Aomori

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Aomori (??), the capital of Aomori prefecture, Japan, is located on Mutsu Bay, at the northern tip of Honshu.

	aomori Travel Guide : 1 Get in 1.1 By air 1.2 By train 1.3 By bus 1.4 By boat 2 Get around 3 See 4 Do 5 Buy 6 Eat 7 Drink 8 Sleep 9 Contact 10 Get out 11 External links

Get in

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.

By train

From Tokyo, the fastest method of reaching Aomori is by taking the Tohoku Shinkansen Hayate (???) 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 most overnight trains which run toward Sapporo (on the northernmost island of Hokkaido) stop only in Aomori to change direction, and not to discharge passengers, a few of them do serve Aomori. Here are the two most convenient overnight trains:

• From Tokyo's Ueno Station, the Akebono (????) runs daily to Aomori in 12 hours via Akita.
• From Osaka and Kyoto, the Nihonkai (???) #3 runs daily to Aomori in around 16 hours following the same northern route.

Trains from Aomori continue up to Hakodate and Sapporo via the Seikan Tunnel, one of the longest in the world.

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. When opened, travel time from Tokyo to Aomori by train will be sharply reduced.

By bus

An overnight bus service called "La Foret" runs between Tokyo and Aomori, costing ¥10000 yen one-way and taking 9 1/2 hours to complete. Two departures nightly.

By boat

Higashi-Nihon Ferry 1 (http://www.higashinihon-ferry.co.jp/) offers frequent services to Hakodate(3:40, ¥1850).

Get around

The easiest subway station to reach from the train station is right on the shin-machi main street. When you arrive at a very large intersection that has a Cappriciosa restaurant on the corner, you should be able to see the entrances to the subway.

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.

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.

• The 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.
• The Nebutanosato houses exhibits about the Nebuta if you're unable to make it during festival season.
• The 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.
• The 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).
• The 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.
• The Aomori Prefectural Museum houses exhibits about the history of Aomori prefecture.
• The Asamushi Aquarium 2 (http://www.asamushi-aqua.com)is a nice aquarium that features a dolphin show and a transparent underwater tunnel.
• The Asamushi Onsen is a hot springs resort on Mutsu bay with a rather large number of inns.
• The Sannai Murayama is a historical site dedicated to the Jomon people, as many Jomon artifacts have been uncovered here.

Do

Aomori is famous for the Nebuta Matsuri 3 (http://www.nebuta.or.jp/english/index_e.htm) festival, held yearly in August.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 4 (http://www.northern-tohoku.gr.jp/welcome/) here, which gets you discounts on transport and attractions.

Get out

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

External links

• Aomori City (http://www.city.aomori.aomori.jp/english/idxeng.html)

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