I finally visited a paradise that even the master of small branches had visited before! After driving through a narrow, winding road with cliffs on one side, we finally arrived! We finished eating the pork bowl we brought with us, and for dessert, we had oranges from the mountains (*^_^*) We tried both sour and sweet ones, and it was so much fun. We played table tennis with strange coats and frying pans, and we got really into it (lol). We also played on playground equipment that felt like heaven if you fell off, explored a gloomy forest or mountain, and did some athletic activities. It was more fun than regular attractions. There are also paid activities like crayfish fishing, fishing, mini golf, and sweet potato digging! There are too many photos, so you don't have to like them ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

I think when I was in high school, I was watching a TV show called "Detective Night Scoop" at a friend's house and they introduced an interesting farm in Osaka. The farm was called "Jozen Orangery" and it seemed to be a handmade farm by a man known as the mountain old man. The comedian Kei Koeda went there to introduce it, and it was really funny and made me laugh out loud. It feels like it's been almost 20 years since that broadcast. I was curious if that farm still exists, so I looked it up online and found out that it is still open. I decided to revisit it to bring back some old memories. The nearest station is Shionomiya Station on the Kintetsu Nagano Line. You can walk from there to the farm. Since it's in the mountains, I thought it would be tough to walk, but I decided to walk there anyway. The mountain path was quite steep and difficult to walk on. As I got closer to the Orangery, I could hear fun music. When I arrived, I was drenched in sweat from head to toe (I went in mid-October). Jozen Orangery is mainly run by the "Mountain Old Man," "Mountain Mother," and "Mountain Brother." I knew the Mountain Old Man from Detective Night Scoop, and he is quite a strong character. He was busy riding a moped around the farm that day. First, I paid the entrance fee to enter the farm. At this time, it happened to be the season for mandarin orange picking, and the fee for mandarin orange picking was the same as the entrance fee. I was thirsty, so I went mandarin orange picking right away. The mandarins were a bit green and might have been picked too early, but I chose small, soft ones to eat, and they were sweet and delicious. I ate about 10 of them to replenish my vitamin deficiency. There were many families and friends enjoying barbecue in the farm. Since I went alone, I had a meal at the "Mountain Old Man's Mountain House" restaurant. I ordered freshly made oden, which looked delicious, along with a beer. Daikon radish, fish cakes, eggs, and Kirin's light beer for 500 yen. Quite a deal. I also had the Jozen Orangery's famous "premium vanilla ice cream" after the meal. It says "premium," but it's just regular vanilla ice cream. They even mentioned that on TV. Families with children were enjoying the attractions in the farm, such as crayfish fishing and a scary obstacle course. Is it really that interesting? The Mountain Brother and Mountain Sister were very friendly and fun to talk to. When I told them I had seen them on TV before, they shared some interesting stories with me. And the Mountain Sister was incredibly beautiful. I was happy to take a picture with her. It seems that the barbecue season can get quite crowded, so it might be a good idea to call ahead. If you're just going for mandarin orange picking or to play, you don't need to worry. Please do visit Jozen Orangery at least once. Bye for now.

Today, my family and I visited Jozan Orange Park in September 2022. We came here to enjoy crayfish fishing and the athletic park. This facility offers activities such as fishing, field airsoft gun, mini-golf, and even bring-your-own BBQ. In addition to basic activities like bouldering and regular table tennis, they also have a circular table tennis table. The entrance fee includes free access to the athletic park, which is suitable for elementary school children at a beginner to intermediate level. I heard that popular YouTubers, Fischer's, have also visited here according to my child. In the latter half of September, they have sweet potato digging and chestnut picking activities, and in early October, they have mandarin orange picking. Today, there was a special offer where if you caught 3 crayfish, you would receive a voucher for a premium ice cream. Normally, you would need to catch 10 crayfish, but they made it easier as part of heatstroke prevention measures. The crayfish were abundant, and the kids were excited to catch them. We released them after filling a bucket and kept on catching more, so I estimate we caught over 50 crayfish. As a result, we got our voucher for a premium vanilla ice cream and enjoyed it in a beautiful setting. Thank you for the delicious treat!