After waking up just before 06:00 to catch the sunrise on New Year's day, I visited a strawberry farm in Atagawa (just south of where I'm staying in Izu) to pick-and-eat Akihime (章姫) strawberries:
Delicious Akihime (章姫) strawberries in Izu, Japan
You can't really think of these simply as strawberries. They're sweet, succulent morsels of ambrosia that infuse your mouth with sensuous delight.
Yup, really that good.
Me eating Akihime (章姫) strawberries on New Year morning 2011
In fact, if you've never had fruits in Japan, you've led a deprived existence. Quite simply, the flavours are out-of-this-world. There's no comparison anywhere else I've ever been.
Anyway, it cost 1500 Yen to go into the greenhouse and eat as much as possible in 30 minutes, straight off the plant. I didn't count, but I'm pretty sure I scarfed down at least 75 strawberries, probably more. The strawberries are big(!) and juicy(!!), so that's a lot.
It was worth every penny...or in this case, Yen.
How's that for a delicious and decadent start to the new year?!
Surrounded by strawberry plants
Mmmm, mmmm good