The confusing enjoyment of our day-trip bus tour from downtown Tokyo to Yamanashi [Photos]

This bus tour wasn’t exactly what we’d expected, but it turned out to be something we wanted .

“Shinjuku-Departure Sunflowers & Peach-picking & All-You-Can-Pack Kikyo Shingen Mochi & Heidi Village.” With a name that thorough, our Japanese-language reporter Asami Oshima figured she knew exactly what was going to be in store for her on this bus tour that departs from the Shinjuku neighborhood in downtown Tokyo and takes travelers on a day-trip to Yamanashi Prefecture .

And yet, there still turned out to be some surprises waiting for her.

Asami’s trip started from the Tocho Large Bus Parking Lot , located near the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (Tocho), to the west of Shinjuku Station.

There were about 50 people taking part in the tour this day, and though the scheduled departure time was 7:40 a.m. , the group was punctual enough that everyone was present and checked in early, so they got moving at 7:35. ▼ The sticker from tour operator Travel Road’s Buttobi Tours (“Hopping Tours”), identifying Asami as a member of the day’s group.

It’s about a 90-minute drive from Tokyo to the peach farm that was the first stop on the itinerary.

After an hour on the road, they stopped at the Dangozaka Service Area highway rest stop in Uenohara, Yamanashi, so that anyone who needed to could use the bathroom or stretch their legs.

Like most rest stops of at least average size in Japan, the Dangozaka Service Area has a lot of tempting food options .

Walking around, Asami was strongly tempted by the skewered mochi dumplings and wagyu on offer, but she resisted the urge to start stuffing her face, since she knew there was going to be plenty of food to come later in the day.

After the 20-minutes break, the bus rolled out again, and at 9:35, they arrived at Watanabe Farm in the town of Fuefuki . ▼ From Tokyo to Watanabe Farm This is where the group was supposed to pick peaches , which Yamanashi is famous for, and also be able to eat as many as they wanted within a set amount of time.

After getting off the bus, Asami assumed that they were going to be led into the orchard, but instead the group was guided to an array of outdoor tables that already had crates of peaches, and plums too, on them .

It turned out that the fruit for the all-you-can-eat session had already been picked ahead of time for the group, so instead of grabbing them off the trees, you selected them from the crates, then peeled and sliced them for yourself.

This isn’t the way fruit-picking activities are usually done in Japan , but everything did taste good, and no time spent picking meant more time for eating.

It did feel a little surreal, though, to be part of such a large group of people single-mindedly and diligently peeling and munching on fruit for 30 minutes.