Photo: くろふね / CC BY-SA 4.0A-Factory is a market hall and cider works on the waterfront beside Aomori Station, run by the railway company's local subsidiary. Aomori is Japan's biggest apple-growing prefecture, and the hall is built to show it: the cider workshop has eight brewing tanks and a glass-walled brewery where you can watch the process, and the food market sells apple sweets, juices and gifts.
On the first floor are a food market, an apple-themed shop, a gelato counter, a diner-style restaurant and two other eateries. Upstairs is a galette restaurant and a Tasting Bar where you can sample the house ciders. Everything is under one roof, so it works as a rest stop in bad weather.
The catch: it is a shopping hall, not a sight. It is best as the 45-minute stop between the waterfront walk and the museum or the train station. Check the closing-day notices on the site, as it closes for single days.
Five things the plaques won't tell you
- Check the closing notices on the hall's site: it announced a closure for Sunday 11 October 2026.
- The Tasting Bar on the second floor has different days: Sunday–Wednesday until 18:00, Friday–Saturday until 20:00.
- The hall says its ciders are made only from Aomori apples, and the glass-walled brewery can be watched from outside.
- The hall has a Food Marche shop on the first floor open 10:00–19:00, the best place to buy gift apple products.
- The restaurants take last orders at 17:30, so lunch is the safer meal.
Everything is under one roof, so it works as a rest stop in bad weather.
Guided ways to do A-Factory
Booked before you sail — there is no tour desk at the pier. Booking through these links supports the site.
More in Aomori
Questions people ask here
How far is A-Factory from Aomori cruise port?
About a 20-minute walk from Shin-Chuo Wharf, on the flat. The hall says it is two minutes from JR Aomori Station, and the port is 20 minutes on foot from the station.
What are A-Factory's opening hours?
Shops are open 10:00 to 19:00 and restaurants 11:00 to 18:00, with last orders at 17:30. Some shops differ, and it posts single-day closures as news.
Is A-Factory worth a stop?
Yes for apple products and a cider tasting, and as a flat, sheltered stop beside Wa Rasse. It is a shopping hall, not a major sight.