And when you visit the central inland city of Hirosaki, you won’t soon forget it. Disembarking at the central rail station, a giant, shiny apple sculpture greets you at the gates; in every cafe, flaky apple pies stare out from windows. In autumn, onsens are filled with ripe apples that slowly poach in the steaming waters, perfuming the air. Even local pottery gets its unique blackened hue from an enamel made using the ashes of burnt apple tree branches. And, of course, there’s also the unmissable apple trees: hugging the scenic Gono rail line that trundles into Hirosaki from Aomori’s rugged west coast or fringing roads leading to the city’s temple district.