Place for Visit

Aomori City in Aomori Prefecture is the northernmost prefectural capital city on Honshu, Japan's main island. This port town used to be the main departure point to Hokkaido via ferry; and, although it remains the main port for car ferries, the opening of the Seikan Undersea Railway Tunnel and the advent of cheap flights have reduced ridership and many travelers now bypass the city altogether. Today Aomori is best known for its spectacular Nebuta Matsuri summer festival.

In Aomori, you can see:

•    Nebuta Festival. Aug 2-7. Said to be Japan's biggest fire festival. This festival includes an abundance of street vendors. Each day culminates in a huge parade featuring lit up lantern floats and costumed dancers.

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

•    Aomori Bay Bridge. This 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. 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.

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

•    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.