What to Do at Shichiku Garden
Breakfast and Grandma Shichiku
A visit to Shichiku Garden should include three things: meeting the woman who created the place, breakfast, and exploring the garden itself.
Shichiku Akiyo, known as “Grandma Shichiku,” is the founder and matriarch of Shichiku Garden. Despite being well into her nineties, Grandma Shichiku enjoys greeting guests, and always has a smile for visitors and time for a photo. She is frequently here to do all those things.
The second draw is the breakfast buffet. At midmorning, visitors will find several tables covered with home-cooked dishes full of farm-fresh vegetables, fish, meats, fruits, and baked goods. As dishes are finished, new ones are brought out to replace them.
The daily menu depends greatly on the seasonal harvest, including what is picked in the garden and provided by neighbors and other locals. Not limited to traditional breakfast fare, the meal includes roasts and pastries familiar to Western palates.
Those who miss the breakfast spread can buy boxed lunches, which incorporate what is not consumed at breakfast. Many people prefer to take their lunches out to the patio or elsewhere in the garden for a spontaneous picnic. There are many places to eat in the sun or shade, including benches and picnic tables.
One more thing: Visitors are allowed to pick flowers here. For some, this will fulfill a childhood dream of gathering blooms in a gorgeous meadow and returning home with a bouquet.