Azumino Wasabai-en

Near Hotaka, one stop down the Oito Line from Matsumoto, the Azumino Wasabi-en is the largest wasabi (Japanese horseradish) farm in the country. To reach it you must rent a bike or take a 40-minutes walk along a path from the train station. (The station attendant will give you directions.) Wasabi is cultivated in the clean water beds built in a shallow, curving valley. Surrounded by rows of acacia and poplar trees on the embankments, the fields of fresh, green wasabi leaves bloom with white flowers in late spring. Be sure to try some of the farm's unique foods, which range from wasabi cheese and chocolate to green wasabi ice cream.

Phone: 0263-82-2118