Immerse yourself in Japan’s premier fruit-growing culture at Hirosaki Apple Park (弘前市りんご公園), a 9.7-hectare “apple wonderland” nestled at the base of the majestic Mt. Iwaki. Home to over 2,300 trees and 80 distinct varieties, this park is the ultimate destination for apple picking in Aomori, with harvest experiences available from early August through mid-November. Beyond the orchards, visitors can explore the Ringo no Ie (Apple House) to sample local delicacies like apple curry and cider, or step back in time at the Former Osanai Family Residence, a historic Edo-period farmhouse. Whether you are visiting for the soft pink blossoms in May or the lively Apple Harvest Festival in autumn, Hirosaki Apple Park offers a family-friendly blend of agriculture, history, and stunning panoramic views.
All You Need to Know Before Visiting Hirosaki Apple Park
- Explore Hirosaki with a Professional Guide
- Aomori Apple Picking Season
- About Hirosaki Apple Park
- Services Provided by Hirosaki Apple Park
- Light Meals and the Café Corner at Ringo no Ie
- Souvenir Corner at Ringo no Ie
- Activities at Hirosaki Apple Park
- Festivals and Other Events at Hirosaki Apple Park
- Hirosaki Apple Park's Business Hours and Access Information
- The Safety Convex Mirrors That You Can't Find Elsewhere
- The Apple Road in Hirosaki
- The Joyful Train That Passes Through Endless Apple Farms
- Where Else to Visit at Hirosaki?
Refer to Hirosaki Apple Park map HERE.
Explore Hirosaki with a Professional Guide
If you prefer a guide to introduce you to Hirosaki, consider joining one of the following tours.
- Hirosaki Castle Cherry Blossom Private Charter One-Day Tour (Cherry Blossom Season Exclusive)
- Apple Picking and Hirosaki Castle Private Tour
Aomori Apple Picking Season
The apple-picking season in Aomori runs from early August to late November.
About Hirosaki Apple Park
The Hirosaki Apple Park, about 40 minutes by bus from JR Hirosaki Station (弘前駅), however, offers more than a typical orchard opens to visitors. The park is a fantastic place to learn how apple farmers grow their apples!
Throughout the year, visitors to the park can participate in a range of activities in addition to apple-picking in Aomori, such as artificial pollination and removing unwanted flowers and fruit (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ. Having said that, you can still just stroll around the huge park freely!
In the park, amongst the 2,300 apple trees, there are around 80 different types of apples, growing apples for us to eat!
Farm equipment for apple farming from the Edo period (1603 – 1868) is also exhibited in the park. It is a reminder to us visitors how hard it was to plant apples in the good old days (´▽｀*).
Just from the image on the right, you can see that the park really has transformed into a spot where everyone can enjoy the beautiful atmosphere and hang out!
Services Provided by Hirosaki Apple Park
- Rental Bicycle Service: from April to early December, you can rent a bicycle from a few places in Hirosaki City for 500 yen (no hourly charge).
- The service runs daily from 9 am. You need to return your bicycle to one of the designated spots by 4 pm.
- You can rent a bicycle from Hirosaki Park after the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival period.
- For more information, please refer to Hirosaki Tourism and Convention Bureau’s website HERE.
- Umbrella Rental Service: If it starts raining and you’re unprepared, you can borrow an umbrella to stay as dry as possible!
- Free Wi-Fi: search for the network – HIROSAKI_Free_Wi-Fi on your phone.
Light Meals and the Café Corner at Ringo no Ie
At Ringo no Ie, there is a dining corner where you can enjoy light meals, drinks, and desserts – all containing apple ingredients!
Whilst desserts such as apple pie can be found almost anywhere in the world, have you heard of or tried apple ramen? It was a real struggle for us to turn down this rare dish because it is not vegetarian…
Checking out the menu will definitely make you hungry. So before you click on the links, maybe eat some snacks first (´▽｀*). You can refer to their menu HERE beforehand. Please scroll down to the dining section. The PDF menu links have photos under each menu item.
Important: Please note that all desserts contain eggs. As for soup noodle items, the broth contains fish extract. You can refer to our Essential Japanese Travel Phrases For Vegetarian article if you have trouble communicating with the staff (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ.
Souvenir Corner at Ringo no Ie
Inside the souvenir shop, you will find around 1,200 different apple-related products (including edible ones)!
If you have space in your luggage, how about bringing back a bottle of apple juice or cider? They are famous enough that even people around the country have been placing online orders (^_-)-☆.
Activities at Hirosaki Apple Park
At Hirosaki Apple Park, not only is apple picking available, but there is a wide range of activities that you can participate in throughout the year! Below is a guide that you can refer to for your trip planning:
- Hirosaki Apple Park Apple Picking:from early August to late November, 9 am to 4 pm. Visitors are guided to the apple-picking areas every 30 minutes.
- You CAN NOT consume the apples you picked until they are paid for.
- The price for the apples that you picked is 360 yen per kg. 1 kg is around 3 apples.
- To participate, please head to Ringo no Ie (りんごの家) – refer to the map HERE.
- Apple flowers picking (りんごの摘花体験(花摘み): around early May from 9 am to 4:30 pm. It is free to participate in this event, as you are helping the park remove excess flowers from the trees (´▽｀*).
- The activity will take about 20-30 minutes.
- Please follow the staff’s instructions on how to pick away the unwanted flowers.
- Apple selection (りんごの摘果体験(実選り)): between late May and early July, from 9 am to 4:30 pm.
- It is free to participate in this event, as you will help the park get rid of excess apples on the trees (´▽｀*).
- The apples that you will be picking won’t be ripe. The purpose is to get rid of unwanted apples so that the remainder will be more delicious when they ripen later in the year.
- Please follow the staff’s instructions carefully so you do not pick away the good ones.
- The activity will take around 20 – 30 minutes.
- Snowshoe (かんじき体験): between early January and late February, from 9 am to 4:30 pm.
- It is free to participate in this event.
- The activity will take around 10-20 minutes.
Festivals and Other Events at Hirosaki Apple Park
Apart from the above activities, apple-related festivals are held throughout the year (this is probably the orchard with the most events happening every year)!
Hirosaki Apple Flower Festival (弘前りんご花まつり)
Hirosaki Apple Flower Festival takes place in early May each year (May 4 to 6 in 2025).
The 1-Week event runs from 10 am to 3 pm each day, featuring live performances, fun activities, food stalls, and even a small petting zoo!
Summer Festival (サマーフェスティバル)
The Summer Festival takes place on a Sunday in late July. This event is for people (probably mainly kids) to get wet and have fun (≧▽≦). From 11 am to 4 pm each day, water gun wars will take place every 30 minutes.
In the park, you will also get a chance to board different types of vehicles, such as weeders. Weeders are used for apple production!
Apple Harvest Festival (りんご収穫祭)
Apple Harvest Festival is a 2.5-day event held in early November, starting at 4 pm on Friday. Similar to the Hirosaki Apple Flower Festival, there are live performances, fun activities, and yummy food stalls throughout the event.
The most exciting one is probably seeing the gigantic apple pie being made, cut, and then sold to those who want a piece (´▽｀*). One slice costs only 500 yen, so if you’re at the event on Sunday at 12 pm, don’t miss out!
During the Apple Flower Festival and Apple Harvest Festival, Apple Cider Nights are held for just a few days from 4 pm to 8 pm.
Klook.comHirosaki Apple Park Winter Festival (弘前市りんご公園ウィンターフェスティバル)
Hirosaki Apple Park Winter Festival is held on weekends and public holidays in February from 10 am to 3 pm.
As you probably guess, the festival is for people who want to play in the snow with their families and friends. As the city has the largest apple production in the country, it really needs to factor in some apple-related sessions during the festival (´▽｀*).
During the festival period, various activities are held. Hirosaki Tourism and Convention Bureau’s Japanese Website has more information.
Apple Truck Market (りんごトラック市)
Apple Truck Market is an event where local farmhouses gather to sell their apples. Whilst we don’t think the quality would differ greatly, it might still be fun to get a few apples from each stall to compare (^_-)-☆
The market is scheduled to hold in late November each year.
Hirosaki Apple Park’s Business Hours and Access Information
- The park is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm.
- Bus services stopping at the Apple Park depart from Hirosaki Bus Terminal (弘前バスタミナール) in front of JR Hirosaki Station. The price is 200 yen or 300 yen, depending on which bus you catch.
- HERE is the timetable for your reference.
- Regular bus services bound for Nishimeyamura Yakuba or Soma depart from bus stop no. 6 at Hirosaki Bus Terminal.
- The bus fare is 300 yen.
The Safety Convex Mirrors That You Can’t Find Elsewhere
Apart from the street post box with an apple on top previously introduced in our article about Hirosaki City, around the Hirosaki Apple Park, there are safety convex mirrors that have apple-shaped designs!
Instead of the usual treasure hunt, how about an apple-shaped safety convex mirrors hunt around the park (≧▽≦)?
The Apple Road in Hirosaki
Yes, there is a road that is actually called “Apple Road” in Hirosaki (´▽｀*).
The 20 km road is famous for its white apple flowers rather than the actual apples. Imagine the magnificent view of 400 thousand apple trees blooming at once! The residents of Hirosaki are so incredibly lucky! (*´ω｀).
Particularly around mid-May each year, the area around the road will be filled with a nice, sweet apple smell.
The Joyful Train That Passes Through Endless Apple Farms
The Gono Train Line between Aomori and Akita Prefectures also runs through a large field of apple farms.
Especially in mid-May, when the apple flowers start to blossom, if you hop on one of the trains that run between JR Goshogawara (五所川原駅) and JR Kawabe (川部駅), you will know what it is like to be surrounded by the flowers of the fruits that keep the doctors away!
If you are a Japanese Joyful Train fan, we recommend you avoid purchasing a ticket for the regular trains running between the two stations. Instead, make a reservation to board the Shirakami Resort!
Where Else to Visit at Hirosaki?
Of course, Hirosaki Apple Park won’t be the only attraction you want to visit in Hirosaki. As the cultural heart of Aomori Prefecture and Japan’s undisputed cherry blossom capital, this historic castle town offers a perfect blend of feudal history, stunning botanical gardens, and unique Western-style architecture. So, in addition to Hirosaki Apple Park, allocate some time to explore other attractions in one of the big cities in northeastern Japan!
So, find out more of our other recommended spots around the park with our Hirosaki City article!
Hi is horse-drawn sleigh ride available in winter and can I book tickets online ?
Hi Siow Hong,
Where did you see the information about the horse-drawn sleigh ride?
Kind regards,
Lily