A theme park to learn everything there is about the pineapple
Okinawa Prefecture is the largest growing area of pineapples in the country with 10,000 tonnes of the fruit grown annually. Nago Pineapple Park with its fully tropical mood is located on a hill within the city of Nago in the northern area of the prefecture. As the name implies, this is a theme park which grows 100 types of pineapples including cream pineapples and miniature pineapples. You will be able to experience everything about this fruit from eating and drinking to souvenirs.
The popular cart, The Pineapple, to take you on a tour of the park
A popular way to get around the park is by the automated cart known as The Pineapple. While listening to the audio guide from the cart, The Pineapple takes you through the pineapple fields and the subtropical garden. Since the pineapples in the garden are cultivated so that they have an extended growing season, you can experience the highlight of observing the growing process. Aside from The Pineapple, there is also a course where you can observe the ecology of the pineapple while walking together with a free guide.
Tasting pineapple wine and plenty of original souvenir goods
At the end of the tour, there is the Pineapple Tasting Corner which is an all-you-can-eat buffet. Just before the corner, there is a wine building which features Japan’s first pineapple winery so that you can sample pineapple juice and wine. Then at the shopping corner, there are numerous souvenir items using all of the pineapple ranging from candies to cosmetics. In the processing factory within the facility, pineapples that will actually be used for products are handled so that you can visit and get that interesting view of the manufacturing process.