Wasabi Farm Walking Tour & Lunch
Description
Have ever seen real Wasabi? Discover the Japan’s largest Wasabi Farm! Nagano Prefecture is the largest producer of wasabi in Japan. Home to many small family-tended plots dotted between the rice fields, rural Azumino – just outside of Matsumoto – also boasts Japan’s largest farm, Daio Wasabi Farm. The farm is a popular tourist friendly destination and is comprised of many large fields with a meticulously maintained network of small streams that constantly provides each wasabi plant with pure clean water. Our tour includes a traditional lunch designed to highlight the flavor of real wasabi, served with other local food. Under the branding of “Shinshu” – the old name for Nagano Prefecture – you can enjoy our loved Shinshu soba, Shinshu miso and other tasty treats. We recommend you try some of the many different Wasabi-flavored products during your visit, such as Wasabi ice cream, Wasabi beer, Wasabi sausages or even a Wasabi burger!
Tour Options
Itinerary
The base of the Japanese Alps is home to several Wasabi farms, from the small plots nestled among the multitude of rice fields to Japan’s largest Wasabi farm. Thanks to the fabulous natural environment of the region, a journey into this Japanese countryside is a unique experience not to be missed! Established in 1915, Daio Wasabi Farm is highly photogenic and the perfect setting in which to dive into the history and versality of this surprising green plant. Wasabi is an essential element in Japanese cuisine and is particularly renowned as an accompaniment to Japanese sushi. A visit to a wasabi farm is a world of discovery in all the secrets of this famously zesty ingredient. Please note that the round trip from/to Matsumoto and the Wasabi Farm takes approximately 30 minutes subject to traffic conditions. This is a walking tour and does not include “behind the scenes” access to any area of the farm.
Our tour includes a traditional lunch designed to highlight the flavor of real wasabi, served with other local food. Under the branding of “Shinshu” – the old name for Nagano Prefecture – you can enjoy our loved Shinshu soba, Shinshu miso and other tasty treats. Please note, we can of course also cater to vegetarian and vegan guests and families with young children. During peak season, please be aware we are sometimes unable to make reservations in the restaurant due to the high volume of visitors at the farm. As a result, there maybe a wait time to enter the restaurant.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(24)
Interesting and delicious, but not too long, so that one still has time for another experience in the afternoon. Very good guide!
Thank you for joining us! We're glad the timing left you room to explore more of Matsumoto. Hope to welcome you again soon!
We had the best time with our tour guide Akiko. She was extremely attentive, knowledgeable and friendly. We would highly recommend the tour to anyone interested in learning details about the wasabi farm and region.
Thank you for joining us! We're glad you enjoyed the farm and that your guide could walk you through providing the history and what makes the farm unique. Hope to see you back in Matsumoto.
Akiko was a wonderful and knowledgeable tour guide. The farm was incredible to learn about and the lunch was delicious and showcased the complex flavors of the wasabi fantastically. 10/10 experience. It wasn’t very crowded and the fee included the tour and lunch for a reasonable price. Our tour ended up going longer than the allotted time because of the extensive amount of knowledge and guidance we received from our tour guide, she even gave us recommendations for local spots in Matsumoto (which were amazing experiences 100/10).
Thank you for joining us! Akiko knows the farm well, and it sounds like she gave you plenty to think about beyond just the wasabi itself. The lunch does show off what fresh wasabi can do when it's used properly. We appreciate you noting the extra time and local recommendations. Those side conversations often end up being as valuable as the tour itself. Looking forward to your next visit.
Interesting farm. Nice to wander around and check out the landscape. Lots of birds to see. I was there too early for the restaurant so had a Wasabi croquette with wasabi sauce. It was tasty but no hint of wasabi, which was disappointing. Worth a look. Would like to have learned more. There are minimal english signs but enough to keep you interested.
It seems your review relates to an independent visit to Daio Wasabi Farm rather than our guided tour. You may wish to repost this review on the farm’s own page where it may be more helpful to other visitors. Our tour is designed to add more context to the visit, with guidance in English, information on wasabi cultivation, and a wasabi-based lunch that includes fresh wasabi root. For guests looking to learn more during their time at the farm, it can offer a fuller experience. We would be happy to welcome you on a future visit if you decide to return.
A visit to the wasabi farm is worth it anyway, but this tour made our day even more interesting. Guide Tim could tell us a lot about wasabi and the specific way it is grown here. He also knew a lot about the region. Since we were the only visitors, there was plenty of room to ask the questions. During lunch that was also very nice - Tim taught us about Japanese customs and etiquette. Valuable knowledge for the rest of our journey! We visited the farm in December and that was absolutely fine as far as I was concerned. The weather was good and there were few other visitors so we could look everywhere quietly.
Thank you for the thoughtful review. We’re happy to hear the tour added to your visit and that Tim’s knowledge made the day both enjoyable and informative. It’s great that the quieter season gave you space to explore and ask questions. We hope the rest of your trip in Japan went just as smoothly.
Our guide Akiko was excellent. Super interesting to learn all about the wasabi farm and then enjoy the freshly grated wasabi with soba noodles for lunch. Wonderful experience.
Thank you for joining us. We're glad Akiko could walk you through the farm and that the lunch gave you a taste of fresh wasabi the way it's meant to be enjoyed. Hope to welcome you back to Nagano.
Very good tour. The guide spoke excellent English and was very helpful and knowledgeable. She made the experience enjoyable. You really need a guide to explain the farm and its history. A guided tour is a must in my opinion. The tour was so helpful in providing instructions on how to get out to the farm.
Thank you for joining us. We're glad the tour worked well and gave you a better sense of the farm and what happens there. Getting out to the area can be tricky, so we appreciate you noting that. Hope to see you back in Nagano.
Our guide Tim made this experience wonderful. His knowledge about this beautiful and interesting farm, and Japan in general, was outstanding. It was really worthwhile to book a tour for the wasabi farm to help understand the history, both agricultural and religious with the many shrines. One low point was a long queue for lunch on a lunch-based tour! The farm management could re- consider their no-booking policy on public holidays.
Thank you for your kind review! We are very happy to hear that Tim contributed to a wonderful experience for you. It is great that you were able to take away so much knowledge about the farm and Japan from your tour. We are sorry to hear about the long queue at lunch. We are working with the wasabi farm to further improve the experience of our guests. We really appreciate your feedback. Thank you for joining us for the tour!
Fantastic tour with a lovely and very knowledgeable guide Naomi. Lovely lunch. Would thoroughly recommend.
Thanks for your feedback! We are so happy you enjoyed the tour and lunch with Naomi. We truly appreciate the recommendation!
It was a very interesting experience to learn more about wasabi. Our tour guide was wonderful! The wasabi plant is unique and beautiful.
Thank you for your kind review! We are glad you enjoyed learning about wasabi and that the tour left a strong impression. It really is a fascinating (and beautiful) plant!
