Tourists from outside the prefecture are talking about apple figurines that look exactly like the ones sold at Hirosaki's communication shop "Dotebako" (Hirosaki City, Dote Town).

The apple figurine says, "When JR Namioka Station was renewed to the new station building in 2010, we were asked to make an apple object for the exhibition," says the design company that operates the box. Mamoru Nishizawa, art director of “Yaruka Naka”. The company also has a track record of producing apple objects installed inside the JR Hirosaki station.

According to Nishizawa, he had made apple figurines with materials such as Styrofoam and silicone resin, but "the best thing was pottery" to give each piece a handmade feel. The pottery is baked by the potters in the city, and the company designs and colors everything. Especially Mr. Nishizawa is in charge of coloring. "The trick is to give it an apple-like appearance, but to transform it so that it looks better when it's displayed as an interior," he said. "It takes about two days for each coloring work," he said.

Pottery apples are used for stores and event exhibitions, and are often purchased individually. It is said that some tourists from outside the prefecture used it as a celebration of the 60th birthday and purchased it as "I want to be surprised by mixing it with a real apple."

One 3,800 yen (excluding tax). Depending on the quantity, it will be manufactured after ordering. Business hours are from 11:00 to 18:30.