I’ve been known to go crazy distances for a day trip. My most is probably 5 or 6 hours, one way. Sometimes you only have a day and need to make the most of it. Carpe Diem, as they say; possibly my favorite aphorism. That being said, there is definitely enough in Aomori to keep you busy for a weekend, if not longer. Make sure you take full advantage of this jam packed itinerary for an Aomori weekend trip from Tokyo or wherever you may be heading from!
Aomori is more “country” compared to many places you may see in Japan. A meager 1.37 million call the prefecture home. For comparison, Tokyo Prefecture has over 13 million (and the largest metropolitan population in the world at 38 million). Even Kyoto city has more that 1.4 million residents. If you want to get away from the crowds, this might be your place!
Famous for several festivals through out the year, UNESCO World Heritage Site Shirakami Sanchi, beautiful nature and owner of one of the original 12 castles, there’s plenty to see and do. If you like Japanese culture, there’s plenty of it.
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Getting to Aomori – Train or Plane?
You have a couple of options for your Aomori Weekend Trip from Tokyo. Japan Airlines (JAL) runs regional service to Aomori multiple times a day. However, in this case, you have the opportunity to take the fastest shinkansen Japan has. I highly recommend it. Both time wise and for the views! Just think, no security to get on the platform, no recommended 2 hours pre-arrival, plus the bragging rights that you’ve been on the Hayabusa! If you are coming from other areas of Japan, feel free to reach out to me for recommendations, I’m happy to help!
Money wise (as of this update in April 2020) whether going by train or plane for residents is about the same. But if you are in Japan on a visitor visa and have the Japan Rail Pass, this route is covered! Not only that, if you are sticking to JR East (which this is on), you can get the cheaper JR East pass. This trip alone will have your rail pass “pay for itself”. Take it. And enjoy the lovely country side while you’re at it.
Shinkansen Tips
Side note, where as going south towards Kyoto and Osaka from Tokyo there are shinkansen running nearly constantly, there are much fewer going north. The Hayabusa does not have non-reserved seats and has very few standing tickets. These are train car specific and it’s not cramped, but it is super hard to eat a train bento standing!
I recommend getting your tickets early so you don’t have to adjust your plans unexpectedly. You can also take the Hayate Train to Shin-Aomori Station but it is much slower due to it stopping at more locations. The best way to check routes, in my opinion, is to use the hyperdia app.
Climate in Aomori Prefecture
Aomori is the furthest north prefecture on 本州 (Honshu), or “mainland” Japan. Located in 東北 (Tohoku, literally north-east) region in Japan, it is a trek from most of the high popularity tourist areas.
While average summer in Tokyo is 26-31 degrees celsius (need help converting Celsius to Fahrenheit?), Aomori averages at a nice 23. It does get warm in the sun but the undertones of air are much cooler.
Thinking of heading up in the winter? While the 2019-2020 season was unusually lacking in the snow department, Aomori City (the capital of the prefecture) is on record for the snowiest city not just in Japan but the world. Expect cold temperatures and plan accordingly. I for one would love to see the giant snow tunnels!
Just remember, it’s surprisingly at a much higher latitude than you expect (even with Madrid, Rome, Beijing and New York) so be prepared.
Aomori Prefecture Weekend Trip from Tokyo Itinerary
As I mentioned, there is TONS to do, so here’s one example to help you research your trip to Aomori Japan. If you need even more suggestions, Aomori Tourist Information is a treasure trove of information.
Most all of the links below are to my specific posts (and if they aren’t yet, they will be!) on each step of the way for you, including how to get there, how much it costs, etc.! Enjoy!
Friday
Head up to Shin-Aomori Station on the hayabusa shinkansen and get to your hotel. I suggest staying close to the train station. There are a fair amount of options and many are not that expensive. Don’t forget the train bento! It’s a required experience.
Saturday
As the main leg is down, take the train over Goshogawara and check out the Tachineputa Museum. Check on the bus schedule (and if you need help can check my guide out on how to ride the bus) before hand so you can time the 45 minutes ride over to Takayama Inari Shrine for 200+ torii gates and a nice easy hike.
Afterwards, take the local train down to Hirosaki for your next overnight stay. There is a liner option that I would love to take next time! Check out the schedule early.
The castle town of Hirosaki is a large by Aomori standards and is the third largest city in the prefecture. With roughly 170K residents, it has a surprising number of dining options. I recommend you find some of the yummy Tsugaru local cuisine! And don’t forget about apple pie for dessert.
Sunday
First things first, cider. It’s 5 oclock somewhere, right? Hirosaki is famous for their apples and is even called “Apple City”. Head to Hirosaki Apple Park to pick some apples and on your way back to town, check out the tasting room in Kimori Cidre, sit on the swing below the apple trees and enjoy a nice refreshing drink.
Once back in town, head over to Hirosaki Castle, one of the 12 important cultural property castles that remain in it’s original form. Or at least the keep does! There is an indigo factory close to Hirosaki park you can check out or if you didn’t get enough nebuta from the day before, head over to the Nebuta Village. Enjoy a live performance of taiko drums and traditional Japanese stringed “guitar”. Can you see the difference of style lantern for Hirosaki’s own festival?
For a late lunch, there is lots of yummy Japanese style curry, including apple curry! If mom and pop is your thing, I have just the place in mind for you at Curry and Coffee Kawashima.
After a day well spent, head back over to Aomori and back down on the shinkansen to Tokyo.
Side note: Japanese Mascots are the best
Your Aomori Weekend Trip results
I hope this itinerary serves you well and you have a great time in Aomori! It’s hard for me to choose my favorite prefecture in Japan having been to all 47 but Aomori has a charm about it that I really enjoy. It deserves more time than just a weekend. You could easily spread this particular itinerary out longer.
As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. Already been to Aomori? Let me know about your trip in the comments!
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