• Get around
• See
• Do
• Buy
• Eat
• Drink
• Sleep
• Contact
• Get out

Aomori (青森) [1], the capital of Aomori prefecture, Japan, is located on Mutsu Bay, at the northern tip of Honshu.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By air

Aomori's airport is served by Japan Airlines. JAL flights arrive from Tokyo Haneda Airport, Nagoya Centrair Airport, Osaka Itami and Kansai Airports, Sapporo Chitose Airport, and Fukuoka Airport. Buses connect the airport to the main train station for ¥560. The bus ride lasts 35 minutes.

[edit] By train

From Tokyo, the fastest method of reaching Aomori is by taking the Tohoku Shinkansen Hayate (はやて) train to Hachinohe, then transfer to a limited express train for the run to Aomori. Connections in Hachinohe are excellent, but at a price of about ¥17000, it makes sense to purchase a Japan Rail Pass or a JR East Pass beforehand. The one-way ride takes just over 4 hours.

While just about all long-distance overnight trains which run toward Sapporo (on the northernmost island of Hokkaido) stop only in Aomori to change direction, and not to discharge passengers, some other overnight services actually start/terminate in Aomori. Here are the most convenient trains:

• From Tokyo's Ueno Station, the Akebono (あけぼの) runs daily to Aomori in 12 hours via Akita.
• From Osaka and Kyoto, the Nihonkai (日本海) runs daily to Aomori in around 16 hours following the same northern route.
• The daily Hamanasu overnight express connects Aomori with Sapporo in about 7 1/2 hours.

Shin-Aomori station is a four minute ride from Aomori station on the Ou line, and services are pretty infrequent at the moment. However, Shin-Aomori station will take on a major role in 2010, when the Tohoku Shinkansen is extended north from Hachinohe to Shin-Aomori. Faster trains will be introduced to eventually bring the speed of the Hayate service from the present 275 km/h (170 mph) to an all-time high speed of 320 km/h (200 mph). This will cut one hour off the current travel time from Tokyo, from 4 hours to 3 hours.

[edit] By bus

Several overnight bus services run between Tokyo and Aomori, taking 9 1/2 hours to complete. JR's "La Foret" service runs twice nightly and costs ¥10000 one-way. Several other operators run cheaper services periodically; these can be booked through travel agents or websites such as Rakuten.

[edit] By boat

Major operator Higashi-Nihon Ferry [2] offers frequent services from Aomori to Hakodate. The high-speed Natchan-Rera (ナッチャンRera) hydrofoil, introduced in September 2007, links the two cities in 1 3/4 hours at a cost of ¥5000 each way in economy class, ¥6000 in business class and ¥10000 in executive class. There is also slower ferry service which takes almost four hours, starting from ¥1850 in second class. Departure times from Aomori to Hakodate on the hydrofoil are at 3:00, 10:00, 15:00 and 20:00, with ferry departures at 2:40, 7:20, 16:30 and 21:35.

[edit] Get around

Taxis are always available from the train station.

Buses exist in Aomori, but it can be confusing without at least an intermediate Japanese ability.

Anywhere on or around the downtown main street is easily accessible by foot.

[edit] See

As with most outlying prefectural capitals, there isn't much to see in the city itself if you go in without knowing what to look for.

• Nebuta Festival is claimed to be "Japan's biggest fire festival." Usually spanning a few weekends in August, this festival includes an abundance of street vendors. Each day culminates in a huge parade featuring lit up lantern floats and costumed dancers.

• Nebutanosato houses exhibits about the Nebuta if you're unable to make it during festival season.

• Aomori Bay Bridge spans a short harbor inlet that could easily be walked around in five minutes, so it appears to be basically an excuse for public funding as a tourist attraction.

• Aspam Center is a large triangular building that can be easily spotted from the train station or the bridge. This is the tourism center for all of Aomori prefecture. It includes a movie about the prefecture (Japanese only) and an observation deck with views of the harbor and city (extra charge).

• Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyu-Geshiki memorial alongside the ferry terminal looks like it might honor some historical event or local hero, but it's actually dedicated to a song. Meaning "Tsugaru Strait winter scenery", the 1977 hit ballad is an all-time karaoke favorite.

• Aomori Prefectural Museum houses exhibits about the history of Aomori prefecture.

• Asamushi Aquarium [3] is a nice aquarium that features a dolphin show and a transparent underwater tunnel.

• Asamushi Onsen is a hot springs resort on Mutsu bay with a rather large number of inns.

• Sannai Maruyama is a historical site dedicated to the Jomon people, as many Jomon artifacts have been uncovered here.

• Yotei-maru ferry, the ferry which connected Hokkaido and Aomori prior to the building of the Seikan Submarine Tunnel, is now a somewhat run down museum, a short walk from the train station. The rear part of the deck of the ferry serves as a beer garden on summer nights.

[edit] Do

Aomori is famous for the Nebuta Matsuri [4] festival, held yearly in August.

[edit] Buy

For loading up on regional souvenirs, head to ASPAM, the unusual-looking triangular building located just behind the bridge on the harbor. It contains an exhibition hall for promoting tourism and local products.

[edit] Eat

• Akbar's is a small restaurant with very good, reasonable priced Indian food. It is difficult to find, but worth the search. The restaurant is a few blocks southeast of the train station (down the shin-machi a few blocks, and right a few blocks). Akbar's is not directly on the road, it is tucked in with a small parking lot and has a small, but incredibly garish sign.

[edit] Drink

• The Aomori Grand hotel has a bar on the top floor, with a nice view of the bay bridge and the Aspam center. As far as hotel bars go, this one is quite reasonably priced.
• Karaoke U-Bo, a large karaoke chain, has a branch about four or five blocks down the main street on the left. This location has a nice selection of English songs and, of course, offers all you can drink plans. Sign up for their point card to earn free karaoke time.

[edit] Sleep

Numerous hotels dot the shin-machi, the main street that stretches out from the train station. These hotels generally increase in price the closer you get to the train station.

• The Aomori Grand is probably the closest and most expensive of these hotels. It is on the left as you begin down the shin-machi.

[edit] Contact

The city tourist information center is located next to the bus stop on the left as you exit the train station; they have good brochures and maps in English. You can pick up the free Northern Tohoku Welcome Card [5] here, which gets you discounts on transport and attractions.

[edit] Get out

• Hirosaki, the Kyoto of the North, is 45 minutes away by train.
• The Shimokita Peninsula, one of the most remote but also one of the most beautiful places in Japan, is a few hours away by train.