Wednesday, April 15 – Aomori City

Why Aomori? A few reasons:

• I wanted to travel to places in Japan that I hadn’t visited before
• I was looking for locations off-the-beaten-path
• It has a station with Shinkansen train service
• It is a short train ride from Hirosaki, one of the top sakura (cherry blossom) spots in Japan

I plan on checking out an interesting place for brunch later this morning, but otherwise I’m just going to roam around a bit and get my bearings.

Aomori is located along Aomori Bay, on the northern tip of Japan’s main island, Honshu. It is the capital city of the Aomori Prefecture, in the Tohoku region of Japan. It has a population of around 250k.

The Aomori Bay Bridge

There’s a nice boardwalk along the bay

In the background is the Hakkoda Maru, a former ferry, now a museum.

Travel Note: The temperature is in the 50s this morning. I’m wearing long pants and a fleece for the first time since I arrived in Fiji on January 8th!

The Red String Monument: Two Persons; it commemorates the 20th anniversary of the partnership between Aomori City and Hakodate City, and is inspired by a scene from author Osamu Dazai’s novel Omoide (Memories).

The Aomori Prefecture Tourism Information Center (ASPAM). There is an observation deck at the top.

Okay, I haven’t had breakfast, getting a little hungry, and I’m excited to check out the place I earmarked for brunch. Let’s go!

The Furukawa Fish Market, also known as the Aomori Gyosai Center, is a public fish market in central Aomori. It is filled with tightly packed rows of vendors selling all sorts of local seafood, vegetables and pickles.

What makes the Furukawa Fish Market special is a system that lets visitors create their own seafood donburi (called nokkedon) from the seasonal, local seafood sold right at the market.

The first step in creating a nokkedon is to purchase tickets (190 yen per ticket or 2,200 yen for a set of 12 tickets). I purchased a set of 12 (14 USD). Each ticket can be exchanged for items around the market.

The second step is to collect a bowl of rice (one ticket for a regular portion, two tickets for a large portion; I went with one).

Following the rice, you then just walk around the market to check out what the vendors have for sale.

You tell them what you want (or, in my case, show them!), pay with your tickets, and they will then put the item on top of your rice. The small portions were priced between one and three tickets.

I’ve filled up my bowl and am now heading to this dining area. Condiments, such as wasabi, soy sauce and ginger are provided. In addition, there is complimentary tea, water and chopsticks.

My completed nokkedon! It includes:

• Rice
• Tuna
• Salmon
• Herring
• Mackerel
• Salted Salmon Roe (eggs)

I used 9 of my tickets for this bowl (you can see the 3 unused tickets on my tray). Nine tickets = 1,650 JPY = 10 USD. A bargain!

And it was wonderful!

Following my nokkedon, I used 1 ticket for a bowl of miso soup with scallops.

Tasty!

I still have 2 tickets left, which I’ll save for another day.

The recommendations I read suggested arriving at the market by mid-morning, to avoid the crowds and the likelihood of items selling out. I got here at 10:45am, and by the time I left an hour later, there was a line beginning to form out the door.

This was a great experience!

Travel Note: This is day 100 of my trip. Whoo hoo!

Thursday, April 16 – Aomori City

I woke up with a specific plan for the day; had to abandon it; then regroup. And it turned out amazing! I love it when that happens!

My original plan was to ride the bus up into the nearby mountains and take a ride on the Hakkoda Ropeway (cable car). However, before catching the bus, I stopped by the Tourist Information Office (TIO) to make sure the ropeway was operating today. And, due to high winds, it wasn’t. I’m happy I checked!

While at the TIO, I noticed this announcement board…

The sakura will be in full bloom at Hirosaki Park on April 16th. That’s today! I’m there!

Hirosaki is known as one the best, if not the best, sakura viewing locations in Japan. (the Japan National Tourism Organization ranked it Number 1). And they hold an annual festival to celebrate it. This year’s festival starts tomorrow, which is when I was planning on going.

I was concerned about being in Hirosaki pre-festival, but the woman I spoke with at the TIO actually suggested that I go today – it will be less crowded (pre-festival, and a weekday), and most of the festival apparatus will already be in place. Sold! (I especially like the less crowded part!)

Travel Note: It’s a crapshoot trying to plan a trip to see the sakura in Japan. For this trip, I knew that I would be in Japan after the peak season occurred in Tokyo. That is one of the reasons I wanted to visit the north of the island. I actually thought I would be getting here too early (the festival only just starts tomorrow, after all). I can’t believe how lucky I got on the timing! Now, hopefully the weather will cooperate (fingers crossed!).

Traveling from Aomori to Horosaki during sakura season is so popular that Japan Railways schedules additional trains for the journey. Today, I was on the 9:10am rapid service that put me in Hirosaki at 9:45am. The cost of the trip was 715 JPY (4.50 USD).

Hirosaki Train Station

English-language poster promoting the festival.

Before heading out, I made a brief pass through one of the station’s shops…

I like this display promoting waffles (Well, I think that’s what it’s promoting?).

The waffle-maker

And, of course, a sakura display!

Options for getting to Hirosaki Park. Can you guess which method I used?

I’m now approaching the park. Remember my concerns about the weather?

Haha! My luck continues…

Okay, I’m now going to post a LOT of pictures from the park (with occasional commentary). Feel free to scroll rapidly through as your eyes (and brain) glaze over!

I’m entering the park via the East Mon Gate.

Hirosaki Park is home to approximately 2,600 cherry blossom trees across 52 varieties.

In the background is Hirosaki Castle

Hirosaki Castle was originally completed in 1611. However, in 1627 the 5-story structure was struck by lightning and destroyed by fire. It was not rebuilt until 1810, when the present 3-story configuration was erected.

Unfortunately, the interior of the Castle is currently closed as it undergoes a restoration.

Most of the park was free and open to the public. There were 3 sections though that required a ticket. The Castle area was one of those. The cost of the ticket was 520 JPY (3.25 USD).

In the background is cloud-covered Mount Iwaki. It has a summit elevation of 1,625 meters (5,331 ft).

Another view of Mt. Iwaki

This is peak sakura day, and the park is not very crowded. And I encountered very few foreigners. Loving it!

The Takaokabashi Bridge is in the background.

A view of the Takaokabashi Bridge from the opposite direction.

The Cherry Blossom Tunnel runs along the Nishi-Bori (West Moat).

Mt. Iwaki from the Tunnel.

Nishi-Bori; the Tunnel runs along the left.

Can you spot the heron?

Okay, I came upon this area of the park, and there was a crowd of photographers taking pictures from this spot. I stood here forever trying to figure out what they were looking at. Finally, I got It!

Can you see it? (I’m sure you’ll recognize it immediately; I’m just a little dense!)

I’ll provide an answer further down on this Entry…

This is Ninomaru Hitsujisaru Yagura, a watchtower.

Along this row of concession stands…

…I spotted this ice cream cart.

Apple Sherbet, 200 JPY (1.25 USD). Yummmm…

(Hirosaki City in Aomori Prefecture is Japan’s top apple producer, boasting roughly 2,300 apple trees with 80 varieties.)

On Sugi no Ohashi Bridge

The view from the bridge

Looking at the bridge from across the Central Moat.

Tatsumi Turret

The turret in the foreground, with the bridge in the background.

The answer to the picture riddle? It’s a heart-shaped opening in the branches of the trees!

I’m now in another area of the park that requires an admission ticket – The Botanical Garden.

Looking at the turret from the Botanical Garden.

Wow!

This is the entrance to the third area that required an admission ticket – Fujita Memorial Garden.

Mount Iwaki from the Memorial Garden

Wow! What a wonderful stroll through Hirosaki Park! Today was one of those lucky travel experiences that I don’t take for granted.

I passed by this interesting building on my walk back to the train station. It is the former 59th Bank Main Office Building (ca. 1904).

And a Fuel Price Check: 169 JPY/liter = 4.05 USD/gallon.

I got back to Aomori Station around 5pm. A full day! (with 22k steps!)

Noticed this cute Police Station on my way back to the hotel…

…with an equally cute Police Car!

Friday, April 17 – Aomori City

I was back at the Tourist Information Office this morning to check on the status of the Hakkoda Ropeway. And it’s a go! Great. Looking at the bus schedule, I decided to take the 11:35am departure from Aomori Station. That will give me time to…

…make a return visit to The Furukawa Fish Market for a late breakfast.

I arrived here earlier today than I did on Wednesday. As a result, it was less crowded, offering me an opportunity to take some better pictures of the market…

This is one of the rice and miso stations.

My dining spot

I went with mostly the same ingredients as last time, except for the shrimp adder. Also, I chose Spicy Fish Roe today.

I had 2 tickets left over from Wednesday, bought 7 more today, and used 8 on this nokkedon. That left me with one more ticket for…

…this (steaming) bowl of miso soup with scallops.

Another great meal!

Passed this cool building on my way to the bus.

The ride up the mountain was in a coach bus, like the one I used to go from Narita Airport to Tokyo Station. The trip to the Hakkoda Ropeway Station took about 75 minutes and cost 1,290 JPY (8 USD). And I was able to use my digital Suica/PASMO card, which was nice.

A view from the bus as we enter Towada-Hachimantai National Park.

Hakkoda Ropeway Station

The end of one of the ski runs, adjacent to the Hakkoda Ropeway.

The snow wall at the end of the ski run. The car parked in the background provides size perspective.

The round trip on the ropeway (cable car) cost 2,200 JPY (14 USD).

All aboard! (including some skiers and snowboarders)

The Hakkoda Mountain Range is a collective name for 18 distinct peaks.

The Hakkoda Mountains are also synonymous with the deadliest disaster in the history of mountaineering. In January 1902, 210 soldiers of the Japanese Imperial Army attempted a winter crossing of the mountains to prepare for the Russo-Japanese War. They were caught in a record-breaking blizzard with temperatures dropping to -42 degrees F. Out of the 210 men, 199 perished.

The ride to the summit took about 10 minutes. The elevation change is 650 meters (2,100 feet).

Summit Park Station on Mount Tamoyachidake.

The Summit Station’s latitude, longitude, and elevation (1,314 meters = 4,300 feet)

Current conditions at the Summit Station (9 degrees C = 48 F).

A snowboarder getting ready to make a run.

Panorama photo looking south.

Looking north; that is Aomori City in the distance.

A skier preparing to take on the northern slope.

That’s Mount Iwaki (again!).

Time to make my way back down the mountain…

The cars run every 20 minutes.

This was a fun excursion. I will say though that it’s probably the least pretty time of year to ride the ropeway. Dirty snow, nothing yet blooming, etc. But that’s okay!

Travel Note: So, this trip has taken me from the beaches of the South Pacific to the mountains of Japan. Pretty cool!

The bus ride back went smoothly (at the same price as the ride up), and we arrived at Aomori Station around 4:30pm.