Picnic in Japanese Peach Orchard

A lovely day in the Yamanashi valley hanging out in a peach orchard with new friends. There was a great band playing mostly American music, peach juice to sample, bouquets to admire, a slack line to fall off, and excellent food to be shared by all.

Momo no Hana Peach Blossoms. The dark pink flowers are older than the light pink blossoms.

I did not knock over these small chairs

The branches of the peach tree are weighted by stones so that they grow more horizontally and closer to the ground so that the peaches are easier to pick. The branches are then supported by vertical metal poles and wires or propped up with sticks. Sometimes wooden poles are tied along the thinner branches.

Most of the peach blossoms are picked off, leaving only a few hanging on the bottom of branches so that very large fruits are produced. And no picnic would be complete without a drone demonstration! The kids loved the drone flight — the new pied piper.

The Yamanashi region is known for its extensive production of peaches, plums, and grapes that are made into wine. Many people grow grapes in their backyards using wires to hold the vines above the ground to maximize space.

My view of Mount Fuji from apartment balcony

View of Kofu city

Cherry blossoms (sakura) in front of old water pumping station