‘Resonare Atami’, a resort hotel offering an exhilarating stay in a setting graced by the sky, sea and forest, will be hosting its first ‘Citrus School’ – a travel-based educational programme where guests can enjoy learning about daidai oranges from local farmers – on Mondays and Fridays from 4 December 2026 to 26 February 2027.
See, touch and spot the differences! Learn about the characteristics of citrus fruits through a quiz
The programme begins at a mandarin orchard, where you’ll have fun learning about the ecology of citrus fruits through a quiz with hotel staff. Lined up before you are real citrus fruits of all shapes and sizes, in vibrant shades of yellow and green. As you pick them up and examine them, you’ll deepen your understanding of the diverse varieties cultivated in Shizuoka Prefecture. What’s more, once you’ve donned the programme’s special outfit, you’ll feel just like an apprentice farmer. This will get you even more excited for the farming experience that’s about to begin.
Experience harvesting and packing alongside mandarin farmers
After learning about citrus fruits, the farmers will teach you how to spot the tastiest mandarins, and you’ll have a go at harvesting them. You’ll be able to observe the unique characteristics of mandarins at close quarters whilst handling the real fruit. Afterwards, you’ll use authentic tools to experience the sorting process, which is essential for packing. This programme offers a genuine, hands-on opportunity to experience and learn about the behind-the-scenes aspects of the industry that you wouldn’t normally see.
After the harvest, become a pastry chef! Discover the charm of oranges through homemade sweets
Back at the hotel, you’ll take part in a pastry-making experience, creating your own original orange squash and pancakes using the oranges you’ve picked yourself. The drink, made with a generous amount of freshly squeezed juice, is characterised by its refreshing aroma and subtle bitterness. The pancakes, with orange juice kneaded into the batter, are topped with a rich marmalade packed with concentrated flavour. This experience allows you to savour the many charms of oranges, which become even more delicious depending on how they are processed and combined with other ingredients.
Summarise what you have learnt on a dedicated worksheet to take home
At the end of the programme, you will summarise what you have learnt through the experience—such as the various characteristics of citrus fruits, new discoveries made at the orchard, and the appeal of oranges as experienced through the handmade sweets—by following the items listed on a dedicated worksheet. You can take the completed worksheet home with you, and it will serve as a reminder of what you have learnt whenever you eat citrus fruits in your daily life.
‘Citrus School’ Overview
| Dates: |
Every Monday and Friday from 4 December 2026 to 26 February 2027 |
| Time: |
9.30 am to 1.00 pm (including a one-hour journey there and back) |
| Price: |
12,000 yen per group of two (additional 6,000 yen per extra person; all prices include VAT) |
| Included: |
Lectures, harvesting and sorting experience, costume hire, worksheets, pastry-making experience (squash, pancakes) |
＞Booking.
