REPORT

If you’re considering a trip to the Daio Wasabi Farm, Japan’s largest wasabi farm (admission free), the morning is a great time to visit during this season. When I arrived at 8:00 a.m., just as the facility opened, I was greeted with beautiful spring foliage and fresh air. The free parking lot accommodates around 350 standard-sized cars, and that’s where I began my tour of the area, starting with the northern wasabi field, continuing on to the Daio Shrine, the Saiwai-no-kakebashi bridge (pictured), the Daio cave, the Daio-sama lookout point, the Wasabi-da Komichi path, the Shinsui Hiroba, the Yume-no kakebashi bridge, and finishing at the water wheels.
[Daio Wasabi Farm・Saiwaii-no-kakebashi Bridge]

The five main wasabi fields are currently covered with sunshades to protect the delicate wasabi, so for a close-up look at the wasabi plants being cultivated in the nearly-constant 13°C spring water, I took a walk along the Wasabi-da Komichi path (pictured). As a side note, most facilities are concentrated near the main entrance as seen in the background of this photo, and consist of: the gift shop, food court, Daio-an restaurant (pictured right), and restaurant Oasis.
[Daio Wasabi Farm・Wasabi-da Komichi Path]

The DAIO’s CAFE (pictured) is the facility located furthest from the entrance, and serves cold brew coffee made with natural spring water and brewed over a 14-hour period. The cafe also offers a special morning service where customers ordering a drink between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. receive all-you-can-eat bread. Also available for sale since April is a new product for pets called “wanchan pan,” or doggy bread.
[Daio Wasabi Farm]

The area around the water wheels, which served as the location for Akira Kurosawa’s movie “Dreams,” was refreshingly cool under the shade of the trees along the water’s edge. “Clear Boat” rides in the area are being offered from 4/27 (Sat.) to the end of October (¥1,200 per person, ¥1,400 per person during the busy season, for passengers 3 years old and older). Passengers can enjoy the beautiful clear water and the experience of paddling together on the river.
[Daio Wasabi Farm・Water Wheels]

　
[Daio Wasabi Farm]
*Place … 3640 Hotaka, Azumino City, Nagano
*Open period … Year round
*Opening Hours … Mar. – Nov. 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Dec. – Feb. 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
*Fee … Admission and parking free
　
reported by Snownavi