Agri-no-Sato Oirase is a large hands-on agricultural tourism park in Oirase Town, Aomori Prefecture. Covering a spacious site, the facility combines farms and orchards with a restaurant, farmers’ market, animal interaction area, and natural hot-spring foot bath.
With activities centered around the ideas of “seeing, harvesting, eating, and interacting,” visitors can experience the pleasures of agriculture and local food throughout the year. Because there is so much to see and do, the park is an enjoyable destination for families, couples, and travelers of all ages.
The spacious grounds are designed for relaxed walks, allowing visitors to enjoy the scenery as it changes throughout the year.
From spring through summer, green fields and colorful flowers create a refreshing landscape. In autumn, the vineyards are filled with grapes in beautiful shades of green, while fields of red buckwheat flowers add vivid color to the scenery.
There are many photogenic spots around the grounds, making it easy to combine sightseeing with a peaceful walk surrounded by nature.
The Agri-no-Sato Oirase Strawberry Farm is one of the largest strawberry-growing facilities in Aomori Prefecture. The farm has wide, accessible paths, making strawberry picking comfortable for visitors with strollers and wheelchairs.
Several strawberry varieties are cultivated depending on the season. Each variety has its own balance of sweetness, acidity, aroma, and texture, making it fun to compare the different flavors while picking and eating the fruit.
Visitors can also take freshly harvested strawberries home, making them a delicious and memorable souvenir from Oirase.
At the on-site Freshly Made Workshop, visitors can enjoy sweets and drinks made with freshly picked strawberries. Popular choices include fresh strawberry juice and strawberry milk ice cream.
A seasonal strawberry parfait is another popular treat. Generously topped with fresh strawberries, it is an especially tempting choice for anyone visiting during the strawberry season.
One of the most unusual features of Agri-no-Sato Oirase is its tropical fruit greenhouse heated using hot-spring heat.
The greenhouse covers approximately 500 tsubo, an area of roughly 1,650 square meters. Inside, tropical fruits such as bananas, dragon fruit, and papayas are carefully cultivated despite Aomori’s cool northern climate.
The locally grown bananas are particularly noteworthy. They are known for their fragrant aroma and rich sweetness when allowed to ripen fully on the plant.
From approximately June through September, visitors may have the chance to see dragon fruit flowers in bloom.
These spectacular flowers open only at night and can grow to almost the size of a person’s face. Their large blossoms have a subtle fragrance and remain beautiful for just one night, making a nighttime bloom a rare and memorable sight.
Travelers who want to experience something unusual may enjoy timing their visit around the dragon fruit flowering season.
The on-site farm restaurant, Hyakka Ryosai, serves dishes prepared with fresh local ingredients as well as vegetables and fruits harvested at the farm.
The restaurant offers a buffet-style dining experience, with menus that make the most of seasonal ingredients. The focus is on allowing guests to enjoy the natural flavors and freshness of locally grown produce.
It is a comfortable place to relax and enjoy a meal with family or friends after exploring the farm.
The farmers’ market is filled with fresh vegetables, fruits, and processed foods produced by local farmers. It is an excellent place to discover the agricultural products of Oirase Town and the surrounding area.
The shop also carries selected products certified under the Oirase Town Brand, making it a convenient place to look for distinctive regional souvenirs.
Visitors can also purchase freshly baked bread, sweets made with もち小麦 (mochi wheat), gelato, and other treats. Some can be enjoyed immediately in the facility’s rest area.
The animal interaction area provides an opportunity to meet rabbits, ponies, goats, and other friendly animals at close range.
The young goats are especially popular with visitors. Their friendly behavior makes them entertaining for children while also providing adults with a relaxing break from sightseeing.
Interacting with animals can also be a valuable opportunity for children to learn about respect for animals and the importance of life through direct experience.
After walking around the farm, visitors can take a break at the natural hot-spring foot bath located within the grounds. Use of the foot bath is free of charge.
Soaking your feet in warm natural hot-spring water is a pleasant way to relax and ease tired legs after sightseeing. Sitting beside the farm and enjoying the surrounding natural scenery makes it an especially peaceful part of a visit to Agri-no-Sato Oirase.
Agri-no-Sato Oirase offers a variety of hands-on activities by advance reservation. The program changes depending on the season, giving visitors opportunities to experience both food production and traditional-style crafts.
Possible activities include making bamboo lanterns, bread, konnyaku, roll cakes using mochi wheat, and pizza baked in a pizza oven.
These activities allow visitors to do more than simply observe agriculture. By making food and crafts with their own hands, they can gain a deeper appreciation for the ingredients, skills, and local traditions behind them.
Agri-no-Sato Oirase actively promotes local production for local consumption. Its activities connect agricultural production with processing, retail sales, and food service, creating a cycle in which local agricultural products are enjoyed within the community.
This approach was recognized in fiscal year 2015, when the facility received the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award in the Community Exchange Promotion category as part of the Local Production for Local Consumption Excellence Awards.
The farm continues to work with the local community as a place where people can gather, interact, discover local food, and experience the appeal of agriculture.
Agri-no-Sato Oirase is much more than an ordinary farm. Visitors can pick strawberries, taste fresh local food, shop for regional products, meet friendly animals, enjoy tropical fruits, take part in creative workshops, and relax in a natural hot-spring foot bath—all within the same destination.
Its attractions also change with the seasons. Spring and summer bring lush greenery and flowers, autumn offers colorful vineyards and red buckwheat fields, while the strawberry farm and greenhouse provide additional experiences throughout the year.
For international visitors, Agri-no-Sato Oirase offers an easy and enjoyable way to experience Japanese agriculture, local cuisine, traditional crafts, and rural life in one place.
If you are traveling through southern Aomori, consider making time for this unique agricultural tourism park. Whether you visit for fresh fruit, a family activity, a local meal, or simply a relaxing walk, Agri-no-Sato Oirase offers plenty of opportunities to discover the natural and culinary charms of Oirase Town.