Hirosaki, long considered a centre of northern civilisation and enlightenment, retains a rich architectural legacy. Among its most atmospheric areas is the precinct around Fujita Memorial Garden, where structures recalling the Taishō era (1912–1926) still stand.
Many of these buildings, including the Western-style house with the iconic red-gabled roof that now hosts the Taishō Roman Tea Room, are registered as tangible cultural properties.
Inside, the ambience is immediately striking—stained glass windows, a period fireplace, latticed window bars, and delicate lamps evoke a restrained nostalgia.
A sunroom along the window offers the most sought-after seating, where guests can gaze out across the seasonal gardens while enjoying tea and sweets.
The tea room curates a selection of apple pies from bakeries around Hirosaki, making it an ideal destination for tasting and comparison—particularly fitting in a region famed for its apples. A birthday visit proved especially apt for such indulgence.
Apple Pies from Local Bakeries
Yume Ringo PÂTISSERIE (¥550)
Sweetness: 2/5 | Tartness: 3/5 | Cinnamon: None
Served warm, this pie featured a crisp, buttery crust made with Aomori-grown wheat, filled with sweet apples offering gentle acidity. Shaped like a small farm basket, the pie emphasised subtlety and craftsmanship. Best suited for those who favour simplicity and quality without excess sugar.
Nice Life (¥550)
Sweetness: 3/5 | Tartness: 2/5 | Cinnamon: 3/5 Hints of cinnamon accompanied firm chunks of Tsugaru apple, balanced by a sweet custard cream. The added cinnamon imparted a rich, warming aroma, enhancing the regionally specific apple flavour. A well-rounded pie showcasing the region’s strengths in both produce and technique.
Futamian (¥330)
Sweetness: 3/5 | Tartness: 3.5/5 | Cinnamon: 1/5
An old-fashioned option with more than five decades of history, made from home-stewed Jonathan apples. The red paste had a smooth texture and raspberry-like tartness, with light touches of rum and cinnamon. A nostalgic, refreshing pie at a modest price point.
Tea Lounge Eau Clair – 1F Art Hotel Hirosaki (¥550)
Sweetness: 3.5/5 | Tartness: 2.5/5 | Cinnamon: None
Made with Fuji apples from the Tsugaru Plain, these pies delivered crisp texture and restrained sweetness, with a light caramelised note enhancing the butter-rich pastry. The vacuum-packed whole pies also offered good shelf-life. Arguably the most flavourful and balanced of the selection.
Patisserie Jardin (¥550)
Sweetness: 3/5 | Tartness: 2.5/5 | Cinnamon: None
While the filling was lacking in quantity, the pastry was flaky, crisp, and buttery. The apple flavour was gentle and stewed, with an understated sweetness. Visually distinctive apple-shaped pies added a playful aesthetic.
Dessert Specialties
Newton Parfait (¥1,210)
A multi-layered apple parfait featuring:
- Apple jelly and apple chunks at the base
- Bold apple sherbet
- Smooth vanilla bean ice cream
- Apple tea pound cake
- Fresh whipped cream
- A crisp wafer (gaufrette)
- Apple mousse cake with cooked apple pieces
Flavours and textures were thoughtfully layered—intense and refreshing sherbet, creamy ice cream, tart fresh apple, and a mousse that brought cohesion to the whole. While the pound cake was dry on its own, it complemented the parfait well when eaten together. A complex and rewarding dessert.
Savoury Dish
Hirosaki Apple Beef Curry (¥880)
Featured firm cubes of locally grown apple, contributing a mild underlying sweetness rather than an overt apple profile. The curry itself had robust beef flavour and well-rendered texture. A balanced, if understated, regional dish.
Dining here—whether enjoying pie or parfait—while viewing the seasonal colours of the garden through the sunroom is a quiet indulgence, steeped in nostalgia and refinement.
Taishō Roman Tea Room is a well-curated tea room housed in a preserved Taishō-era villa, offering a unique opportunity to sample Hirosaki’s apple pies in a setting that honours both historical architecture and culinary craft.
Taishō Roman Tea Room is located in 1F Former Fujita Family Villa Western Style House, 8-1 Kamishiroganecho, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, 036-8207 Japan.