Amazing AOMORI

The sprawling Hirosaki Apple Park on the outskirts of Hirosaki City is like a theme park for apples, home to as many as 2,300 apple trees representing about eighty different varieties. Visitors can try picking their own apples from around the beginning of August to mid-November every year, with a total of about forty varieties of apples available to be picked depending on when in the season you visit. Apple picking groups are led every half hour, and the experience itself is free, although you must purchase any apples you pick (charged according to weight). A guide will offer helpful tips and pointers, such as which apples are likely to have the sweetest taste, as well as the easiest way to pick the apples (grasping them by the bottom and flipping them over). Stepladders are also available to help participants reach apples located on higher branches. After picking your apples, you can bring them inside the building called the “Apple House” to be weighed and make your purchase. Located only about a twenty-minute bus ride from JR Hirosaki Station, Hirosaki Apple Park is a great place to fully experience the unique deliciousness of this famous apple-producing region.

Another popular place to pick apples is Kuroishi Sightseeing Apple Orchard in the rustic environment of Kuroishi City. The picking season here generally begins in September and ends around mid-November but peaks around mid-October, when the largest number of varieties is available for picking. For 1,100 yen, visitors can pick up to three apples to take home. Like at Hirosaki Apple Park, stepladders are also available to help you reach apples located near the tops of the trees. Don’t miss your chance to taste Aomori’s most famous fruit at its freshest!

Nambu Town is Aomori Prefecture’s top producer of cherries, and these delicious fruits can be picked from around mid-June to mid-July, when their sweet taste is at its peak. Numerous varieties are grown at the town’s over two dozen cherry orchards, including some unusual ones that you probably won’t find at your local supermarket, like the large, heart-shaped, and exceptionally sweet “Juno Heart.” All-you-can-pick-and-eat for forty minutes is the standard plan at Nambu Town’s cherry orchards. Since cherries are such a delicate fruit, being able to eat as many freshly picked ones as you want is a rare and delightful experience. Information about which orchards are currently open for picking and how to make a reservation can be found at Nagawa Agricultural Tourism Information Center located next to the main information center at Nagawa Cheririn Village.

Peaches, grapes, and pears can also be picked in Nambu Town depending on the season. You can read more about these and other fruits here.

Strawberries are not suited for long-distance transport, so you won’t find many opportunities to taste Aomori’s delicious strawberries outside the prefecture, making them all the more precious. Both winter/spring (November to May) and slighter tarter summer/fall (June to November) varieties are cultivated in Aomori Prefecture. At the strawberry farm of Agurinosato Oirase in Oirase Town, visitors can enjoy picking winter strawberries from around March to May each year. An all-you-can-pick-and-eat plan is available (2,000 yen for half an hour, entry fee included), or you can pay a small entry fee and then purchase any strawberries you pick according to their weight. The greenhouse even has wide pathways that accommodate strollers and wheelchairs, making this an inclusive experience.

From strawberries in spring to cherries in early summer to apples in autumn, the above is only a small selection of the sweet, juicy fruits you can pick in Aomori Prefecture. Fruit picking is an activity that’s fun for the whole family and gives you a greater appreciation for nature’s delicious bounty. You’ll definitely want to make it a part of your Aomori trip!