Piones are the vaunted grape of the Fruit Kingdom Okayama. The large, ready-to-burst grapes have no seeds, and their rich sweetness and plenty of juice overflow when they are eaten. Okayama Prefecture ships the greatest volume of piones in the country. Within the prefecture, Japan’s foremost karst plateaus, a climate with a wide range of temperatures, and long hours of sunshine mean that Niimi is suited for grape cultivation, and the piones grown here are especially highly rated.
“Fruit Country Kumano” is a tourism farm spread across the top of a karst plateau, 380 m above sea level. They cultivate various grapes, mainly piones, in their extensive 2.3 ha fields, and you can enjoy grape-picking from the end of September to the start of October. Being able to spend unlimited time tasting the grapes once you have paid the entrance fee is one reason for this farm’s popularity. Feast to your heart’s content on top-class piones worthy of the name “black diamonds.” (This information is as of October 2020)
You may not take the grapes home. Please purchase them at the produce stand.
Mr. Tsuyoshi Itsumi, representative. In September each year all local areas hold a grape festival. You can also buy dried Saijo persimmons and dried shiitake mushrooms.
Shipping peaks around the end of September. There is a flood of orders from all around the country. You can only buy the grapes at stalls and shops, rather than picking them.
MAP