Off The Beaten Path Japan – Aomori Itinerary

Are you looking to travel to off the beaten path Japan? Aomori is a great place to start! I have put together a fantastic Aomori itinerary for you, I hope you guys like it!

Aomori prefecture is the northernmost prefecture in mainland Japan and is known to be the snowiest city in the WORLD. The next thing that Aomori is associated with is apples. Aomori prefecture produces more than 50% of all the apples produced in Japan, and they’re incredibly delicious and huge!

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Day 1 of Aomori Itinerary- Aomori City

Aomori city is the capital of the Aomori prefecture. There’s plenty to see and do here in the city itself. 

All the train stations in Aomori have these vending machines that sell only apple juice, made from Aomori apples. Incredibly refreshing and bursting with taste, they don’t disappoint!

A-Factory

Take a walk from Aomori station down to A-Factory. A-Factory is a large souvenir market within walking distance from Aomori station. They sell many apple products: jellies, jams, juices, and apple ciders. All apple-flavored! The juices and ciders are made on-site using Aomori apples only. 

There’s a gelato shop that sells the most divine apple gelato. And a cafe that sells a delicious apple tart. 

Nebuta Museum WA RASSE

A red metallic-looking building outside of A-Factory is the Nebuta Museum WA RASSE. Aomori is known for its Nebuta Festivals held in August. 

If you’re in Aomori in August, definitely go to the festival. Anyone can join in the dancing as long as they wear the haneto costume.

But if you’re not visiting in August, this museum is a great stop. You get introduced to the history of the  Aomori Nebuta festival and you can even see some of the real floats that were used in the festival. 

The museum has a number of interesting activities that are bound to interest your kids as well. 

The Haneto experience would probably interest them the most. There are these huge taiko drums that are mounted on the wall. Visitors can beat the drums and we all know how much kids love making noise. You can also try dancing like the haneto dancers.

For more information and opening times, check out their website. 

Hakkodomaru Memorial Ship 

A 2-minute walk away from A-Factory lies Hakkodomaru Memorial Ship. This huge yellow and white ferry is a real ferry turned into a museum. Aomori is right across the water from Hokkaido and before the shinkansen to Hokkaido was introduced, people traveled to Hokkaido via ferry.  

This is one of the ferries that used to transport people, cars, and even trains from Aomori to Hokkaido. 

In this ferry museum, you can explore the top deck, the engine room, the cabins, and even the vehicle deck. The vehicle deck also has a few historical trains on display. Most of the signage is in Japanese but it still makes for a very interesting museum. 

Kids would enjoy exploring the large ship, I know mine did. 

Note: Closed on Mondays, and it costs 510 yen per person; kids are half-price.  

Sannai-Maruyama Historical Site

The Sannai Maruyama Historical Site is one of Japan’s largest historical sites where you can see ancient human settlements from around 4000 years ago! You can see real houses, stone burial sites, and various artifacts uncovered at excavation sites.

Photo by ephemeral_research on Instagram 

Note: Guided tours are only available in Japanese. However, brochures and audio guides are available in English, Chinese, and Korean. There may sometimes be English-speaking volunteer guides (not always available). 

Note: Closed on Mondays.

Getting there: Bus S51 from Aomori station gets you to Sannai-Maruyama in about 25 minutes. 

Day 2 of Aomori Itinerary- Hirosaki 

Aomori prefecture is known for its apples, and the city of Hirosaki in Aomori is the topmost producer of apples. 

Hirosaki Apple Park

An Aomori itinerary cannot be complete without a visit to Hirosaki apple park. Hirosaki apple park is home to more than 2000 apple trees with more than 80 varieties of apples. 

Apple picking season is between August to November and costs 200 yen per kilo. 

There are other activities here as well if apple picking isn’t really your thing. You can learn about the history of apple production in Aomori, and drink some Aomori apple cider produced on-site. There’s a souvenir shop where you can purchase all sorts of  apple-related eats. 

If you’re in Aomori in spring, you can’t pick apples, but you can still pop by here to see the beautiful apple flowers in bloom. 

Getting here: Take a bus from the Hirosaki bus terminal right outside JR Hirosaki station. You can find bus timings and bus fare information here. 

Note: Apple harvest season differs with different farms in the area. If you happen to miss Hirosaki apple park’s apple picking season, try to find another apple farm to get the experience at. 

Hirosaki Park And Hirosaki Castle 

Hirosaki Castle inside Hirosaki Park is a beautiful castle built in 1611. The castle is surrounded by a moat and is just so dreamy looking. 

Photo by koryu_island on Instagram

The entire Hirosaki park is one of the best spots to view the cherry blossoms in spring. If you’re not here in spring, Hirosaki park is still a very photogenic place to visit. 

If you’re familiar with Studio Ghibli’s animated movie Howl’s Moving Castle, here’s a chance to see a moving castle in real life. 

The base of Hirosaki Castle is undergoing renovation and so the entire castle has been moved 70m. Not one wall has been broken down! What’s more, you can still enter the castle building even though it’s been moved. 

Getting here: Take the Dotemachi Loop Bus from JR Hirosaki station. It’s a 15-minute bus ride and costs 100 yen. The bus leaves the station every 10 minutes. You can also buy a one-day pass for 500 yen for unlimited rides. 

Note: You need to pay to enter Hirosaki Park and Castle. The castle is closed during winter, during which entry to Hirosaki Park is free. 

Hirosaki Apple Pie 

You can only pick Aomori apples during apple harvesting season but you can eat Aomori apple pie any day of the year. What’s more Hirosaki city has come up with an amazingly informative and detailed Apple Pie Guide Map to guide you to the best apple pie of your liking. 

The Hirosaki Apple Pie Guide Map gives detailed information on the best apple pies found in the city. You can see how each apple pie varies by sweetness, tartness, and cinnamon flavor. Price, location, and availability are also mentioned. 

Tip: Rental bicycles are a great way to get around the city trying out all the apple pies.  You can rent them from Hirosaki station for 500 yen/day. They are available from April to November from 9 am to 4 pm.

Day 3 Of Aomori Itinerary – Hakkoda Ropeway And Lake Towada 

Hakkoda Ropeway

Hakkoda ropeway is a 2.5km ropeway that takes you up to the top of Mt. Tamoyachi. It offers splendid views of the mountain range, regardless of the season. In summer, you see beautiful greenery; in autumn, amazing fall foliage; and in winter, the snow just blankets everything and it’s incredible. 

Photo by usakko0225 on Instagram

The 10-minute ride takes you to Summit Park station at the top, where you can see amazing panoramic views. You can’t not have this inside of an Aomori itinerary. 

Tickets cost 2000 yen for an adult round-trip and 700 yen for a child round-trip.

Getting there: Take the JR Tohoku bus from Aomori station heading towards Lake Towada and get off at the Ropeway station. On this map, it’s the blue line bus. The bus takes roughly 60 minutes and goes along the ‘Hakkoda-Towada Gold line’, an incredibly scenic road. 

Note: The bus only operates 3 times a day, so be sure to plan ahead. 

If you’re going in winter, you’ll be able to witness the incredible ‘snow monsters’! Well, they’re just pine trees covered with snow, but they do kinda look like monsters. 

Lake Towada 

Lake Towada is a large crater lake situated on the border between Akita and Aomori prefectures. On fine days, you can see the reflection of the nearby mountains in the lake and it is such a beautiful sight to behold. So enjoy the beauty and inhale the fresh air. 

Photo by yamaju_laketowada

There is a large sightseeing boat that will take you around the lake. The entire cruise takes about 50 minutes and you can admire the lake and the surrounding flora from different viewpoints. The audio guide describing the various spots is only in Japanese though. 

If that doesn’t sound interesting to you, there is an option for a speedboat around the lake. The speedboat goes at high speeds (duh) making quick turns, and also since it’s smaller, gets closer to the shores of the lake which make for great pictures. Way more exciting for kids!

Another option would be to go canoeing on the incredibly scenic lake. 

Getting here: Take the same JR Tohoku bus from the Ropeway station and get off at either the Nenokuchi or Towadako stops. The large sightseeing boat can be taken from either of these places. To take the speedboat, get off at the Utarabe stop, one stop before Towadako. 

Note: The JR Tohoku bus does not operate all the way to Lake Towada during winter. The last stop of the bus will be Sukayu onsen which is a few stops after Hakkoda Ropeway. The Hakkoda-Towada gold line route itself will be closed during winter due to heavy snowfall.

Day 4 of Aomori Itinerary- Oirase Gorge 

The Oirase Gorge hike is an incredibly scenic and popular hike in Aomori. It stretches from the village of Yakeyama to Nenokuchi on Lake Towada. The hike takes you along the beautiful Oirase stream. In some parts, the stream meanders gently while in others, you can see rapids rushing along. There are 3 waterfalls along this route as well. 

Photo by ca7ch4 on Instagram

The entire hike is about 14km long and can take about 4 hours of walking. Depending on your kids’ ability you can attempt the entire hike or decide if you want to do just parts of it. 

The JR Tohoku bus travels along the road that lies just parallel to the Oirase stream and thus, you can stop at any bus stop along the way and decide to call it a day. Do remember that the bus only operates 3 times a day, so plan wisely. This map of the hiking trail shows you all the scenic spots and bus stops along the way. 

Photo by japan.travel

Alternatively, you can rent a bicycle and ride the entire way. However bicycles are not allowed on the hiking trail, so you will have to ride along the road. Not a great option for little kids.

Bicycles are available at 3 different points along the hike (Yakeyama, Nenokuchi and Ishigedo rest stop). You can drop off the bicycle at any of these points as well. Normal bicycles and electric-assist bicycles are available. 

Other Places To Visit In Aomori Prefecture

Aomori prefecture is known for its picturesque nature. The places mentioned above are the more popular spots in Aomori and are easier to access using public transport. 

However, there are plenty of other off the beaten path Japan places that caught our eye when researching. Here are some of them: 

Takayama Inari Shrine

You’ve heard of Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine in Kyoto with its ‘thousand’ torii gates. What if I told you there’s an even more beautiful shrine with a ‘thousand’ torii gates, surrounded by a beautiful garden? 

That’s exactly what Takayama Inari Shrine is. Look at these pictures, they’re bound to impress. Hidden gem in Japan alert!

Photo by nippon.com

Getting here: Take the Resort Shirakami train from Aomori station to JR Goshogawara station. It takes another half an hour by taxi to the shrine. Which is why we didn’t visit. However, if you rent a car to take you around Aomori, I would definitely recommend a visit here. 

Resort Shirakami Scenic Train (Joyful Train)

Joyful trains are trains that travel via incredibly scenic routes. There are quite a number of Joyful trains in Japan. They offer breathtaking views and are more of an experience, rather than just a mode of transport. Traveling on one of them during your stay is highly recommended! 

The Resort Shirakami train travels between Akita and Aomori. It travels along the coast overlooking the Sea of Japan and alongside the Shirakami Sanchi Highlands. At picturesque spots, the train slows down to allow you to take pictures. 

Photo by japanrailcafe on Instagram 

You can learn more about the history of the natural formations you see from the train via audio guides in Japanese and English. You can also catch some traditional performances on the train.  

Note: The Resort Shirakami is a 5-hour ride between Akita and Aomori and is fully covered under both the Japan Rail Pass and the JR East Pass. Without the pass, tickets cost 5040 yen each. Tickets need to be reserved in advance. 

Unfortunately, heavy rain damaged some parts of the track so it was not available during our visit. You can check the train’s schedule here. 

Senjojiki Coast 

The Senjojiki Coast is a beach filled with unusual rock formations that happened as a result of an earthquake in 1792. It is one of Japan’s top 55 beaches. For a country surrounded by water, I would say that’s a pretty big deal. 

Getting here: The Resort Shirakami train stops at Senjokiki station for about 15 minutes. The coast is just across the road from the station. 

You can get off the train and walk around to get some great pictures. A steam whistle will sound a few minutes before the train’s departure, so do keep your ears open to that. You can view the timetable here.

Yummy grilled squid is sold here at the beach, sounds totally drool worthy!

Lake Juniko (Twelve Lakes)

Lake Juniko is another natural marvel that you can visit via the Resort Shirakami. Lake Juniko means 12 lakes but there are actually more than 30 lakes in this area. What draws people here is the fact that these lakes are incredibly beautiful, and are vivid blue in color!

Photo by activityjapan on Instagram

The two most beautiful ones are the Aoike Pond and the Wakitsubo Pond. If you want to hike around the entire area it can take up to 2 hours. If you want to keep it short, just take a loop around these two ponds which takes around 45 minutes.

Getting here: The Resort Shirakami train stops at Juniko station. A bus from Juniko station takes you to the entrance of the lake area in 10 minutes. 

Getting To Aomori From Tokyo 

If you’re coming from Tokyo, it is incredibly easy to get to Aomori. Take the Hayabusa shinkansen from Tokyo to Shin-Aomori station, which takes about 3 hours. From Shin-Aomori you can change over to the JR Ou Main line, Aomori station is the next stop. 

The Hayabusa shinkansen is the fastest shinkansen that you can take in Japan using the Japan Rail Pass. Traveling at a top speed of 320km/hr or 198mph, is bound to excite kids. I would definitely recommend getting the Shinkansen speed meter app on your phone, and watch as your kids’ eyes get real big 🙂

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find an equivalent app on the App store so if you’re using an iPhone, do let me know if you manage to find a similar app. 

Is The Japan Rail Pass Worth It

Is the Japan Rail Pass worth it? Well, it really depends on which parts of Japan you’re traveling to. We traveled to a number of places in Japan, so the Japan Rail Pass was incredibly worth it for us. 

But if you’re only traveling to certain regions in Japan, you can buy a regional JR pass such as the JR East Pass. This would be significantly cheaper than the full Japan Rail Pass. 

There are quite a number of options for the JR East pass, but if you’re going to be following this itinerary, it’ll be best for you to get the JR East pass (Tohoku area), which costs about 152 USD for 5 days. 

The JR East pass can be bought online or in Japan and they cost the same (unlike the Japan Rail Pass). The great thing about the JR East pass is that you CAN make reservations online BEFORE you arrive in Japan (which you cannot do with the JR pass).

This is a great feature if you’re going to be traveling during peak periods. Shinkansen tickets can get booked pretty fast, so it might be difficult to get seats for the entire family to sit together. 

The next great thing about being able to make reservations before you arrive in Japan has to do with the Joyful trains. Joyful train tickets get booked out faster than shinkansens. 

During our trip to Japan, since we had the Japan Rail Pass, we could only make reservations when we arrived in Japan. And the seats on the joyful trains that we wanted were all booked. 

What Is The Best Japan Travel App That You Need

The best Japan travel app that you need is the Japan official travel app. It is a wonderful app for finding your way around Japan. You can filter routes according to what travel pass you have. It also gives detailed information about your train, such as what platform to board at. At massive stations like Tokyo, this is a huge help! 

I would highly recommend that you download it before you arrive. You can plan your routes prior to arriving in Japan, down to the exact train timing that you require. This would make it much easier to make your train reservations in advance.

Where To Stay In Aomori

There are plenty of hotels located near Aomori station. Personally, we like the Toyoko Inn and Hotel Mystays group of hotels, both of which have hotels near Aomori station. 

To those of you new to Japan, the size of their bathrooms will probably shock you. Bathrooms are super duper tiny. But you’ll be glad to know that they’re super duper clean as well. 

Remember to take your shoes off inside the rooms. Room slippers are provided. 

When Should You Visit Aomori

Spring, summer and autumn are all great times to visit Aomori to really soak up its natural beauty. 

It is totally possible to visit in winter as well. But as the snowiest place on earth, certain attractions can be closed. The Resort Shirakami train and the JR bus to Towada lake and Oirase gorge both do not operate during the winter. 

You can’t pick apples in winter and Hirosaki castle is closed too. 

Although the JR bus does not operate to Oirase Gorge, seeing the frozen waterfalls at Oirase Gorge seems to be a really popular activity. However, I couldn’t find much information about how to get there in winter.

Conclusion

If you’re heading to Japan, I highly recommend not sticking to just the big cities and exploring other regions that are off the beaten path Japan. They are simply beautiful, and Aomori prefecture is no exception. 

I hope you liked this Aomori itinerary and I sure hope it helped you. Remember, when you’re in Aomori, don’t forget to eat all the Aomori apples!

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