Strawberry, Blueberry Picking and Hilltop Farm + Cafe

Strawberry and Blueberry picking at Hilltop farm and cafe, Namegawa Town, Saitama Prefecture.

Aptly named “hilltop” rustic charm farm cafe with bric-à-brac and antique shop with great views of Namegawa. Strawberry and blueberry picking in season.

Hilltop Farm

Hilltop farm is part of Yatsu no Sato, a community agriculture park with a great selection of farming experiences including strawberry and blueberry picking for individuals, groups and or families, in Namegawa.

The Hilltop farm offers seasonal blueberry and strawberry picking. But it also has a quirky odds and ends shop and a very popular rustic cafe. The farm is tucked beneath the edge of a forest on the top of a hill in rural Namegawa, not too far from Shinrin Park.

Hilltop Cafe at Blueberry farm

Hilltop cafe is in a beautiful natural wood cottage partly perched on the hill, partly overhanging the sloped woods below. The cottage affords great views of Namegawa town below and the lush forest behind. It is beside the blueberry farm and fields.

When the weather is suitable they open all the windows for an open air feel. You can sit outdoors too if you prefer with a view of the blueberry farm. They do have air conditioning too for hot and humid days like today. In the winter they have a wood stove for both heat and ambiance.

Currently (September 2019), there are lots of acorns on the driveway of the blueberry farm, which entertained my four year old greatly. As did the resident cat. But there is nothing specifically for children in the cafe itself.

Menu

The cafe offers drinks, cakes and lunches. They have about seven different seasonal desserts that you can get on their own as part of a drink set. Naturally as it is a strawberry and blueberry farm cafe, berries feature a lot on the dessert menu! The lunch menu includes steak, pasta, stew and curry. Drinks include hot or cold coffee and tea, orange juice or oolong tea.

Hilltop Cottage

Hilltop cottage is a bric-a-brac, brocante and antique shop. Apart from antiques and knick-knacks it also sells clothes and accessories. They have seasonal antique fairs at the blueberry farm too.

Strawberry Picking

Strawberry picking season is scheduled to start on January 2nd 2023, weather and other conditions permitting. They will open between 10 am and 3 pm most days during the season. Normally, you can pick until around Golden week, that is the end of April or early May. But of course it is dependent on a lot of things. During the pandemic, it is essential to book in advance.

The strawberry picking is done differently to the blueberry picking. It is a all-you-can-eat system done by 30 minute slots. You can also just purchase strawberries without picking them.

The strawberry picking greenhouses are located a short walk from the cafe and blueberry picking farm. They are part of Yatsu no Sato community farm. There is a separate parking lot by the strawberry greenhouses.

Strawberry Picking Costs

From January until April 9th it costs 2200 yen for adults and 1200 yen for children for 30 minutes of eating while picking. If you want to bring strawberries home it costs extra.

From April 9th to 28th picking costs 2000 yen for adults and 1000 yen for children. After April 28th (until the picking season is over) it costs 1800 yen for adults and 800 yen for children to pick.

Blueberry Picking Saitama

Hilltop farm and cottage Information

Access

The nearest interchange is the Ranzan Ogawa interchange on the Kanetsu Expressway. It is about a 14 minute drive to the cafe from the expressway exit.

There are two areas to park. One is past the shop and cafe in front of the blueberry farm. The other is opposite the entrance to Yatsu no Sato. You can, in a pinch, also park at Yatsu no Sato. All are free.

There is no public transport nearby. However, from Shinrin koen station on the Tobu Tojo line you can get a bus bound for Shinrin Park and alight at either Kannonmae bus stop on 173 or Shinrin Park’s Nishiguchi bus stop. It is about a 20 minute walk from both of those bus stops.