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2 cities
Province · Tohoku
Aomori
The Nebuta Festival, Hirosaki Castle and its cherry trees, the Oirase Stream, Lake Towada and the Shirakami beech forests.
In the photo: Hirosaki Castle, in Aomori.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The province
Get to know Aomori
Aomori occupies the northern tip of Honshu, between the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan and the Tsugaru Strait, opposite Hokkaido. It is apple country: orchards produce most of the nation’s apples. Winters are long and bring heavy snowfall, especially in the Hakkoda mountains.
In August the city of Aomori takes to the streets for Nebuta Matsuri: large paper floats, lit from within and painted with warriors and figures from legends, parade to the sound of drums and flutes. Outside the festival season, the Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse, by the bay, displays some of these floats year-round. Hirosaki and Goshogawara hold similar festivals, with fan-shaped and tower-shaped floats.
Hirosaki has one of the twelve Japanese castles that still retain the original keep, surrounded by a park with thousands of cherry trees that usually bloom between late April and early May. The city also preserves samurai residences and churches and Western-style mansions from the Meiji period.
On the border with Akita, Lake Towada fills the crater of an ancient volcano, and the Oirase Stream flows from it through waterfalls and forests along a trail. To the west, the Shirakami range protects one of the largest virgin beech forests in East Asia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. Near the capital, the Sannai-Maruyama site, a large Jomon-period settlement, is part of the Jomon Archaeological Sites in Hokkaido and northern Tohoku, also inscribed by UNESCO.
Destinations
1 destination in Aomori
Cities
2 cities in Aomori in the guide
Aomori
Capital
Aomori
Aomori is the capital of Aomori Prefecture, a port city on Mutsu Bay at the northern extreme of Honshu. It is the city of the Nebuta Festival and its illuminated paper floats, which are on display year-round at the Wa Rasse museum next to the station. On the outskirts are the Jomon site Sannai-Maruyama and the prefectural art museum; to the south are the Hakkoda Mountains, the Oirase Stream, and Lake Towada.
Aomori
Hirosaki
Hirosaki is the former seat of the Tsugaru clan, in western Aomori, at the foot of Mount Iwaki. It has the castle, with one of Japan’s twelve remaining original keeps, set in a park with thousands of cherry trees; the samurai district of Nakacho; Zenrin Avenue, with its Sōtō school temples; and European-style Meiji-era buildings. It is the center of the country’s largest apple-producing region.
When to go
Hirosaki’s cherry trees usually bloom between late April and early May. In August the Nebuta of Aomori and the festivals of Hirosaki and Goshogawara take place. Summers are mild. The Oirase Stream and the Hakkoda mountains color up in October. From December to March snowfall is heavy, and some mountain roads close in winter.
Getting there
The Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train links Tokyo to Shin-Aomori in about 3 hours and continues toward Hokkaido. Aomori Airport (AOJ) receives flights from Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo. Ferries connect Aomori with Hakodate. Hirosaki is about 40 km from Aomori by train or bus. Buses to Oirase and Lake Towada depart from Aomori and Hachinohe, with more services during the high season.
Your questions
Frequently asked questions about Aomori
When is the Nebuta Festival in Aomori?
In the first week of August, with night parades over several days and a final parade featuring floats on the sea and fireworks. Check the exact dates and book accommodation in advance, because the city fills up.
When do the cherry trees at Hirosaki Castle bloom?
Usually between late April and early May, later than in Tokyo and Kyoto. During the bloom the park receives many visitors and the trees are illuminated at night.
What is the Oirase Stream trail like?
The trail follows the stream for about 14 km, between Yakeyama and Lake Towada, with almost no climbs. You can walk just a section and return by bus, which stops at several points along the road.
How many days should I set aside for Aomori?
Two days allow you to see the capital and Hirosaki. With three or four days you can include Oirase, Lake Towada and a night at a mountain onsen resort.
Beyond the guide
