Daio Wasabi Farm — Japan's Largest Wasabi Fields

Daio Wasabi Farm (大王わさび農場) is Japan's largest wasabi cultivation facility, covering 15 hectares of terraced fields fed by pristine snowmelt from the Northern Japanese Alps. Real wasabi (Wasabia japonica) is notoriously difficult to grow, requiring cold, clean flowing water and specific temperature ranges. The farm produces 150 tons of wasabi annually, supplying high-end restaurants across Japan.

Visitors can walk through the fields, observing wasabi plants growing in crystal-clear spring water channels, and sample fresh wasabi products: wasabi soft-serve ice cream (surprisingly sweet and mild), wasabi croquettes, and freshly grated raw wasabi on rice crackers. The farm also features a restored watermill used in Akira Kurosawa's film 'Dreams' (1990). Harvested wasabi rhizomes take 18–24 months to reach maturity, and the farm demonstrates the labor-intensive cultivation process.