The city of Hagi in Yamaguchi Prefecture is best known for its pottery, but it's also a hub for citrus fruit growing. The two-day Summer Citrus Festival is an annual event where visitors can stock up on local fruit, try harvesting their own oranges (a participation fee of ¥1000 per person applies), or even go on a free 10-minute boat ride to explore the area's scenery from the water.
In addition, there will be stage performances including local folk dancing displays, and food vans if you need to grab a bite to eat.
The festival runs from 10am until 4pm at the city's aptly-named Citrus Park, where an impressive 380 citrus trees in 10 different species are planted.
And citrus in Japan comes in a cornucopia of varieties. When I visited Shikoku, I got offered so many varieties.
I've really enjoyed my visits to the San'in area. I think Shimane is my favorite of all the prefectures I've visited, which always seems to surprise people. It really is a gem!