Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [412]
Kamasada Honten (622-3911; 2-5 Konya-chō; 9am-5.30pm Mon-Sat) A fine exponent of nanbu tetsubin, selling affordable gift items alongside tea kettles that cost as much as a small car. It’s across the Nakatsu-gawa near Gozaku, a traditional merchant’s area of kura (mud-walled) warehouses, coffee shops and craft studios.
Getting There & Away
BUS
JR highway buses depart from an organised terminal across from the train station. There’s a booth here where you can purchase tickets to major cities throughout Japan. Some sample destinations, which have frequent daily departures from Morioka, include Tokyo (¥7800, six hours), Sendai (¥2850, three hours) and Hirosaki (¥2930, 2½ hours).
CAR
If you’re driving, the Tōhoku Expressway () runs between Tokyo and the greater Morioka area.
TRAIN
There are hourly trains on the JR Tōhoku shinkansen line between Tokyo and Morioka (¥13,640, 2½ hours). Several trains per hour run on the JR Akita shinkansen line between Morioka and Akita (¥4300, 1½ hours) via Tazawa-ko (¥1780, 30 minutes) and Kakunodate (¥2570, 50 minutes). Hourly tokkyū (limited express) trains on the JR Tōhoku Main line run between Morioka and Aomori (¥5960, 1¾ hours).
Getting Around
The rather charmingly named tourist bus, Dendenmushi (snail; single ride/day pass ¥100/300), makes a convenient loop around town, departing in a clockwise direction from stop 15 in front of Morioka station (anticlockwise from stop 16) between 9am and 7pm.
Return to beginning of chapter
AOMORI-KEN
Aomori-ken, at the curious northern tip of Honshū, is split in the middle by Mutsu, Noheji and Aomori bays, all cradled in the arm of the axe-shaped Shimokita peninsula. Somewhat lacking in public transportation, this is a prefecture where having a rental car will really open up some of Japan’s most remote and wildly exotic areas. The ethereal volcanic landscapes around Osore-zan are where Aomori’s people come to commune with the dead, though the verdant nature clinging to the shores of Towada-ko is definitely more rooted in this world.
Return to beginning of chapter
AOMORI
017 / pop 315,000
Virtually wiped off the map by Allied bombing during WWII, Aomori exists today as a thoroughly modern (and somewhat boring…) transport hub – it serves mainly as a rest stop for travellers breaking up the journey between Tokyo and Hokkaidō, and as a jumping off point for destinations around the prefecture. All of this changes during the Nebuta Matsuri in the first week of August, when traditional floats parade down the streets, followed by raucous merrymakers. If you’re not able to attend one of Japan’s top celebrations, a decent consolation prize is a few hours spent visiting the city’s humble but engaging museums.
Information
EMERGENCY
Aomori Police Station (723-4211; 2-3-1 Shinmachi)
INTERNET ACCESS
Ai Plaza (734-1111; www.city.aomori.aomori.jp/contents/english/01-1location.html; 1-3-7 Shin-machi; per 1hr free; 10am-9pm) On the 4th floor of the AUGA building. Also provides some tourist information.
MEDICAL SERVICES
Aomori City Hospital (; 734-2171; 1-14-20 Katsuda)
POST
The main post office is east of the city centre, while a smaller branch is within easy reach of the station. Both have international ATMs.
TOURIST INFORMATION
Prefectural tourist information counter (734-2500; 2nd fl, ASPAM Bldg, 1-1-40 Yasukata; 9am-6pm)
Tourist information office (723-4670; 8.30am-5.30pm) On the left of the station’s central exit; English-language pamphlets and a city map.
Sights
Perched on the shores of Aomori Bay, the futuristic, pyramid-shaped ASPAM building (1-1-40 Yasukata) is the symbol of modern Aomori. On the top floor, there is a viewing plaza (admission ¥400, with panoramic slideshow ¥800), though the perspective is equally as good on the lower (free!) floors.
The city’s second symbol is the nearby Aomori Bay Bridge – climb the stairs at the station end for more top-notch views.
Permanently moored in Aomori Bay is the ferry Hakkōda-maru (735-8150; admission ¥500; 9am-5pm Nov-Mar, to 6pm Apr-Oct). For 25 years, it was the