Ai Nishimura
Administrator of the blog "My Diary" which started in 2004. A writer who has traveled to all 47 prefectures and loves local culture and history. Author of Shimane "Geography, Place Names and Maps" Mysteries (Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha), My Town is "Japan's No. 1" Dictionary (PHP Institute), and Understanding Prefectures through Neko Neko Nihonshi (Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha). Official blogger of Suntory Gourmet Guide, official top user of Retty, and official platinum blogger of Excite.
I arrived at Hirosaki by airport bus from Aomori Airport! But it was raining...
The base of this trip is Hirosaki. I will take the airport bus from Aomori Airport to Hirosaki Station. Aomori Airport, located in Aomori City, the prefectural capital, is easily accessible, with Aomori Station only 30 minutes away and Hirosaki only 60 minutes away. This will be my second visit to Aomori Prefecture, but my first time in Hirosaki. I'm really looking forward to it!
On the way from the airport, there are many apple orchards. This is no surprise, as Aomori ranks first in the nation in apple production. It is a fine apple kingdom, accounting for nearly 60% of the domestic production. Aomori apples are recognized overseas as the top fruit in Japan, and can be said to be a representative Japan brand. Among them, Hirosaki City is the city that has established itself as the undisputed number one producer, without allowing any other to follow suit.
First, when I arrived in Hirosaki, I applied for a rental bicycle at the tourist information center in front of the station. There were so many bicycles! I was thinking of making a reservation just to be safe, but I was relieved to see that there were so many bicycles (by the way, reservations are not possible). At Hirosaki Station, which doesn't have many hills, you can get around just fine without an electric-assist bicycle.
I found apples right in front of the station. There were apples on my bike too. Unfortunately, it started raining because of the rainy season front, but I wanted to see the city of Hirosaki no matter what! I left my luggage at the hotel and headed out to the city.
We arrived at Aomori Airport! We were greeted by mini Nebuta floats, typical of Aomori.
This time, I will travel around Aomori using public transportation and rental bicycles. First, I will take a direct bus to Hirosaki Station.
Arrived at Hirosaki Station! There was a bronze statue holding an apple, titled "Apple Wind." Once again, I felt that I had come to the city of apples.
I saw apples on mailboxes in some places in the city. I imagine that Hirosaki residents think of apples every time they mail a letter. How heartwarming.
Right next to the apple postbox in front of the station is the Hirosaki City Tourist Information Center. I rented a bicycle here.
Both electric-assist and regular bicycles are available, but in Hirosaki, where there are few hills, a regular bicycle is sufficient. There are four places in the city where you can return the bicycle, so you don't have to return it to the place where you rented it.
Discover delicious apple juice at Hirosaki Central Food Market!
I went out into the city, but the rain got stronger and I couldn't go any further. However, Hirosaki has roofs on the sidewalks here and there, so I was able to take shelter from the rain. I thought to myself, "This is a snowy city after all..." but I couldn't bear the rain any more.
The first place we went to was the Hirosaki Central Food Market. It was an old-fashioned market lined with prepared food and fish shops. Some stores had already closed, and only a few were open on weekdays outside of peak season. Among them, we found apple juice lined up at Nukumori Kitchen Natura. This was my first encounter with Hirosaki apples. I bought a glass and it was delicious! Natural sweetness. Not too sweet, with a gentle taste. It's really good because it's just squeezed apples. If I had to describe it in a metaphor, it's like a sports drink after exercising under the hot sun, and it's a natural taste that gives you what your body is most craving. Next to me, impressed, the Natura staff said with calm expressions, "This is the real taste of apples." I see. So this is the norm in Hirosaki...
After a wonderful encounter, quenching my thirst and regaining my energy, I said goodbye to the Central Market and got on my bike to continue exploring the city. If you look closely, you'll notice that apple motifs are used all over the city. And the bronze statue is holding a Minari apple. Sometimes I worry if I don't have an apple. That's the kind of town Hirosaki is. That's right, let's go eat that apple thing!
The rain started to get heavier, so we took shelter here at Hirosaki Central Food Market.
They were selling apple juice with a cute package that caught my eye.
Ice-cold apple juice, 150 yen per glass. Refreshingly sweet. The juice seeps into your body with the original apple flavor. It was delicious!
Inside the food market, there are rows of seafood, vegetable shops, and prepared food shops.
As we approached a store selling homemade stews and vegetable salads...
The lively mother recommended some delicious side dishes to us. The plate was the size of her hand (lol). I would have bought some if I hadn't been walking around that day. There were lots of side dishes that would go well with rice!
It's popular with tourists because it has the same atmosphere as an old market. You can buy a little bit of everything and have a set meal.
The town is full of apple motifs! Apples, apples, apples... Bus stops, station signs, shop logos and illustrations. Before I knew it, I was searching for apples.
Delicious apple pie in a lovely cafe.
In Hirosaki, there are many Western-style pastry shops, cafes, bakeries, and other establishments that offer apple pie. There are so many stores that it's impossible to keep track of them all. There are apparently 50 or even more varieties that are known.
A bakery in Hirosaki City, located just a few minutes from the station, had the perfect apple pie for takeaway. We went to "Boulangerie Ishita" for their Chausson aux Pommes. The pie crust here remained crisp even after some time had passed. Inside were lots of large apples hidden inside, making it a top-notch apple pie. Apparently this apple pie is the most popular at the store. It's no wonder!
Next, we went to try apple pie in a lovely Western-style building. At Taisho Romantic Cafe, there are about seven kinds of apple pies on offer at all times, which are sold at Western-style confectionery shops in Hirosaki City. You can compare the different types, so you can enjoy them all. There is also an apple festival for drinks. 100% Hirosaki apple juice, cider, apple vinegar drink, apple cider, etc. After some hesitation, I settled on apple tea.
I ordered a rough pie with just the right amount of sweetness, which is my preference, and the shop staff recommended an item from "Jardin Patisserie." It was an apple pie with softly stewed apples and a fragrant, well-baked crispy pie crust.
Another cake that caught my eye was the Mont Blanc cake from Peter Pan Confectionery. It was shaped like a rose bud and was filled with light, fresh cream, making it a dessert for adults that wasn't too sweet.
The Fujita Memorial Garden, where the Taisho Romantic Cafe is located, was just in full bloom with the irises, and many customers were enjoying strolling through the garden and the cafe. I was able to enjoy the cider that I couldn't drink during the day when I was traveling by bicycle, but by night I was able to enjoy it. My body was being made of apples from Hirosaki... I had no idea apples could be so delicious. The apple gourmet of Hirosaki was of a high standard in every respect.
I bought an apple pie from a bakery. "Chausson aux Pommes" from Boulangerie Ishita. The place is full of customers at lunchtime.
Even though it was a bakery, the authentic pie crust had a wonderful texture. The crust was fragrant and crispy, and was filled with plenty of apples.
The prepared bread "salad bread" is also popular. It is a long-standing item with a homemade taste.
Campagne made with local apples and walnuts. As I continued to eat it, a large slice of apple was brought out from the center.
"Taisho Romantic Cafe". Located inside the gate of the Fujita Memorial Garden. A lovely Western-style building!
The seats near the sunroof-like glass window let in plenty of sunlight and offer a view of the Japanese garden.
Here I ordered apple pie, Mont Blanc, and apple tea.
The plump, tall apple pie is from Jardin Patisserie in the city and is served lightly warm.
The dough isn't mushy at all, it's crispy and buttery.
A rosebud-shaped Mont Blanc from Peter Pan Bakery.
On top of the bud is a candied chestnut. Inside is pure white, fluffy, light fresh cream that melts in your mouth, and at the very bottom is sponge cake. It's so perfect that it's almost a shame to eat it.
This Taisho Romantic Cafe is located in the Fujita Memorial Garden. There is a Western-style building and a Japanese-style building with a cafe. Both are registered tangible cultural properties of the country. It was originally the villa of businessman Kenichi Fujita. This is the Japanese-style building, and roof tiles are used, which are not often seen in the prefecture.
The elevated area features a spacious garden. It is a well-maintained garden with not a single blade of grass.
The 170-year-old weeping cherry tree and the red pine tree with its twisted trunk enduring the wind and snow are impressive. On this day, the garden was being maintained by people who were cleaning and caring for the garden.
When we visited (early July), the irises were in full bloom, and groups of people were enjoying strolling around.
The entire garden is an enormous 21,800m2 (6,600 tsubo). It features a vermilion curved bridge and a refreshing waterfall.
Even in summer, when you see the red "Shojo Momiji" (Japanese maple leaves), you can't help but imagine the autumn leaves. This is a large-scale garden that is one of the largest in the Tohoku region, where you can enjoy plum blossoms, cherry blossoms, azaleas, autumn leaves, and even snow scenery.
In the evening, I drank cider at a bar in Hirosaki. It was sparkling apple wine made with 100% domestic apples. The cider "Nikka Cider Toki Ringo" that is sold for a limited time is 100% made in Hirosaki. I want to try it!
This is apple brandy. Nikka has a factory in Hirosaki where they manufacture products using apples.
Stylish Hirosaki traditional culture. Miscellaneous goods green.
If I was going to Aomori Prefecture, I wanted to experience some of the region's traditional crafts. So I went to the select shop "green" in the city. Here, they offer items such as the traditional "kogin embroidery" of the Tsugaru region and "kokeshi" dolls from Kuroishi, in a style that blends in with nature and is easy to keep close to people even today.
"Kogin-zashi" is a type of embroidery from the Tsugaru region, where geometric patterns are created by inserting thread one stitch at a time into the fabric. At Green, we offer products that preserve tradition while also offering modern color combinations and items.
They also carry cute and humorous kokeshi dolls, a local Aomori toy, by young artist Masafumi Abo, and every month they display kokeshi dolls with new designs. We hope that even those who have seen kogin embroidery and kokeshi dolls many times before will come here to see and discover new styles of tradition.
The select shop Green is a store that sells accessories for living in an environmentally friendly way.
A variety of original kogin embroidery designs created in collaboration between the Hirosaki Kogin Research Institute and green.
This month's kokeshi is a sumo wrestler. It's wearing a loincloth and has a prize on its butt (lol). I bought it for myself. It's a work by Masafumi Abo.
There are also natural clothing, organic foods, tableware, miscellaneous goods, etc. All previous Kokeshi dolls are not currently for sale.
The shop is also located near "Boulangerie Ishita"! Please stop by.
Read the second part here
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
