Orange Garden Nebukawa

If you’ve ever tried strawberry-picking in or around Tokyo, you know it can be a hassle to find an available spot. Cue orange-picking in coastal Kanagawa — a sun-soaked, more affordable alternative that’s super rewarding.

Orange Garden is near Nebukawa Station, an unmanned station along the JR Tōkaidō Line that’s known for being extremely scenic. As you wind up the steep mountain road, you’ll be treated to seasonal blooms and the vast expanse of the ocean hugging the Kataura Coast. Have you been transported to Sicily? Possibly.

When to go orange picking

Orange Garden offers fruit-picking experiences at various times during the year. For mandarin oranges, head there between late October and December. Shōnan Gold, a hybrid orange exclusive to the area, becomes available in late March and April. In August, there are — despite the name of the establishment — blueberries.

During Mandarin orange season, the farm staff can pick you up from Nebukawa Station. You’ll need to arrange this by calling them up (limited English support).

Admission

For mandarin oranges, admission costs ¥500 for adults and ¥200 for kids. Shōnan Gold oranges are more limited, so the price goes up to ¥1,000 for adults and ¥500 for kids. If you want to take home some fruit, you can purchase a net that fits up to 1kg and costs ¥500 — plus the calories you’ll spend hauling it up and down the mountainous terrain.

What to expect

First, head to the small office and pay. You’ll get a pair of scissors and brief instructions on how to harvest the fruit correctly. Then, you’ll be given a map explaining directions to the designated zone where you can pick oranges.

The time limit for picking and eating on-site is one hour, but keep in mind that nobody will come down to get you — just keep an eye on the clock and head out on your own. Drop the scissors and map into one of the boxes on your way out.

Note that there is only one bathroom available, and it’s located up near the office.

What’s nearby?

Despite being fairly close to Tokyo, Nebukawa is quite rural and transport in this area is limited.

Another farm in the area is Oyama no Taishō, which offers mushroom-picking and also has a farm-to-table restaurant featuring local produce. This spot is located about 30 minutes on foot from Orange Garden, but it’s uphill. If you give them a call, they can come pick you up in a van from wherever you are. Note that English support is limited.

The Nebukawa Okame Sakura festival takes place here as well, typically in mid-late March.

You could also leave Nebukawa and head to Odawara, home to a castle and plenty of pickled plums.

How to get there

From Shinjuku Station, take the Shōnan–Shinjuku Line to Fujisawa Station. Transfer to the Tōkaidō Line for Atami and alight at Nebukawa Station. From there, it’s a 15-minute hike up to the farm. You’ll want to budget more time though, because the views along the way are worth stopping for. Note that it is listed simply as “Fruit farm” on Google Maps. The whole journey should take around 2 hours.