Winter Road Trippin’

Tessa Calvin (Aomori)

As the pandemic finally appears to give Japan a bit of a break, many of us are looking toward this year’s winter holidays with a bit more optimism about travelling again.

Thanks to nearly two years of travel restrictions which have kept all my adventures within the borders of my adopted home of Aomori, I’ve criss-crossed the entire prefecture in my kei car. After visiting many of my favorite local spots two or three times, frequently meeting the same warm-hearted local people and learning new things from them, I believe I’ve come close to perfecting the art of the Aomori road trip.

If you’re itching to run off to the mountains and watch the snow fall from an open-air hot spring, a road trip around the northern section of Towada-Hachimantai National Park in central Aomori may be the escape from the modern world that you’re looking for.

Central Aomori, particularly the beautiful and mountainous area within the national park, has essentially no train service. Bus routes do exist, and they serve the majority of locations highlighted in this sample itinerary. However, service frequency decreases significantly in the winter. The freedom to move exactly at your own pace, including stops on the side of the road for random photos of the stunning scenery, makes driving a car by far the best option.

Do be aware that many of the mountain roads close for the night or the entire winter, which could lead to extremely time-consuming detours without careful planning. Always check in with locals if you’re unsure about your route. Google Maps can and will lie to you!

If you’re nervous about snow driving, don’t panic just yet—Aomori locals have spent many years perfecting the art of efficiently clearing impossible amounts of snow. Take a few deep breaths as you hit the road and go slowly at first. Brake gradually, and start braking earlier than you would on a clear road. Don’t make any quick turns, and stay calm and focused. With the right preparation and the confidence to drive in snow, you can safely enjoy many sparsely-travelled winter landscapes across Japan at your own pace.Le

大町桂月

—Omachi Keigetsu (Taisho era travel writer)

As you exit Shichinohe-Towada Station, take a deep breath and take a moment to adjust.

Once your train continues on its way, a distinct quietness sets in—aside from the occasional chunk of snow sliding off the roof. You may have boarded the train from one of the many large, buzzing cities of metropolitan Japan, but you’ve stepped off in the deep snow country.

Pick up a rental car at Nippon Rent A Car or Toyota Rent A Car, both just outside the station. Although a bit more expensive than a round-trip, I suggest choosing a one-way plan, as you’ll be dropping off your car in a different location at the end of your trip. This option will save you quite a bit of driving time.

If you’re like me and willing to eat gelato regardless of the weather, Namiki is a great stop near the station to perk you up after the journey to Aomori. Try a mixture of seasonal flavors, and see if you can spot any horses in the pasture.

After checking out the art in Towada City, take a short walk over to Tsukasafor lunch to try this region’s simple, saucy, and delicious “soul food,” barayaki. You can even buy a bottle of the signature sweet, slightly garlicky sauce to bring home and try your hand at making it yourself.

Towada Art Center holds a variety of works from internationally-renowned contemporary artists. The building's unique design blurs the boundary between the museum and the rest of the city. Large glass windows allow passersby to see into the museum and museum guests to see the daily flow of life on the famously beautiful main street, Kanchogai-dori. Just across from the museum and its symbolic Flower Horse, the Art Square holds even more works such as Yayoi Kusama’s Love Forever, Singing in Towada which are completely accessible to the public.

Hidden in some primeval forest just a few hundred meters from the shore of the lake, Towada Shrine has a uniquely mystical atmosphere any time of year. The Festa Luce[[https://bit.ly/2YHWKBS]] winter illuminations (which were actually a pandemic era adaptation of another festival) are well-integrated into the ancient shrine’s natural surroundings and add a new level of otherworldliness.

On Friday and Saturday nights in December, you can also enjoy a Tsugaru Shamisen performance for no additional fee. Lastly, make sure to catch the short fireworks show if you’re there on a weekend or holiday!

The Festival is held from December 4 to February 20

Closed : Wednesdays and Thursdays. (*Exception : They will remain open on December 29-30, 2021) Fireworks shows will be held on weekends and holidays during January and February. (*Except January 1-2.)

Hours of Operation : 5:30 -9 p.m.

Entrance fee : 1600 yen (1200 for tickets bought in advance) Parking is available for 500 yen.

Enjoy a luxurious kaiseki meal and hot spring bath at Towadako Lakeside Hotel before settling in for the night.

大町桂月

—Omachi Keigetsu

Towada Guidehouse Kai 11,000 yen 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

While Mount Fuji is world-famous and has been climbed by thousands of tourists and locals alike, far fewer know the magic of gliding across the mirror-like surface of Lake Towada in a canoe on a crisp winter morning. After some quick oar training on land, paddle out onto the icy surface of one of Japan’s deepest lakes with Towada Guidehouse Kai.

If the weather doesn’t allow for safe paddling, or you’re not a fan of boats, there’s also the option to trek through the forest on snowshoes and see the lake from above.

Take advantage of the lake’s proximity to sample Himemasu, a species of salmon transplanted from Lake Shikotsu in Hokkaido. This completely land-locked population of red salmon is known for its oiliness and is delicious when served as sashimi.

As Lake Towada lies directly on the Akita-Aomori border, you can also try Akita’s pounded rice specialty, kiritanpo here. In winter, the roasted kiritanpo is a delicious addition to a hot nabe pot.

Departing from Lake Towada, enjoy a leisurely drive through Oirase Gorge and soak up the scenery. In the winter, large waterfalls such as Choshi Otaki continue to rush with cold water draining from the lake. Smaller falls may freeze to a near-stop in the winter—although if you look carefully, you may be able to spot some droplets still rolling down the ice falls.

Personally, I bring a camera even when I’m just passing through Oirase; you never know when a “photo emergency” might arise here. Don’t hesitate to take a little extra time to stop; you’ll probably be glad you did.

Just before exiting the gorge, you’ll find the Oirase Field Museum, where you can learn about how the volcanic eruptions below Lake Towada formed its unique shape and created Oirase Gorge. If you’re more into ecology than geology, try inspecting some of the local plants under a microscope. Don’t miss the A la Ringo Café for a wide variety of apple-flavored drinks and sweets.

Just a short distance from the Field Museum, the Oirase Mossball Park feels a bit whimsical—it might be all the googly-eyes looking out at you from the garden. Here, you can create and bring home your own “small Oirase” in the form of a kokedama, or moss ball, and give it life with a pair of plastic googly eyes.

(2,000 yen 9 a.m.-4 p.m. No reservations required)

Nestled in the deep forest of the eastern Hakkoda mountains, Tsuta Onsen is one of Japan’s 100 most famous hot springs and was well-loved by a number of Taisho-era literary talents. Keigetsu Omachi, a travel writer of the time whose praise led to the area’s first tourism boom, frequently spent long periods of time at the inn and registered his residence there in his final years. Tsuta Onsen also offers snowshoeing tours, and day trip bathing is available for 800 yen if you aren't staying the night.

太宰治

—Osamu Dazai

The scenery is stunning in every direction on the Hakkoda Ropeway, which takes you to the top of Tamoyachidake, one of the many peaks in the volcanic Hakkoda range, in just 10 minutes.

While the ropeway ride could be considered an attraction in itself, don’t head back down without a photo with one of the giant juuhyo, or “snow monsters”—trees covered in frost and wind-blown snow. These formations are quite rare and require a particular combination of fierce wind, heavy snow, and cold that can only be found in two mountain ranges in Japan: here at Hakkoda, and at Zao in Miyagi.

Advanced snow enthusiasts also may opt for a one-way ropeway ticket to haul their gear up the mountain and then make the return trip to the base station by ski or snowboard.

How do you adapt a classic summer festival food to an Aomori winter staple? In Kuroishi, the solution was to put their uniquely thick soba noodles into some hot, salty soup and add tempura. While it started with one soba shop across from a junior high school, Kuroishi now has over 70 yakisoba shops, making Kuroishi Tsuyu Yakisoba a true community comfort food.

A small city in the foothills of the Hakkoda Mountains, Kuroishi was an old samurai town just a short distance from the Tsugaru Clan’s castle city of Hirosaki and still retains a lot of its old-world charm. Walking away from your car, under the covered arcades of the preserved traditional Komise Street, you may feel as if you were suddenly transported back to the Edo era.

Upon arriving at Irodori, the colorful glow of the hanging lanterns (made from pieces of recycled Neputa floats) is sure to draw you in. The artisans will welcome you to join them around a large table and create your own lantern or uchiwa fan. They’ll probably convince you to come back in the summer for the festival, too!

fan: 2600 yen small lantern: 3800 yen medium: 5800 yen large: 8800 yen

Put your phone down; it’s useless here. At Aoni Onsen, also known as Lamp no Yado, there’s nothing to do but soak in the steaming hot baths, watch the snow fall, fill up on delicious food, and listen to the sound of the river. You won’t find a phone or TV in your room, and the narrow valley blocks out all wireless signals. In fact, most of the complex doesn’t have any electricity at all—it’s all gently lit by old-fashioned oil lamps. One important exception: they do have a refrigerator to keep the beer and sake cold.

Aoni Onsen is only accessible by shuttle bus in the winter. Park at Nijino Mizuumi Roadside Station and call to reserve a seat before putting your phone away for the night. The last shuttle leaves at 16:00.

(Aomori Nebuta festival chant)

After the Lamp no Yado shuttle bus returns you to your car, it’s just under one hour’s scenic drive to the capital, Aomori City. It’s the last leg of your journey circling the Hakkoda Mountains, so soak up the countryside scenery while you can.

Once you arrive in the city, it’s time to say goodbye to your trusty rental car. Return it close to Aomori Station and spend the day exploring on foot. There’s a lot to see along the Aomori waterfront and near the station, so you won’t have to go far.

Don’t wait ‘til August to experience Tohoku’s greatest summer festival! Aomori Prefecture actually hosts a variety of different Nebuta and Neputa festivals in early August, but Aomori City’s Nebuta is by far the largest and most well-known. While nothing beats the festival atmosphere itself, you can see some old floats up close and learn about the history of Nebuta at Warasse, the festival museum located directly next to Aomori Station. There may also be live music and dance performances or Nebuta crafting workshops, depending on the daily schedule.

Surrounded on three sides by cold, abundant sea, Aomori is blessed with a variety of delicious seafood. Pick up a set of 10 tickets (or 15, if you’re hungry) at the front of the Furukawa Gyosai Center, and first grab your warm bowl of rice. Next, explore the market and trade your tickets with each vendor to craft your custom “Nokkedon” bowl a few slices at a time.

Aomori consistently ranks near the bottom of every list for health metrics compared to other prefectures in Japan, and one main culprit is the local obsession with salt, miso, butter, and ramen. You can get all those deliciously unhealthy ingredients in one dish with Miso Curry Milk Ramen, a local favorite in Aomori City. We have to get through the long winter somehow, and the thick, hot broth certainly helps!

A great source for a huge variety of locally-produced Aomori products, including crafts, sweets, and of course apples, A-factory also bottles its own apple cider on site (both alcoholic and non-alcohol). You can even use the sample vending machine on the second floor to taste-test a variety of ciders before choosing which one to bring home! After you’ve picked out all the Aomori goods you can stuff into your suitcase, grab a coffee at Coffee Colors or chow down on an Apple Burger at Ocean’s Diner before your journey home.

Hop on the local train to Shin-Aomori Station (if departing by bullet train) or the bus to Aomori Airport (if departing by plane). Safe travels, and see you again soon! Or as they say in Tsugaru dialect, Heba-na!

Tessa Calvin is originally from Southeast Alaska and planned to stay in Japan for exactly one year. She is now a fourth-year ALT in Towada, Aomori. She enjoys wandering aimlessly in the countryside, sampling every type of Aomori apple product, and taking photos of whatever happens along the way. You can find some of these photos on her Aomori-based Instagram, @ten.peaceful.fields, or under the hashtag #towadaisbeautiful.