Daiō Wasabi Farm

Japan's largest wasabi farm, half an hour north of Matsumoto

The Daiō Wasabi Farm in Hotaka, about 30 minutes north of Matsumoto by train, is Japan's largest wasabi farm and one of the prettiest stops on the Azumino plain. Spring-water channels run through the fields in long parallel rows, with the green wasabi plants growing in the gravel between them. The farm shop sells wasabi ice cream, wasabi soba and (more usefully) freshly grated wasabi to take away in tubes.

Get there by train to Hotaka station and walk or take the rental cycles. Combine with the Rokuzan Art Museum near the station for a full day out.

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A story
Akira Kurosawa filmed the dream-sequence watermills of his 1990 film 'Dreams' on the streams of the Daiō farm. The wooden wheels were built for the shoot, and the farm liked them so much it left them in place.

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