Farm Experience Why So Sweet
Overview
In this winter episode of Only in Japan Go, John Daub travels to the snowy town of Yuzawa in Niigata Prefecture to visit the Yuzawa Ichigo Agri Park. While much of Japan is cold, the greenhouses here provide a warm sanctuary where the winter strawberry season is just beginning. John explains why Japanese strawberries are harvested in winter and why the cold climate makes them exceptionally sweet.
The video offers a behind-the-scenes look at strawberry farming, from the flowers to the fruit, inside a heated greenhouse protected from the snow outside. John spends 15 minutes picking strawberries, interacting with live stream viewers, and ultimately tasting the harvest. He demonstrates the proper way to enjoy them—sometimes with sweetened condensed milk, but often plain due to their intense natural sweetness.
This episode highlights the unique agricultural practices of Japan, where seasonality (shun) dictates the quality of produce. It also serves as a travel guide for visiting Niigata in winter, combining snow activities with fresh food experiences. John's enthusiasm for the fruit underscores the value of seeking out local, seasonal specialties when traveling in Japan.
Highlights
- 00:07 John introduces the location: Yuzawa Ichigo Agri Park in Niigata.
- 00:48 Explanation of the winter strawberry season (February to May).
- 01:24 Inside the greenhouse: warm, smelling amazing, bees pollinating flowers.
- 02:49 Why winter strawberries are sweeter: slower growth builds sugar.
- 06:30 John begins picking strawberries, searching for a "monster-sized" one.
- 11:37 Comment on the intense sweet smell of the winter strawberries.
- 15:56 John shows the ground floor of the farm, a unique perspective.
- 19:15 Weighing the harvest: 336 grams, costing about 900 yen.
- 23:13 First taste test: John declares them "pure sugar."
- 24:23 Washing a strawberry in the snow outside for fun.
- 25:40 Insight: Japanese strawberry farmers are often millionaires due to premium prices.
- 27:59 Advice: Don't skimp on expensive fruit when traveling in Japan.
Timeline / Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction to Yuzawa and the Agri Park.
- 01:24 Entering the greenhouse and observing the plants.
- 02:49 Explanation of winter growing conditions and sweetness.
- 06:30 Strawberry picking session begins.
- 15:00 Live stream viewer interactions and picking progress.
- 19:15 Weighing the harvest and determining cost.
- 23:13 Tasting the strawberries outside.
- 25:40 Discussion on strawberry farming economics.
- 27:20 Closing thoughts and upcoming snow walking plans.
Japan Travel Tips
- Best Time to Visit: Winter (February to May) for strawberries in Yuzawa; the season starts later here due to snow.
- Location: Yuzawa is accessible via the Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo (about 75 minutes).
- Cost: Strawberry picking can vary; John paid around 900 yen for 336 grams, which he considers cheap compared to Tokyo prices.
- Etiquette: Wear gloves provided by the farm; do not eat strawberries inside unless permitted (John had special permission for the stream).
- Experience: Don't skimp on high-quality fruit when traveling; the taste difference is significant compared to supermarket varieties abroad.
- Weather: Yuzawa is a heavy snowfall area; prepare for cold outside even if greenhouses are warm.
Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- Ichigo (いちご): The Japanese word for strawberry. In this context, it refers to the high-quality dessert varieties grown in Japan.
- Seasonality (Shun): Japanese cuisine heavily emphasizes eating ingredients in their peak season. Winter is the peak for strawberries.
- Golden Week: A collection of four national holidays within seven days (late April/early May). John mentions the strawberry season lasts past this period.
- Kaki-gori (かき氷): Shaved ice. John jokes about making a strawberry snow angel and kaki-gori with the snow outside.
- Agriculture Prestige: John notes that successful fruit farmers in Japan can be very wealthy ("millionaires"), reflecting the high value placed on premium produce.
Food & Drink Guide
- Ichigo (Strawberries)
- Description: Winter-harvested Japanese dessert strawberries. Grown in greenhouses to protect from snow and control temperature.
- Taste: Intensely sweet with very little acidity or tartness. John describes them as "pure sugar."
- Where to Find: Yuzawa Ichigo Agri Park, Niigata. Also available in supermarkets (at a premium price).
- Price: Approximately 900 yen for 336 grams (pick-your-own price in this video).
- Serving Suggestion: Can be eaten plain or with sweetened condensed milk. John prefers them plain due to the natural sweetness.
- Timestamp: 23:13
People
- John Daub: Host and creator of Only in Japan Go. He leads the tour, picks the strawberries, and explains the agricultural context.
- Kanae Daub: John's wife. She is mentioned by John as the person he needs to pick strawberries for ("Everything else is for Kanae"), but she does not appear on camera in this segment.
- Live Stream Viewers: Various viewers interact via comments (Joey, Rose W., I'll Say Channel, Christy, Jesse 11 28 86). John reads their comments and responds during the picking process.
Key Takeaways
- Winter Sweetness: Japanese strawberries are sweetest in winter because the cold temperatures slow down growth, allowing sugars to concentrate.
- Local Speciality: Yuzawa strawberries are often eaten locally and rarely exported, making them a rare treat for visitors.
- Value of Premium Fruit: High-quality Japanese fruit is expensive but worth the cost for the unique flavor experience.
- Greenhouse Technology: Farmers use heaters and fans to maintain optimal conditions despite the snow outside.
Notable Quotes
- 03:24 "Japan produces the most sweet dessert strawberries in the world."
- 03:24 "If they grow slower, they build up more sugars inside of them. Thus, they become intensely sweet."
- 15:56 "Only on Only in Japan Go do we show you the parts that no one else will show you. Like the ground."
- 23:13 "This is pure sugar. This is pure sugar. I kid you not. This is so sweet."
- 24:23 "There's no tartness to it... The sugar is so much more powerful than the acidic sourness of a strawberry."
- 25:40 "Japanese strawberry farmers, they're all millionaires. I saw this on TV."
- 27:59 "Don't skimp on a couple of bucks for the experience to eat something that is so like life-changing."
Related Topics
- Winter travel in Niigata
- Japanese fruit culture
- Greenhouse agriculture
- Live stream farming experiences
- Snow activities in Yuzawa
Search Tags
#only-in-japan-go #niigata #yuzawa #strawberry-picking #japanese-strawberries #winter-travel #john-daub #agri-park #japanese-food #fruit-farming #live-stream #sweet-strawberries #ichigo
Full Transcript
00:07 John Daub: Hello everybody, greetings and welcome to Niigata. This is Yuzawa, Niigata, and this is the Yuzawa Ichigo Agri Park. How you doing everybody? Japanese strawberries are synonymous with Japanese cuisine, especially in the winter. Japan has four seasons—winter, spring, summer, fall—and each one has very unique cuisine. It's pretty interesting, pretty amazing how Japan uses those seasonal ingredients to make amazing food. And this, in the winter, is the best time for the strawberries. But here in Yuzawa, as you can see, there's lots and lots of snow.
00:48 John Daub: Japanese strawberries grow here a little bit later than other times of the year. So the season starts actually from this week, going all the way until May. We're going to be going inside this strawberry park because it's really freaking cold outside. We have to keep our masks on during the pandemic. I have gloves on. And welcome to a Japanese strawberry farm. And for the next 15 minutes or so, we're going to pick some strawberries and have some fun.
01:24 John Daub: It's nice and warm in here. Wow, it smells amazing inside of this strawberry farm. I hope the signal's looking okay. As you can see, there are still some strawberries that are just flowers. Check it out. Oh, look at that bee. That's a strawberry flower. And eventually, these flowers are going to make really delicious strawberries. And you can see some of them are still hanging, are done, and some of them are not.
02:13 John Daub: These white strawberries are not actually Japanese white strawberries. They're white, but they're just not finished strawberries. You can't eat them. And I did talk with the owner, and he said that although you're not supposed to eat them, he said I can eat one. So the deal is I can eat one off of the stem and then present that to you. We're going to get a chance to pick as many strawberries as we can in here. And they said that I get to keep them. Another reason why I decided to come on this trip, because I love strawberries.
02:49 John Daub: So they keep warm because greenhouses are typically warm. Again, there's no snow getting in here. There's no rain or cold air getting in here. And these fans will circulate the air so it gets around. Okay, but the sun when it comes in here, it just builds up the heat. Now at night, it does get cold, but you can see they do have some heaters. But the thing is, they want it actually to be cold. The question is, why are Japanese strawberries so sweet? Why do they grow in the winter?
03:24 John Daub: Japan produces the most sweet dessert strawberries in the world. And the season is in the winter because the temperature is colder, the strawberries will grow a lot slower. Let's take a look at some of them right here. In the winter, these strawberries grow a lot slower. And if they grow slower, they build up more sugars inside of them. Thus, they become intensely sweet. And Yuzawa, because it's even colder here, these are even sweeter than some of the other places. But most of these strawberries never leave Niigata. They kind of are eaten locally. So I feel like we're kind of lucky to have them.
04:08 John Daub: Let's walk around a little bit. I'm going to try one in about a minute or two. Above us, you can see the snow is hitting the greenhouse. But because it is warmer, it's melting pretty quickly. Yeah, we get to pick as many as we want. And I think you said we have about 15 minutes or so.
05:09 John Daub: All right, there's more. Once again, there's a sign saying strictly prohibited, don't eat the strawberries. But I can eat one. That's the promise. Wow, you have no idea how good it smells in here. No, Joey, these aren't prunes. They're strawberries. Oh, check it out. It's like half and half. I'm more into the filming of the strawberries than I am of the actual picking.
06:30 John Daub: Wow, okay, I'll pick some. But the thing is, like, I'm a beginner. I don't know what's... This one looks like it's ready. Okay, I just picked one. Check it out. That looks like... That is so red. Let's see if we can find some... I want to find a really big one. If you see one, let me know, okay? I'll zoom in a little bit so you can... If you see a really good one, let me know. I'm looking... I want to get, like, a monster-sized one.
07:14 John Daub: There's some people over there. I'm looking left and right. Whoa! That's a good bunch. She has a lot of them. I just... I have one. Yeah, they made us wear gloves in here, which is fine. I think it's a smart idea. And it keeps our hands nice and moist. Got to think about the good things here.
07:58 John Daub: All right, I'm going right to the end, and I'm going to show you from the other side. I'm really bad at this. Do I film or do I pick? I guess I'll start to pick. Let me get the tripod here. They don't actually grow white strawberries here, but I think you might be able to find one or two. But again, he told me I can eat one. Like, these are just strawberries that are not done, right?
08:39 John Daub: All right, I'm going to pick some now, because if I don't pick any, Kanae's going to get really angry. She's going to say, why you didn't pick any? And I'll say, I don't know. I was just kind of filming. All right, if you see one... Is this done? Is it done? Would you pick it? Is it done? No, it's not. I'm not going to pick the white ones. All right, this one's done. All right, pick it. Do it. Down, down, down. Whoa.
09:30 John Daub: I think this has been picked clean. Oh, there's a big one hiding here. Do you see this one? Is that done? Is this one done? All right. Well, it is done now. Can't put it back. Hey, who are you? Writes in here. Hey, John, thanks for your message to me. Lots happened, but at least I was able to watch you. Here, have some more strawberries. Thank you, from Sweden. Awesome. Looks pretty good.
10:19 John Daub: Like, I don't want to... Is that done? I don't know. I guess they're all done. I know Rose W. says she'd have an entire basket full. I'm bad at this. You know what? I think they went down that aisle. I'm going to go down another one. I want to find, like, a secret strawberry. Oh, look at this one. Oh, that one. I'll find a couple more days on there. I'll give you your freedom. You've been pardoned.
11:06 John Daub: I'll Say Channel has written down 15. Someone's keeping count because I'm not. All right, I'm going to go down this one because it seems like... Oh, there's a big one. Hey, mama. Oh, mama. Come out. Come to John. Nice. Whoa, that's going to be a massive one. But I don't know. It's kind of funky looking. You know what? Just stay there.
11:37 John Daub: So winter is the best season for Japanese strawberries. And just the smell you can tell. It's so sweet. Oh, look at this one. All right, you're coming with me. Done. Look at that. That's like hidden. You think this one's good? Cut or not cut? You guys, I'm asking you. Cut or not cut? Oh, it's just a little bit pink. All right, I saved your life. I saved your life.
12:12 John Daub: This one, cut or not cut? What do you think? Cut or not cut? All right. Christy says cut it. All right. Oh, I missed. Oh, no. It's a three-second rule. Somebody says don't cut. Look, you know what? It's too late. It's cut. When it's cut, it's cut. I'm looking for some more here. So, so far, we have this many. It's a pretty good amount of strawberries.
12:59 John Daub: Oh, here's a good looking one. This area looks pretty good. That is a nice looking strawberry. It smells good. It's a good one. All right, let's keep going a little bit more. Oh, here's one. It's a good looking one. All right, keep clipping. Keep clipping. Everything else is for Kanae. Oh, these look good. Check it out. What do you think?
14:45 John Daub: It's just a baby. It's still a baby. It's like I'm hunting for them. Strawberry hunter. Strawberry hunter forever. That one looks good. Looks like somebody's been here. Maybe somebody came to this area. Oh, is this okay? It's big. I'm not a professional. Oh, I found it. Okay, okay. This side. Can you see it? Oh, it's up here. This is a really good one. Check it out. Nice. This smells so good.
15:56 John Daub: Not many YouTubers are going to show you the floor. Only on Only in Japan Go do we show you the parts that no one else will show you. Like the ground. This is a strawberry farm ground floor. That's what we do here. We show you the parts that no one else will ever show you. Nothing is forbidden.
16:41 John Daub: All right. So we're going to go back to the other strawberry field. We're running out of time. Now, tomorrow I'm going to be snow walking. So I'm going to get some snowshoes and go snow hiking tomorrow morning. So that's going to be a lot of fun. And tonight, maybe I'll show you the area that I'm spending the night in. I'm not sure. But I'm really happy that you guys are joining me on this trip to Niigata.
17:20 John Daub: Let's see if I can find one or two more. Oh, I found one. Okay. I found one. What do you think? That one's a nice looking one, huh? That's a really pretty one. And then this one behind here. This one looks done too. What do you think? Is that enough? That's enough for me. I don't need that more than that.
18:02 John Daub: If you like strawberries, and you like these kind of streams from farm to table to John's mouth, click that like button. Let's see if we can get the 350 likes. I will eat one of these. It's up to you. Through 150, John eats. I found one. Ah! I don't know how much it costs. We're going to find out in about five seconds. We're going to find out really, really soon. Wow, look at that one. It's massive. It's kind of weird shaped. That one looks pretty nice too. All right. That's okay. We have about a minute before.
19:15 John Daub: So let's see how much... That's a lot. That's a lot. That's why I got 450. These are the most delicious strawberries you'll ever eat. It's worth it. Really? Oh, yeah. They're amazing. So I should get more. I should get more. So if they're that good, I better get a few more, huh? Attack. All right. You know what? Just quickly hurry because it looks like there's a line now. Oh, there's one more. Okay. I've got one. I got one, guys. Keep going. Keep looking for them. Just start clipping. I did it. Okay. Clip, clip.
20:03 John Daub: Oh, look at that one. All right. Done. That's good enough. Okay. You know what? I got it. No. I want to just live here and just smell. I want to live in here amongst the strawberries. 425. 424. People leaving at 450. Oh, my gosh. It's like two. You see. Is that done? 450 is the biggest planet so far. Oh, really? Yeah. I'm not going to beat that.
21:01 John Daub: It tastes delicious with... Oh, with the sweetened condensed milk. Yeah. I don't think it's... Or sugar. Sugar cream milk. Oh, it's good. Nice and healthy. Yes. Welcome to Japan. I don't need strawberries to eat that. Just eject it into my mouth. That's the way I... That's how I roll. Strawberries are a bonus. It's the other way around. You should record that. Hmm? Uh. Yeah. That's how I eat it. Yes.
21:39 John Daub: How does it work? I just throw a coffee. You put the coffee. 336 grams so that means I did not beat the record. Wow, there's a lot of empty space in there. Are we going to try one in about 30 seconds from now? Wow. Wow. Wow. All right. I'm gonna eat one now. Let's go outside and eat one. Do you need to wash these? Should I wash it first? All right, so this is the first victim.
23:13 John Daub: No, leave me alone. I will give you three wishes, spare my life and I will give you three wishes. I wish to eat you. This is... I know will come true if I eat it. Okay, how dare you tell me you're gonna give me three wishes, you're a liar. Oh my word, this cost about 900 yen, which is actually quite cheap because in Tokyo it would be for this volume of strawberries probably definitely double the price. This is pure sugar. This is pure sugar. I kid you not. This is so sweet. Oh my lord. Oh my gosh, that is pure natural sugar.
24:23 John Daub: I don't need to watch... Are you... I'll wash it, smart Alex. I'm gonna wash it in snow. Wash your strawberry. Making kaki-gori. Look at the strawberry snow angel. Make kaki-gori, a smiley face with a strawberry kind of snow, and now it's clean. Oh my oh wow, that is so sweet. You have no idea. You don't need to have that sweet milk with this. There's no tartness to it. Like, it's very slight. Usually strawberries have this acidic tartness, a little bit of a sour taste to it. These do not. The sugar is so much more powerful than the acidic sourness of a strawberry. That's why these as it is make incredible strawberries.
25:40 John Daub: And Japan again, they only grow them inside of greenhouses like this. They do it for a couple of reasons, but I'll tell you this, okay? Japanese strawberry farmers, they're all millionaires. I saw this on TV. There's some strawberry farmers that are all millionaires, drive Ferraris. They're really doing well. It's just because you can charge a premium if they're this sweet. And the ones that are exported, if they export any at all, are very expensive. So if you do find these in the supermarket, they're going to be pricey. Japanese strawberry farmers, they do quite well.
26:14 John Daub: This was really really good. This is really really good. And we didn't get to our 350 likes. How dare you? That's all right, I forgive you. So there you go. I really really really want to thank you for watching the strawberry farm live stream. I can take off my gloves now. It was a lot of fun. Uh, next up, I think I go back to the hotel. Yeah, to the Bill Gates of strawberries. I'm sure that there's one guy like in a strawberry mafia probably strong-arming... Like the Japanese media is going crazy over there. Eat the strawberry for TV. Show us your strawberry face. It's really good. Seriously though.
27:20 John Daub: Best strawberries I've ever had here in Yuzawa because I can't remember the other strawberries that I've had. That's true. Last time I had strawberries was a while ago. I haven't had any this year. But the strawberry season here in Yuzawa is a little bit later than the rest of Japan because as you see the snow around us all over. It starts around this time in February and it goes all the way past Golden Week. So it's kind of a slow down because you can see the snow quickly. Of course we're still in the middle of the afternoon now. The strawberry season, it's starting to get a little bit slower. We're still getting a little bit of time however.
27:59 John Daub: Let's take a look at the strawberries in... We're still getting the snow a little bit slower though because of the snow. Yes, yeah, we're still getting the snow but we'll see that here in the [inaudible]. It will continue to... You know, up here you know because they're not growing that well, too sparse. Expensive. You're gonna look at the price tag and say ten dollars for a little pack of strawberries. I guarantee you you will enjoy every single one of them and it's worth it. Even if it's just to try once. Just when you do make the trip and you're paying a thousand dollars or something to fly here to Japan, don't skimp on a couple of bucks for the experience to eat something that is so like life-changing.
28:49 John Daub: Peaches, plums, any kind of fruits or vegetables, it is absolutely amazing. So there you go. I hope you enjoyed this live stream and sharing with me 30 minutes of cutting strawberries from the farm. I'll see you in another live stream maybe a little bit later on and definitely tomorrow as we do some snow walking and we might even hit a mushroom farm. There's a couple of things that we can do. But big thank you and shout out to Yuzawa. See you in the next one everybody. Thanks, Jesse 11 28 86. Thank you for fighting great entertainment for all these years from Australia. Thank you, much appreciate it. Bye bye everyone.