Fresh fruit in Japan

Can you tell me what fresh fruit is in season early March in the Western & Central Honshu area, also can I take food into Japan,thanks Fran.

As for taking food into Japan, I would consult either a local Japanese Embassy or Japanese Customs (probably the website) for a list of prohibited items.

Some winter fruits, such as, strawberries and mikan (mandarine orange)can be easily found. Imported fruits (grape fruit, banana, pineapple and others) are available throught the year.

In most cases, you cannot bring fresh fruit & vegetables into the country with you. That is usually the one specific question you will be asked about at customs.

Just be careful when buying fruits and veg in Japan, if you can't bring it in, because it is VERY expensive. One apple alone can cost around 350-400 yen (AU$3.50-$4.00 or about US$3.20-$3.70)

Amy,

Please don't wheel out the same old "1990s Japan is expensive" stereotypes. I'm sure you can find apples that cost that much if you look hard enough, but in the local supermarkets round here, they are usually around 100 yen each.

I bought a bag of 3 fairly large apples on Thursday for 280 yen. More expensive than where I come from, but much cheaper than $4 per apple. You can find apples for that much if you look, just like you can find 10,000 yen melons, but they aren't the only choice.

A bag of about 8 mandarin oranges is 298 yen and a bunch of 5 bananas is 105 yen at my local fruit and vege shop and these are fairly standard prices.

Its funny how people still live in the 1990's.

Japan is way cheaper than most people think.

Certainly cheaper than Australia down-under, for nearly everything, including buying Australian beef. Think about it. How can Aussie beef cost less in Japan than buying it from where it originated from?

The only thing I can't afford to buy in Japan is good quality rice or melons. That's about the only things I wouldn't fork out for at such a premium.

I agree with the last posting: I was in Japan in December 2006 and found it no more expensive than a holiday in London/UK in general. I also had one of the biggest, most delicious apples I've ever had and if it cost £4 it was worth it!
I'm going back in April and taking my mum. If it had been too expensive, I would not have considered a return trip.

Funny story: On a long vacation trip through Japan, I once passed a vendor selling huge, gorgeous Fuji apples in the train station. The sign said 400 yen, and I thought, I know this is outrageous, even for Japan, but I've been living on obento and ramen and I've just gotta have one of those apples. So I handed over 400 yen...and the vendor dumped an entire basket of about 4 or 5 apples into a bag and handed it over!

Took me a few days to eat them all, but they were indeed as tasty as they looked.