aomori, aomori prefecture
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Aomori Prefecture is known for apple production, so the city is not quite the Big Apple, but definitely home to very big apples for real. It is also the world’s snowiest city with an annual average of 42’ of snow per year, hence all the shops still selling snow shovels in April! Arriving, it presents an unusually grubby greeting (for Japan) as you exit the station. Mind you, 88% of the city was destroyed in a WWII air raid, which may have contributed somewhat. The working port facing Hokkaido Island is evident from the town centre, although the Nebuta Museum and the A Factory market on the shoreline do brighten things up a little. Aomori is a good base for Mt Hakkoda, the ropeway and the ski slopes; Takayama Inari Shrine to the west, and Hirosaki Castle where the Sakura display really takes some beating. The Shinkansen will deposit you west of the city at Shin Aomori as it makes its way over the bridge to Hokkaido, from there it is a short train ride into town.
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Above and Below: Hokkoda Ropeway
Below: Hirosaki Castle
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Below: Nebuta Museum
Below: Takayama Inari Shrine
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Below: Amori City
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Below: Otou Shrine
