Aomori

Aomori (青森), the capital of Aomori Prefecture, Japan, is on Mutsu Bay, at the northern tip of Honshu.

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a multilingual guide site.

By plane
Buses connect the airport to the Aomori train station for ¥700. The bus ride lasts 35 minutes.

By train
From Tokyo, Tohoku Shinkansen Hayabusa (はやぶさ) and Hayate (はやて) trains run to Shin-Aomori station (新青森) on the way towards Hakodate in Hokkaido. From Shin-Aomori, regular trains shuttle passengers over to the more centrally-located Aomori station (青森). Ticketed passengers are permitted to shuttle between these two stations in the non-reserved car of any train, even if a limited express train heading towards Aomori departs first. Expect the total journey to take 3½ to 4 hours, depending on the transfer and wait times at Shin-Aomori. Note that it may be faster to take a bus between Shin-Aomori and the city center (Aomori station or even closer to your accommodation) because the trains aren't necessarily timed to the Shinkansen.

The regular one-way fare from Tokyo to Aomori is ¥17,350 on the Hayabusa - slightly cheaper for the Hayate - and so for foreign tourists the better deal for the round-trip is to purchase a JR East Rail Pass - Tohoku Area (¥19,000 for advance purchase), which can be used on any 5 days within a 14-day period.

If your travel plans include other parts of the country, the better option will be the national Japan Rail Pass. If your plans only include travel around Tohoku and Hokkaido, consider the JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass, which is slightly cheaper than the national pass (¥26,000 for advance purchase) and covers travel from Tokyo to Aomori, Hakodate and Sapporo. It can be used on any 6 days within a 14-day period.

Note that the Green Car version of the national Japan Rail Pass is valid for Green Cars on the Hayate and Hayabusa, but any version of the pass will cover just the basic fare for the business class seating on the Hayabusa, known as Gran Class. Passengers (including Japan Rail Pass holders) using "Gran Class" will be pampered with an all-leather seat resembling business class on an airplane, a personal on-call cabin attendant, light meals and complimentary alcoholic beverages. If you use Gran Class with a Japan Rail Pass, you must pay the Shinkansen express charge and the Gran Class surcharge (¥16,960 from Tokyo). Without a Japan Rail Pass, Gran Class costs ¥27,110 between Tokyo and Aomori.

By bus
Aomori, at the northernmost point of Honshu, is the terminating point for several highway buses.

From Tokyo Station, JR Bus Tohoku's La Foret service runs once per night, reaching Aomori in 9 1/2 hours at a cost of ¥9,000 each way on Fridays, Saturdays and the day before holidays, and ¥8,500 on all other days. Konan Bus' Tsugaru runs over the same route; their bus costs ¥7,500 each way, or ¥9,000 during peak travel periods.

From Ueno Station in Tokyo, Konan Bus runs discounted bus services to Aomori: a daytime service called Sky (¥5,000) and two night services called Panda (¥4,500; ¥5,000 during peak travel periods). These buses take longer to Aomori - about 11 hours each way - due to an additional stop made in Hirosaki.

Willer Express operates several buses from Tokyo Station, Tokyo Disneyland and Shinjuku to Aomori with prices starting from about ¥5,000. Bookings can be made online in English.

Four bus operators jointly run Blue City daytime buses between Sendai and Aomori (5 hours, ¥5,700). There are more runs during the summer months than the rest of the year.

By boat
Seikan Ferry and Tsugaru Kaikyo Ferry operate ferry services from Aomori to the port of Hakodate with multiple departures daily. Trips take 3 hr 45 min. One way fares are cheapest on the Seikan Ferry, ¥1600 for a carpet space. The Tsugaru Kaikyo's Blue Dolphin ferry offers several classes of service, from standard carpet space (¥2220 one-way) up to a suite with two beds and an in-room shower and toilet (¥4940 one-way) and a luxurious suite that adds a living room (¥12,340 one-way). During peak travel periods, these fares are higher.

Tsugaru Kaikyo offers online booking of all of their ferry services in English through a third party. Fares are paid in euros and reservations are confirmed within 48 hours of booking. They also offer checked baggage service for an extra fee.

Cars and motorcycles can also be carried on some of these ferries.

Get around
Taxis are always available from the train station.

Buses: Go to the bus terminal outside the train station and tell the attendant at the city bus counter where you'd like to go. He or she will tell you which number bus stop to wait at, what time the bus will come, and where to get off. On city buses, you'll pay when you get off the bus.

The Nebutan-go shuttle bus runs clockwise and counter-clockwise circles stopping at both Aomori and Shin-Aomori Stations, the Prefectural Art Museum, and other tourist sites about once an hour during the morning and afternoon. ¥200 per ride; a one-day pass is ¥500.

Anything in the downtown Shinmachi area is easily accessible by foot.



South West




Asamushi Onsen
A hot springs resort town on Mutsu bay with a large number of inns. At many of the inns and hotels, you can pay a small fee to use the bath even if you're not staying overnight.

Buy
Regional specialties include Tsugaru-nuri lacquerware, kogin-zashi embroidery, sakiori weaving, and products made from hiba cypress wood.

Eat
Aomori's list of food specialties is extensive, but the headliners include apples, scallops, and garlic.



Drink
Local specialties are cidre (シードル, sparkling apple wine) and Denshu (田酒), Aomori's famous sake. Denshu is served in some izakaya and sushi restaurants. The main entertainment district is Honchō (本町). To get there, walk straight down Shinmachi "Amenity Street" for about 15 minutes. Once you cross Yanagi-machi Dōri (a big street with a median strip), you're in Honchō. However, there's plenty to drink in the city center:

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



Connect
The city tourist information center is located next to the bus station on the left as you exit the train station; they have good brochures and maps in English.

Go next

 * 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.
 * Towada-Hachimantai National Park for day trips or overnight stays at onsen ryokan. Hike in the Hakkoda Mountains from trails accessible from Sukayu Onsen or the local cable car, both of which have stops about an hour away from Aomori on a stunning Japan Rail bus ride (covered by JR Pass). Less strenuous hiking along the Oirase Stream and waterfalls, or a visit to Lake Towada are also possible on the same route, 2-3 hours from Aomori.
 * Hakodate, Hokkaido is two hours away by train.
 * Inakadate
 * Goshogawara
 * Kuroishi
 * Shichinohe
 * Misawa