Aomori青森県

Places to seeWhere to go in Aomori

Start with the first of these. Each is worth half a day.

Hirosaki Castle弘前城

About 2,600 cherry trees and a moat that fills with fallen petals. Usually late April.

Half a daySpring only

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Oirase Gorge奥入瀬渓流

A level fourteen-kilometre path beside a stream of moss and small falls. Walk any part of it.

A full day

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Lake Towada十和田湖

A deep caldera lake at the head of the gorge, with boats across it.

Half a dayYou can ride

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Nebuta Museumねぶたの家ワラッセ

The illuminated paper floats from the August festival, kept and lit all year by the station.

2 hoursSet dates

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What Aomori is

Hirosaki Castle has around 2,600 cherry trees around it, and it is one of the last places in Japan the blossom reaches — usually late April, three weeks after Tokyo. When the petals fall they cover the moat completely, so the water turns solid pink. If you miss the blossom further south, come here.

When to comeThe same place, four different places

Pick the season first and the days will arrange themselves.

March – May

Snow into April. Cherry blossom at the castle in late April — among the last in the country.

June – August

Cool and green. The gorge is at its best in June, and the Nebuta festival is 2–7 August.

September – November

Autumn colour in the gorge from mid-October, which is the other peak season here. Apples are picked.

December – February

Heavy snow — among the deepest in Japan. Trains run; mountain roads may not.

Find it fastEverything in Aomori