Aomori City Brochure

Aomori City

あ お も り 35th

A Misawa ITT Tour

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Introduction to Aomori

Aomori City, capital of Aomori Prefecture, is located at the northern tip of the Japanese mainland. It sits between the prefecture’s two distinct regions, Tsugaru and Nanbu. The city faces Mutsu Bay, with the Shimokita Peninsula to the east and the Tsugaru Peninsula to the west. To the north, across the Tsugaru Straits, lies the island of Hokkaido. South of the city stretches a crescentshaped plain occupied by rice fields and orchards and bordered by the Hakkoda mountain range, looming approximately 1,500 meters (about 4,900 feet) above them.

Locked as it is between mountains and sea, Aomori has long, cold, snowy winters. Its summers, by comparison, are relatively short and mild. In fact, there are probably few other cities of comparable size (300,000 inhabitants) in the whole world that experience such a winter snowfall.

First opened to foreign trade in 1906, Aomori is now the chief transportation center of northern Honshu, with important rail lines and ferry services. It is also the site of the world’s longest tunnel, the Seikan Tunnel, which stretches 53.7 km (33.4 mi) and connects Honshu and Hokkaido. Fish and lumber are among its exports, many of which are shipped to Hokkaido. A modern city, it was rebuilt after a disastrous fire in 1910 and again after severe air raids in 1945.

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Big Buddha Completed and constructed in 1984, the Showa Daibutsu or Big Buddha is the tallest bronze image of Mahavairocane in Japan. On the temple grounds you will find the Kon-do main hall, Daishi hall and a five-storied pagoda, the largest north of Kyoto; it was built with natural Aomori hiba wood in 1996.

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ASPAM

The distinctive, harbor-front ASPAM (Aomori Prefectural Centre for Tourism and Industry; daily 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.) building, about a ten minute walk northeast of the station, is a good place to start exploring the city. There’s usually a video of the Aomori Nebuta Matsuri playing in the entrance hall, but the highlight is a twentyminute panoramic slide show of the region including its festivals and scenery (hourly 9.30/10 a.m. - 5 p.m.). It’s not really worth forking out for the top-floor observation lounge (daily 9 a.m. 10 p.m.), but take a look at the fourth floor, where they occasionally have demonstrations of local crafts. The two streets right in front and parallel to the ASPAM have several kitsch antique shops.

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Other Places of Intere

The AUGA shopping center, located near Aomori Station, is a mecca for those looking for goods from Aomori, with products ranging from fresh food to craft arts. It is particularly good for those looking for seafood and fruit at reasonable prices.

The Aomori Prefectural Skating Rink, which is equipped to handle an international competition, offers ice-skating in the winter, and in-line skating in the summer.

Asamushi Onsen, overlooking tranquil Mutsu Bay, is one of Tohoku’s oldest onsen (hot spring) resorts. Its charm is enhanced by remarkable ocean views and dishes made with the bay’s freshest seafood.

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est in Aomori City

The Hakkoda-Maru served as the rail-sea link between Aomori and Hakodate for 80 years until 1987. Preserved without changing as its days when it connected Aomori and Hakodate, it is now a museum of Japan’s first rail-sea link.

A recreation facility which features every aspect of the Aomori Nebuta Festival. 10 giant nebuta floats are on display at the Nebuta-no-sato Museum. Nebuta warrior dolls are also on display. These dolls have lights inside, and are made by sticking paper on wood and bamboo. They enable you to enjoy the mood of the festival throughout the year.

Along with his oil paintings and calligraphic works, prints by Munakata Shiko, a famous woodblock print artist from Aomori Prefecture, are on display at the museum. The exhibits are replaced 4 times a year, and visitors can experience a new aspect of the artist’s work. The Ten Great Disciples of Buddha, the centerpiece of the regular exhibit, is of particular note.

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Nebuta Festival

The Nebuta Festival in the northern city of Aomori is in a class by itself. From August 2 to 7 every year, the city comes alive as huge illuminated floats are paraded through the streets accompanied by thousands of haneto (jumping) dancers chanting, “Rasse-Rah, Rasse-Rah!” Aomori is a city of 290,000. However, for one week in early August, it swells to 3.5 million as sightseers from around the country gather at the northern tip of Japan’s main island, Honshu, to experience the explosion of energy during the height of the city’s short summer. Visitors hoping to reserve a room at a local hotel or inn during the festival must do so more than 10 months in advance.

The floats, called nebuta, are huge colorful lanterns in the shape of famous samurai warriors and kabuki characters. Some 20 floats are built each year from bamboo and wire frames and covered with washi paper. When the approximately 800 light bulbs inside each nebuta are lit as evening approaches, the floats become a dazzling spectacle.

As darkness deepens and the brightness of the floats intensifies, a drum is sounded, stirring the milling dancers into action.

Young people begin jumping as shouts of “Rasse-Rah!” fill the streets, sweeping spectators into the excitement.

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Asamushi Aquarium

Asamushi Aquarium, with approximately 6,000 aquatic creatures representing 450 species, is one of the largest museums in all of Tohoku. The highlights include a 15-meter underwater tunnel, a glimpse of life on the ocean floor, and the entertaining dolphin show. You can look, touch, feel and learn in this aquarium. Some of the exhibitions are tanks with coral reefs, cultured fishery in Mutsu Bay and rare freshwater living creatures in danger of extinction. Do not miss the dolphin show and the sea otter meal time.

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Sannai Maruyama

The Sannai-Maruyama site is a Jomon period site where continuous occupation took place for a long period of time (about 5500 ~ 4000 years ago).

From excavations carried out since 1992, remains of pit-dwellings, long houses, graves for adults and children, mounds of debris, remains of pillar-supported structures, storage pits, clay mining pits, refuse disposal pits and roads have been found revealing the characteristics of the settlement and the natural environment of the period.

In addition, a huge amount of Jomon pottery, stone implements, clay figurines, clay and stone ornaments, wooden objects such as digging sticks, woven bags and fabrics, lacquered and bone items have been unearthed as well. Jade and obsidian were brought in from other areas.

Remains of cultivated edibles such as gourds, burdocks and beans have been excavated, and traces of chestnut cultivation have been revealed by DNA analysis, all helping to change the image of the Jomon culture.

The site was designated a Special National Historical Site in November 2000.

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Misawa ITT Office Location: Bldg. 626 Phone: 226-3555 Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Closed Sundays & holidays 35th