Nijisseiki Pear Picking at Sankouen Orchard

Sankouen is a family-run pear orchard near Tanega Pond outside Kurayoshi City with more than a century of history growing Nijisseiki, or '20th Century,' pears, the pale-skinned, crisp-fleshed variety that Tottori Prefecture is best known for nationally and that gives its name to the Nijisseiki Pear Museum in nearby Kurayoshi. The orchard grows more than ten pear varieties with staggered ripening times, which extends the picking season from late August through November depending on the cultivar, unlike orchards limited to a single variety with a short window. Visitors are guided through rows of trees, shown how to identify ripe fruit by color and give, and are free to eat as many pears as they like within the visit on an all-you-can-eat basis, a common format at Japanese fruit-picking farms. The one-to-1.5-hour visit is casual and self-paced rather than narrated as a formal tour, with staff on hand mainly to answer questions and manage picking etiquette, such as twisting rather than pulling fruit from the branch. Beyond the on-site eating, additional pears can be purchased by weight to take home, typically boxed for travel. The ¥800–1,500 entry fee covers the all-you-can-eat picking; take-home fruit is priced separately by weight, and this is not included in the entry price. Reservations are recommended in peak season, particularly weekends in September when the most popular Nijisseiki variety is at its peak, and can be arranged through the Kurayoshi Tourism MICE Association. Access is easiest by rental car, since the orchard is outside central Kurayoshi and not directly served by rail; a taxi from Kurayoshi Station is a fallback for visitors without a car. Staff speak limited English, so confirming variety availability and pricing by phone before visiting is worthwhile for non-Japanese speakers.