A-FACTORY (エーファクトリー) is a shopping complex opposite Nebuta Museum. The facility is filled with apple-themed products and has almost all of Aomori’s specialties. Located really close to Aomori Station, it is the perfect place for some last-minute souvenir shopping.
A-FACTORY: The Best Spot to Shop for Souvenir in Aomori Read More »
If you like to spend time in art galleries and museums, take a bus to the Aomori Museum of Art (青森県立美術館). The museum that is on the ground of the Sannai Maruyama Special Historical Site (三内丸山遺跡) is one of the top art museums in the northern Tohoku region (another facility that goes hand in hand
Aomori Museum of Art – The Center of Art of Aomori Read More »
If you visit Sendai between late February and late March, head to Tsutsujigaoka Tenmangū Shrine (榴岡天満宮) to adore the lovely plum blossoms. Just like all the Tenmangū shrines in Japan, Tsutsujigaoka Tenmangū enshrines Sugawara no Michizane (菅原道真). Because plum blossom is Michizane’s favorite flower, plum trees are planted here and there in the shrine’s precinct.
Tsutsujigaoka Tenmangū and the Plum and Cherry Blossoms Read More »
If you are interested in visiting Japanese architecture constructed from the end of the 19th century to the early 20th century, visit the Senmaya Sake no Kura Community Facility (千厩酒のくら交流施設) in Ichinoseki City. Many buildings completed around that time incorporated Western elements into the existing Japanese design. The community facility renovated from a former sake
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Yūgendō (幽玄洞) in Ichinoseki is said to be the oldest limestone cave in Japan. The cave was determined to be 50 meters below water 350 million years ago. Thus, in addition to stalagmites, fossils such as trilobites and crinoids can also be seen in the 500-meter-long cave. At the cave’s far end is the emerald-green
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Sukawa Kōgen (須川高原) in Ichinoseki is the plateau halfway up Mt. Kurikoma (栗駒山). You can find the unique volcanic landscape at Sukawa Kōgen, including lakes, marshes, wetlands, and alpine plants. The hot spring gushing out here has a strong acidity but is said to be effective for gastrointestinal issues and skin diseases. In autumn, the
Sukawa Kōgen: Ichinoseki’s Best Spot for Onsen and Hiking Read More »
Mt. Murone (室根山) is Ichinoseki‘s perfect spot to enjoy nature and a range of outdoor activities. Besides hiking trails, lookouts, and camping sites, it has an astronomical observatory. The mountain has a height of 895 meters. On a clear day, you can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic mountainous and ocean view from the summit.
A Guide to Exploring and Climbing the Stunning Mt. Murone Read More »
The Roadside Station Genbikei (道の駅 厳美渓) is a large complex with several facilities, including a farmers’ market, Restaurant Pattankun, and Ichinoseki City Museum. Located just a 5 to 10-minute walk from the spectacular Genbikei Gorge, it is a perfect resting spot after exploring the gorge.
Explore Roadside Station Genbikei & Ichinoseki City Museum Read More »
Eating Japanese sweets is a must to fully appreciate a Japanese hot spring town, and Unazuki Onsen has a couple of nice traditional confectionery makers that we recommend. Each of them has a few signatory sweets that are worthwhile for a try. Although the raw ingredients are more or less the same, the confectioner at
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As you approach Kurobe Gorge Railway‘s Unazuki Station, you will inevitably notice the three-story building that looks like an inn opposite the road. While it does look like a nice place to spend a night, it is actually a museum (only on the ground floor). You can learn about the mechanisms of hydroelectric power generation
Kurobe Hydropower Museum and the History of Kurobe Dam Read More »
