Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [415]
Sukayu Onsen Ryokan (; 738-6400; www.sukayu.jp, in Japanese; r per person with/without 2 meals from ¥9600/5925, bath-only admission ¥600; 7am-5.30pm; ) is a place plucked right out of an ukiyo-e wood-block painting – a delight for all five senses. Look at the dark wood, milky water and steam; listen to the gurgle of the water; feel its penetrating heat or massage tired shoulders with its utase-yu (massaging stream of water); smell the sulphur; and, if you dare, taste the water itself – it’s lemony, almost like ponzu (citrusy sauce). On a cold day, relaxing here is hard to beat, and one of the baths is rumoured to hold up to 1000 people (though you’ll rarely see more than 25 at any one time).
Two daily buses leave from stop 8 outside Aomori station, pass by the Hakkōda Ropeway-eki stop (¥1070, 50 minutes), and terminate at the next stop, Sukayu Onsen (¥1300, one hour). Once again, having a car will make it easier to access the area as public transport is extremely limited.
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SHIMOKITA-HANTŌ
0175 / pop 120,000
Also called Masakari-hantō (Axe peninsula) because of its unmistakable shape, this isolated peninsula has long stretches of sparsely inhabited coastline and remote mountain valleys. At the centre lies Osore-zan (874m), a barren volcanic mountain that is regarded as one of the most sacred places in all of Japan. With the yellow sulphur tributaries running into Usori-ko (), and ravens swarming about, it’s an appropriate setting for Buddhist purgatory – even the name, Osore, means fear or dread.
Unlike the rest of the country, however, Shimokita-hantō might as well be off the grid – stock up with supplies before heading to the peninsula as facilities are extremely limited. While public transport does run (however infrequent it might be), this is one destination where having your own rental car will make all the difference.
Orientation & Information
Shimikita’s main hub, the town of Mutsu, is accessible by train from Aomori. From here, bus services operate across the peninsula. To the east is the cape, Shiriya-zaki, and to the west, Ōma, Honshū’s northernmost point. At the bottom tip of the peninsula is Wakinosawa, which is connected to Aomori by ferry.
The tiny tourist information office (22-0909; 9am-6pm daily May-Oct, 9am-6pm Wed-Mon Nov-Apr) inside the Masakari Plaza in Mutsu has few resources; comprehensive information is available in the Aomori tourist information office.
Sights & Activities
OSORE-ZAN
This holy mountain, with its holy shrine Osorezan-bodaiji (; admission ¥500; 6am-6pm May-Oct), is a somewhat terrifying, strangely atmospheric place that’s popular with pilgrims seeking to commune with the dead. Several stone statues of the child-guardian deity, Jizō, overlook hills of craggy, sulphur-strewn rocks and hissing vapour; visitors help lost souls with their underworld penance by adding stones to the cairns. You can bathe on hell’s doorstep at free onsen to the side as you approach the main hall (sex-segregated options are on the left).
HOTOKEGAURA
The western edge of the peninsula is a spectacular stretch of coastline dotted with 100m-tall wind-carved cliffs, which are said to resemble Buddhas. Between April and October, round-trip sightseeing boats for Hotokegaura depart from Wakinosawa at 10.45am and 2.45pm (¥3800, two hours), though services are often suspended in poor weather.
WATCHING WILDLIFE
The peninsula is home to the world’s most northerly population of primates – these ‘snow monkeys’ or Japanese macaques number around 400, and are most commonly seen in the winter months when they move closer to the towns and villages in search of food. Locals, particularly those in the tourism industry, tend to keep pretty good tabs on the whereabouts of the colonies – ask around, and you might get lucky and spot a troop or two.
Festivals & Events
The two annual Osore-zan Taisai festivals (20 to 24 July and 9 to 11 October) attract huge crowds who come to consult itako (mediums) and try to contact dead family members.
Sleeping & Eating