Fujita Memorial Garden

Little knownBarely documented in English. This is the kind of place the site exists for.

Recherche et rédaction Hinato

Fujita Memorial GardenHirosakiapple pieTaisho architectureMt. Iwaki

Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · original

Fujita Kenichi was born in Hirosaki, went to Tokyo, became the first chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and in 1919 built himself a second home back home — bringing gardeners up from Tokyo to lay out 21,800 square metres on the escarpment west of Hirosaki Castle. The site drops sharply, so the garden is in two halves: a formal upper garden beside a Western-style house of the period, and a lower garden of pond, stream and moss reached down the slope.

On a clear day Mt. Iwaki closes the view. The Western house holds a café, the Taisho Roman Kissashitsu, which serves several of the apple pies Hirosaki is known for — the city has an official apple pie guide map listing dozens of versions, and this is the easiest place to compare a few. In winter only the Western building opens, and entry is free.

Informations essentielles

Horaires d'ouverture

9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, last entry 4:30 PM | To 6:00 PM during the cherry blossom festival | Winter: Western building only

Fermé: Garden closed in winter; the Western building stays open

Tarif d'entrée

Charged in the main season | Free in winter, when only the Western building is open | Café priced separately

Meilleure saison

Late April for cherry blossom | Late October–November for autumn colour

Durée de visite

60–90 minutes including the café

Comment s'y rendre

Informations d'accès

Hirosaki, west of Hirosaki Castle. In winter only the Western-style building is open and entry is free.

Guide d'initié

**The garden is on two levels and most people only see one.** The formal upper garden is beside the entrance; the pond, stream and moss garden are down the escarpment. Missing the descent means missing the better half. **Winter is free.** From December the garden itself closes and only the Western building opens, at no charge. The café is still running, which makes it a good cold-weather stop. **Apple pie is a Hirosaki category, not a dessert.** The city publishes a guide to dozens of versions from different bakeries, and the café here serves several at once, which is the efficient way to compare. **It is next to the castle.** Hirosaki Castle park is a few minutes away, so the garden slots into a castle visit rather than needing its own trip.

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