Things I love about winter in Japan: strawberry season

In my home country, you can get most fruits year-round -- they're typically imported if they can't be grown well during a certain season, but what that means is that they're not always the best in terms of taste. I've really grown to appreciate Japan's seasonal focus, and while it means that I can't get certain fruits at certain times of year, what it does mean is that they taste exceptional during the period you can get your hands on them.

I always look forward to winter for strawberries, and I especially love our local variant, Echigohime. They're so sweet and they smell amazing!

I would definitely recommend checking your local area to see if there are any places to go strawberry picking at -- it's a fun activity to do with friends or family, and at some places I've visited they have provided little containers of condensed milk so you can dip and eat as you pick. Many places work off an "all you can eat" system for a certain timeframe, so come hungry if that's the case!

If you don't have anywhere locally where you can pick strawberries, I'm almost certain that you'll have a cafe nearby that serves up strawberry-themed sweets. I'm already seeing that happen in my area, and I'm not mad about it! Some hotels even offer high teas or buffets that incorporate all things strawberries during the winter months, so keep an eye out for those as well if you're a fan.