Aomori Prefecture (青森県) is the northernmost prefecture of the Tohoku Region (東北), and like its neighbouring prefectures Iwate (岩手県) and Akita (秋田県), it experiences short summers and long winters each year, and the prefecture is famous for its pristine natural sceneries. The capital city, Aomori, is located on the northern side of the prefecture, right at the south of Aomori Bay (青森湾). Translated as “Blue Forest”, the city is home to many tourist attractions, and its connectivity and transport network also make it easy for visitors to travel not just in the city, but the prefecture as well.
Aomori is also home to JR Shin-Aomori Station (JR新青森駅) and JR Aomori Station (JR青森駅), the city’s two main train stations, with each serving different purposes. The former is the bigger and newer station that serves as the terminal point for the Tohoku Shinkansen (東北新幹線), and at the same time serves as the starting point of the Hokkaido Shinkansen (北海道新幹線), which travels through the northernmost prefecture of Japan. The latter is the smaller Aomori Station, located closer to the city centre and Aomori Bay, with many tourist attractions nearby.
Aomori is one destination that is slowly gaining attention and it’s beginning to see more and more visitors pouring in throughout the year. Although Aomori is known for its natural beauty, in this article, I will be focusing on the best man-made structures that the “Blue Forest” has to offer.
Hirosaki Castle: Traditional architecture
Mention “Aomori” and various images come to mind for different people. The prefecture is a place of many identities, juxtaposing tradition and modernity. While it is famous for its spectacular festivals and beautiful nature, the city is also home to some amazing structures that visitors ought to check out. Case in point: the magnificent Hirosaki Castle.
Hirosaki Castle (弘前城) is a prominent castle in the city of Hirosaki. There’s an interesting fact about Hirosaki Castle: its castle tower (天守 tenshu) was struck by lightning in the early 16th century, and was rebuilt in the early 18th century. Since then, the tower has been the only one in Tohoku built during the Edo Period (1603–1868). There are only a few of such structures still standing in Japan.
Unfortunately, the castle’s stone foundations have been undergoing major renovations since 2013. But interestingly, the castle keep will be moved to enable renovation works on the stone foundation and walls. But the good news is, the keep has reopened to the public since April 2016. And incredibly, the restoration process itself is a marvel; it’s called hikiya (曳屋, literally translates as ‘to tug a house’) due to its sheer complexity it’s slated to take up to 10 years to complete.
Visitors will not only remember fondly about the castle’s architecture; the surrounding Hirosaki Park (弘前公園) is also recognised as one of the best cherry blossom spots in Japan. The park is lined with over 2,500 cherry blossom trees, and in spring, cherry blossom petals will render the entire park and moats pale pink. It is even selected as one of Japan’s Top 100 Cherry Blossom Viewing Sites (さくら名所100選), chosen by the Japan Cherry Blossom Association.
Visitors planning to visit Hirosaki Castle, especially during spring, should not miss the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival (弘前さくらまつり). Traditionally held over Japan’s Golden Week period (end of April to beginning of May), the festival is held at Hirosaki Park and it welcomes over 2 million people each year.
Hirosaki Castle (弘前城)
Address: 1 Shimoshiroganecho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8356
Access: 15-minute bus ride on the Dotemachi Loop Bus from JR Hirosaki Station (JR弘前駅)
Aomori Bay Bridge: Modern architecture
Aomori is not known only for its historical structures. Its capital city is where you can find the Aomori Bay Bridge (青森ベイブリッジ), an imposing architectural work of art that defines the city skyline. At 1,129m, it is the longest bridge in the city and the second longest in the prefecture (second to Hachinohe-Ōhashi Bridge).
It is a cable-stayed bridge, where cables hanging from pylons support the bridge deck, similar to the Yokohama Bay Bridge and Great Seto Bridge. But there’s something unique about this one: a lot of emphasis is particularly placed on the bridge design. Notice how the shape of the suspension cables, as well as the base of the bridge, resemble the letter “A”, deliberately to stand for Aomori.
Aomori Bay Bridge (青森ベイブリッジ)
Address: Aomori, 030-0803
Access: 15-minute walk from JR Aomori Station (JR青森駅)
Jogakura Bridge: A more traditional architecture
The Aomori Bay Bridge is an instance of a modern architectural marvel in the city of Aomori. But if you want something more traditional, check out Jōgakura Bridge (城ヶ倉大橋), located deep in the Hakkōda Mountains (八甲田山系). Unlike the Aomori Bay Bridge, this one uses the more ancient deck arch construction, and it is the longest bridge of its type in Japan. The most amazing part of the bridge? The panoramic surrounding views, which is spectacular, especially in autumn.
Tsuru-no-Mai Bridge: Classical architecture at its finest
For the more adventurous travellers looking for something different, they should look for the Tsuru-no-Mai Bridge (鶴の舞橋). In the idyllic town of Tsuruta (鶴田町), and next to the picturesque Fujimiko Park (富士見湖パーク) stands this artistic 300-metre structure stretching over the Tsugaru-Fujimi Lake. It is a triple arch bridge made entirely of wood from Aomori Hiba, a tree type native to Aomori that has been coveted for centuries. What’s amazing about the Tsuru-no-Mai Bridge is how it is meant to look like a crane flying with the majestic Mount Iwaki in the background, and how visitors who cross the bridge will be blessed with longevity.
Tsuru-no-Mai Bridge (鶴の舞橋)
Address: Osawa Mawarizeki, Tsuruta, Kitatsugaru-gun, Aomori 038-3542
Access: 10-minute walk from JR Mutsu-Tsuruda Station (JR陸奥鶴田駅)
Aomori’s stunning summer festivals
If there’s one thing that grants Aomori its unique identity, it’s the Aomori Nebuta Festival (青森ねぶた祭り). Celebrated traditionally in the first week of every August, this week-long summer festival is known worldwide, with over 3 million visitors coming to witness the spectacle every year. Aomori Nebuta Festival is one of “Tohoku’s Three Great Festivals”, alongside the Sendai Tanabata Festival (仙台七夕まつり) in Miyagi Prefecture and Akita Kanto Festival (秋田竿燈まつり) in Akita Prefecture.
For visitors wanting to know more about the history of the festival, they can visit the Nebuta Museum WA-RASSE (ねぶたの家ワ・ラッセ), a museum solely devoted to the Nebuta Festival. The museum inside features photo galleries of the actual festival, exhibits, and even floats constructed for past festivals. There are even occasional performances available for visitors, with restaurants and souvenirs to complete all visitors’ enjoyable experiences coming here.
Nebuta City WA-RASSE (ねぶたの家ワ・ラッセ)
Address: 1-1-1 Yasukata, Bunka Kankou Kouryuu Shisetsu, Aomori-shi, Aomori Prefecture 030-0803
Access station: 2-minute walk from JR Aomori Station (JR青森駅)
When people think of the Nebuta Festival, they often imagine the main one held in the capital city of Aomori. However, the fire festival isn’t celebrated only there; it is also held in the ancient city of Hirosaki. Named Hirosaki Neputa Festival (弘前ねぷたまつり), the event is organised by the locals and held in the first week of every August. It is also listed as one of Japan’s Intangible Folk Cultural Properties.
Like the main one in Aomori, the Hirosaki Neputa Festival features astounding lantern floats with amazingly intricate artwork and designs. Each float features a front image (鏡絵 kagami-e), which translates as “mirror painting”, and a back image (見送り絵 miokuri-e), which translates as “farewell painting”. Every float features something visually stunning, and it is always fun to see what kind of imagery you’d get.
Snow festivals galore
There is something special during winter too: the Hirosaki Castle Snow Lantern Festival (弘前城雪燈籠まつり). The site is also the venue for an annual winter festival that began in 1977, and is also one of Tohoku’s Five Great Snow Festivals (みちのく五大雪まつり). The snow lanterns are specially handcrafted by the locals, and there are also huge snow sculptures that include a large replica of Hirosaki Castle’s tower and igloos with lit candles inside.
Fields of artwork
The region has some of the best sceneries in Japan, and every season has something fantastic for visitors. Aomori is no exception, as it boasts amazing scenery for every season. The best sceneries need not necessarily be natural; some of them are specially prepared by the locals. Behold, the glorious paddy field arts of Aomori!
The peaceful village of Inakadate (田舎館村), with a population of less than 10,000, is home to amazing paddy field art (田んぼアート tanbo-āto), a distinctively Japanese art form where people plant rice of various types and colours to create images in a paddy field.
In 1993, the locals were looking for ways to revitalise their village. As rice plantations have been part of the village’s livelihood for more than 2,000 years, they decided to honour this tradition by making art out of their paddy fields and showcasing them to the world. Since then, people have poured in to witness the captivating designs, which started simple at first. The locals opted for designs of Mount Iwaki during the initial years, but gradually they went for more complex designs.
Inakadate (田舎館)
Address: 123-1 Inakadate, Nakatsuji, Minamitsugaru-gun, Aomori 038-1113
Access: 2-minute walk from Konan Railways Tamboato Station (弘南鉄道田んぼアート駅)
*Note: the train station is open only from April to November.
Closing
Aomori’s majestic natural beauty, abundant delicious food, amazing hot springs and spectacular festivals are more than enough reasons to warrant anyone to visit Aomori. But Aomori isn’t just about nature; it also has a generous share of marvellous man-made structures. The region intends to wow everyone from around the world, and I hope more people discover the splendidness of the “Blue Forest”.
JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area)
The JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area) is an affordable pass that offers unlimited train rides on JR East lines, including bullet trains, within the valid area for 5 consecutive days. It’s only ¥30,000, making it much cheaper than a round-trip train fare between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori (approximately ¥35,740). Pass holders can also reserve seats online for up to a month in advance for free on the JR-EAST Train Reservation.
Header image credit: Aomori Prefecture
