Hiroshi Sato grows the strawberries at Iitate Ichigo Former rice farmer Hiroshi Motoki now grows Village Lifehe had at the home of a relative one day, Masahiro Takahashi of Tomioka decided to grow some himself. By training the vines’ fruit-bearing branches to grow horizontally rather than straight upward, he has steadi-ly increased his area yield. Today, the fruit is growing and selling well, and Takahashi plans to add four more greenhouses. Popular items at Tokeiso, the rest house he has built next to his greenhouses, include fresh pas-sion fruit as well as passion-fruit cakes and cider.Impressed by the tropical flavor of the passion fruit In a first for Fukushima Prefecture, Kirei Bananas are an original variety of the fruit successfully propa-gated from the Gros Michel dessert banana. To grow the plants, public firm Hirono Kosha remodeled a greenhouse formerly used to cultivate flowers at its Futatsunuma Park location. The young plants were moved to the house in 2018 and their fruit harvested a year later. The name Kirei means “lovely,” after the scenic beauty of Hirono’s hills and seaside. Smoothies made from Kirei bananas are creamy and delicious. Land. His Raiho variety is an unusual summer–autumn strawberry that can be harvested from May to December. Farming in the area had already been in decline as farmers aged with no successors; then dam-age from the 2011 disasters, coupled with subsequent rumors, made the situation worse still. Sato, however, decided not to give up. He reopened his greenhouses within three years. Today, his strawberries are sought after by top pastry chefs who find their tartness just right for cakes and other sweets. Their pert freshness seems to reflect the spirited pluck of a man with the future of Iitate foremost on his mind. tomatoes at Wonder Farm in Iwaki. His sweet-tasting “fruit” tomatoes, grown in a way that concentrates the sugar content, can be picked by visitors year-round. Italian and French fare is served on the farm at Cross Wonder Dining, and the shop sells fresh tomatoes, juice, house-made tomato miso, and even tomato salt.10, 11 Farmer Hiroshi Motoki came through the 2011 disasters to estab-lish Wonder Farm in Iwaki. Several varieties of tomatoes can be picked year-round at his greenhouse.12 In Tomioka, Tokeiso offers cakes and cider made with passion fruit.13, 14 Greenhouse vines tended by Masahiro Takahashi are laden with organically grown passion fruit. This is a new venture for the inventive farmer. 15 Products made from Kirei bananas grown in Hirono include cookies, pudding, and smoothies. 16 The banana greenhouse at Futatsunuma Park in Hirono.17 Everyone loves the alpacas at Futatsunuma Park.18, 19 Raiho is the summer–autumn variety of strawberry grown by Hiroshi Sato in Iitate. His berries are in high demand by pâtissiers.Soma Yamabun Yamagataya While maintaining the traditions of its 160 years, this miso and soy-sauce maker regularly brings home prizes for its innovative products.Konokura Following on the success of its miso-cured cream cheese, Konokura has developed a host of new products for the line, including black-pepper and truffle versions, and one cured with Sendai’s umami-rich red miso. Suzuki ShuzotenThis venerable sake maker, based in Namie since the nineteenth century, reestablished operations in neigh-boring Yamagata Prefecture. It has also made a triumphant return to its hometown with a brewing facility and adjacent shop Sake Kura Yui.TokeisoMasahiro Takahashi renovated a farmhouse next to where he grows his organic passion fruit. It serves as a shop, a workspace, and a café where you can enjoy passion-fruit sweets and cider and the fruit itself. Kirei BananasBananas cultivated in Fukushima can be purchased at Futatsunuma Park, a recreational site maintained by town development company Hirono Kosha. A fruit stand at the park sells banana cookies made by local high-school students, along with fresh banana smoothies. Iitate Ichigo LandOn-site purchases of the strawber-ries grown from May to December can be made by prior reservation. Wonder FarmThere aren’t many tomato farms in Japan where you can fill up your bags year-round, but Wonder Farm is one of them. Everything is made from scratch at its Cross Wonder restaurant. Also here is the Mori no Marché shop, where the shelves are lined with all-natural gourmet items.33
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