The Byobuzan sandhills of Tsugaru City are among the top melon-producing regions in Japan. Sandhills are particularly well suited to melon cultivation due to having good drainage and large temperature disparities between day and night, conditions that yield high-quality melons with a sweet taste and mouthwatering fragrance. Melons cultivated in Tsugaru City are grown outdoors in tunnels that protect them from rain and mainly consist of netted varieties. The peak shipping season for Aomori melons is August. The main variety, Takami melons, have firm green flesh with netted rinds and are prized because they keep well and have an exceptionally high sugar content.

Peaches in Aomori Prefecture are harvested from around early July to mid-September, which is later than in other peach-growing regions of Japan. Aomori peaches have a deep sweet flavor thanks to the temperature disparity between day and night in the prefecture. One of the main peach-growing areas is Nambu Town in southern Aomori, where visitors can also enjoy peach picking during the harvesting season. Nambu Town’s peaches are known for being tender and juicy. 

In recent years, the Tsugaru region, especially around Hirakawa City, has also seen an increase in peach production. This is thanks to the suitable climate of the Tsugaru region, with a low risk of typhoons, and the utilization of advanced apple-growing techniques such as leaf pruning, thinning, bagging, and color enhancement in peach production. Tsugaru peaches with a crisp, firm texture come to market just as other major peach-producing prefectures have concluded their shipments.

Aomori Prefecture is a major grower of grapes, with production volumes second only to those of apples. The Tsugaru region, and especially Tsuruta Town, leads Japan in the production of Steuben grapes. This variety is very shelf-stable and comes to market when other varieties are no longer in season, peaking from the end of September to March. After harvest, the grapes are stored in special facilities originally developed for preserving apples. The high sugar content of Steuben grapes allows them to be stored and consumed throughout the winter. They have high levels of polyphenol due to abundant exposure to sunlight, and the use of artificial chemicals is limited thanks to the cool climate of the Tsugaru region. Other grape varieties such as Campbell, Portland, and Niagara are grown in Nambu Town, where visitors can also enjoy grape picking from mid-August to mid-October.

Meanwhile, farmers along the coast of the Shimokita Peninsula have succeeded in cultivating Pinot Noir grapes, a variety formerly considered nearly impossible to grow in Japan. The climate of the Shimokita Peninsula is said to be similar to that of the famous wine-producing region of Burgundy in France. The grapes have a robust flavor that is ideal for winemaking and are used to produce “Shimokita Wine” at Sun Mamoru, the northernmost winery on the island of Honshu. 

Aomori cherries are mainly produced around Nambu and Hachinohe, but production in the Tsugaru region has also grown in recent years with the introduction of apple pruning techniques. Nambu Town is the prefecture’s top producer of cherries, and cherry picking is a popular activity from June to July, when the sweet taste of the cherries is at its peak. Various events are also held to coincide with the picking seasons, drawing visitors from near and far.

Both Japanese and Western varieties of pears are grown in Aomori Prefecture. In recent years, Nambu Town has become Japan’s top producer of General Leclerc, a high-end variety of Western pear. Although it was first identified in the outskirts of Paris, production of this variety has dwindled even in its native France, making it exceptionally rare and prized. It is distinguished by its strikingly large size, golden skin, and juicy taste that is slightly tarter than that of other Western pears. With a peak season from August to December, it is also popular as a gift for special occasions.

Because of their delicate nature, strawberries are not suited for long-distance transport, so you won’t find many opportunities to taste Aomori’s delicious strawberries outside the prefecture. Both winter/spring (November to May) and summer/fall (June to November) varieties are cultivated in Aomori. “Winter/spring strawberries” are mainly grown in Hachinohe City, Oirase Town, Hirosaki City, Kuroishi City, and Inakadate Village. “Summer/fall strawberries,” which have a slighter tarter taste, are grown in Mutsu City and Higashidori Village on the Shimokita Peninsula.

At the strawberry farm of Agurinosato Oirase in Oirase Town, you can pick your own strawberries from around March to May each year. The premises also contain a tropical fruit farm in an over-1,600-square-meter greenhouse utilizing the heat of a hot spring, which grows bananas, dragon fruit, papayas, and more. Domestic bananas grown in snowy Aomori have a rich fragrance and delightful taste.

Aomori’s fruits taste delicious when freshly picked, as well as in products such as juices, jams, and wines. If your visit to Aomori coincides with one of the harvesting seasons, you won’t want to miss fruit picking, an activity that’s fun for the whole family! Enjoy the delightful flavor and juiciness of fruits grown amid the rich natural environment of Aomori.

The Fukaya district of Ajigasawa Town is located in the foothills of the Shirakami-Sanchi region, a UNESCO-designated natural World Heritage Site. Thanks to the natural bounty of this rich environment, the chestnuts grown here have a strong, delicious flavor unlike anywhere else. Harvested from around early September to mid-October, they are sold at produce stands throughout the district and used in the creation of various sweets as well as in chestnut shochu (a distilled spirit). In addition to traditional Japanese sweets, pastry shops in Ajigasawa Town sell Mont Blancs, eclairs, and other Western-style sweets incorporating the rich taste of Fukaya chestnuts.