Oita is lush with various fruits, and one, in particular, is grapes. A 30-minute drive from Usa takes us to Ajimu (安心院町, Ajimu-machi), an area famous for grape growing and award-winning wineries. Within this district is the Ajimu Grape Orchard and Cafe (安心院農園(果樹園カフェ歩くように), a grape-growing house that we (myself and other English teachers) decide to visit one rainy afternoon.
When we arrive, we are met by a man who shows us a table of different grapes laid neatly on plates. He tells us that at 50, he left his job to follow his passion to grow as wide grape varieties as possible. He’s managed to grow 40 different varieties throughout the year, and there are 9 in season on the table.
There are numbers printed on pieces of paper sitting next to each plate. Here, he instructs us to taste every one. Once we decide which one we like the most, we can enter the greenhouse to pick our grape of choice.
All the grapes bunches are already bagged, and we only need to pick the one (or more) that we would like.
After our haul, we head back to the tables to pay. They are the most expensive grapes I’ve ever purchased, but that doesn’t come into consideration once we take them home to eat. They are what you only dream grapes taste like, and I wouldn’t have any qualms returning to get some more once I’ve devoured these.
On our way home, we stop for lunch and ice cream at a local grocery store.
Finally, at home, we try one of the grapes we bought. These. Are. Fantastic. I wish I could send them to everyone to try because they must taste to be truly appreciated and to understand how different these taste.
can’t wait for you try ? from Ooita!! they were huge and the best!!
though… grapes look great!
Ooooh looks like they’re going to be in season soon too! I’ll keep my eyes peeled for them. So far, all the seasonal fruits have been FANTASTIC, so I bet the nashi are great as well!
What does your t-shirt say?
It says, “I love hot water” (for bath water specifically) but in Japanese, it’s pronounced “I love yu”. Get it?!! 😀
Those grapes look interesting! The green house looked soooo cool! And the food and ice cream looked delicious also! One of my favourite parts is the illustration at the top of this blog ?
Thanks! I’ll keep up the illustrations and pepper them throughout. 🙂
The grapes we AMAZING. They didn’t taste like grapes they were so good. No exaggeration.
I’m going late Oct/Nov 2019. Those grapes look so good!
Can I ask how can we get here by public transportation if we don’t drive?
Many thanks in advance.
Hi Bee! Depending on where you’re leaving from, it might be an idea to take a taxi to Ajimu (???) bus stop, then take the bus to the closest stop to ??(???) (Omura). This is about a 20 minute walk to ?????, the grape farm. The reason I suggest this is because it looks fairly challenging to get to Ajimu bus station, say, if you’re leaving from Usa Station, based on this map that I’m looking at online: http://www.busnavi-oita.com/images/map/usa.pdf. Ajimu bus station will be close to another taxi station, so when you’re heading back there should be a taxi close by to take you home. There are only 4 buses heading to and returning back from Omura station (on the weekday), so be sure to plan your trip accordingly. Schedule for that bus here: https://www.navitime.co.jp/diagram/bus/00255154/00050180/0/
How lovely to have stumbled across this post. I used to live in Ajimu about 15 years ago now (I was on the JET programme). You should try Ajimu wine too if you can. This brings back so many wonderful memories.