Aomori, Hakodate 3-day/2-night Model Tour Course - Aomori, Hirosaki & Yunokawa - Part 1
Aomori Prefecture and Hokkaido, the northernmost prefecture on the main island of Honshu, are neighbors in terms of location, but don't you think of them as "separate places to travel"? It would be a waste to think so! Aomori Prefecture and Hakodate, located in the south of Hokkaido, can be reached by the Hokkaido Shinkansen Line, making sightseeing more efficient than you might think.
Here we introduce a model course for a well-planned tour of Aomori and Hakodate. This is the first part of a 3-day/2-night trip to Hirosaki, Aomori, and Yunokawa Onsen!
11:30 Transfer to JR Ou Line at Shin-Aomori Station.
12：01 Arrive at Hirosaki Station!
Take the Dote-cho Circuit Bus from Hirosaki Station to Horai-bashi Bridge, and then walk about 5 minutes.
12：30 CAFE&RESTAURANT BRICK and Hirosaki Renga Soko Museum
Hirosaki Renga Soko Museum exterior Arrive at the Hirosaki Renga Soko Museum! But first we must satisfy our hunger...so we will have lunch at "CAFE & RESTAURANT BRICK," which is attached to the museum. The atmosphere is stylish with its magnificent wooden structure and high ceilings, and you can enjoy a one-plate lunch featuring seasonal ingredients produced in Aomori Prefecture, as well as a cidery made from apples produced in Aomori Prefecture!
14：30 Take a walk while viewing retro architecture
Exterior view of the former Hirosaki City Library Exterior view of the former 59th Bank Head Office Hirosaki still has retro architecture throughout the city. The former Hirosaki City Library, a Western-style building built in 1964 on the grounds of Tooku Gijuku, is designated as an Aomori Prefecture treasure. It was used as the Hirosaki City Library until 1931. The former 59th Bank head office main building is a Renaissance-style wooden structure established in 1877. In 1972, the building and the building tag were designated as National Important Cultural Properties. Both are within walking distance from the Hirosaki Renga Soko Museum when heading to Hirosaki Castle.
Hirosaki Castle in spring (late April - early May)In spring, Hirosaki Park is home to the "Hirosaki Sakura Festival" with cherry blossoms in full bloom, said to be one of the three largest nighttime cherry blossom events in Japan, and in winter, the "Winter Blooming Sakura Light-up" event is held to illuminate the snow on the cherry branches in pink. In winter, the "Winter Blooming Sakura Light-up" event is held. Of course, even in other seasons, you can enjoy Hirosaki Castle and many other places of interest in the park that cannot be visited in a single day. This is a sightseeing spot that you should not miss when you come to Hirosaki!
Take the Dote-machi Circuit Bus from Shiyakusho-mae to Hirosaki Station.
17：41 Board the JR Ou Main Line rapid train from Hirosaki Station
18：22 Arrive at Aomori Station
18：30 Dinner at "Umibozu" near Aomori Station
Popular "Kaibokuchu-don" can be ordered for both lunch and dinner Although the restaurant is called "Kaisen Sosaku," it serves not only seafood, but also a variety of Western-style dishes such as omelette rice and pasta for lunch, and in the evening, you can order a course that the chef will leave up to you. This is because the owner has a French background! The restaurant has an atmosphere where anyone can feel at ease, and many women traveling alone use the restaurant, so you can feel free to use it. If you make a reservation for dinner time, they will ask you about your preferences and make a "customer chart" for you. We recommend that you make a reservation when you visit this restaurant.
21：00 Stay overnight at a hotel near Aomori Station
Day 2 9:00 Bus "Nebutan" from Aomori Station
9：40 Arrive in front of Sannai-Maruyama Ruins
9：45 Sannai-Maruyama Ruins, registered as a World Heritage Site
Restored large hottate-bashira building In July 2021, the "Jomon Monuments of Hokkaido and the Northern Tohoku Region," including the Sannai-Maruyama Ruins, were registered as a World Heritage Site. At the Sannai-Maruyama Site, large-scale settlement ruins from the early to middle Jomon Period (approximately 3,900 to 2,200 B.C., 5,900 to 4,200 years ago from the present) were found, and a large amount of earthenware, stone tools, valuable wood products, bone and horn products, etc. were excavated, in addition to many pit and pillar building sites, fill, and graves of adults and children. The site is easily accessible from Aomori Station. It is easily accessible from Aomori Station, so it is worth seeing at least once!
11:30 From in front of Sannai-Maruyama Ruins to Aomori Station by bus "Nebutan-go" *This is the time after April 2023.
12:15 Lunch "Aomori Nokke-don" at Furukawa Market Aomori Fish and Vegetable Center
You can choose what to put on your bowl of rice. If you want to enjoy Aomori's seafood to the fullest, this is the place to go! At the Aomori Fish and Vegetable Center, one of the Furukawa Markets, you can enjoy nokke-don, a dream-like rice dish where you can choose your favorite seafood and put as much on top as you like. Of course, the market is filled with fresh seafood caught that day! There are also squid mentshi, grilled fish over charcoal, and eggs... The proximity to Aomori Station, only about a 5-minute walk, is also a high point of this restaurant.
How was your trip to Hirosaki and Aomori area so far? If you actually want to go there, please refer to this article when you travel. And if you are going to travel, we recommend using the " JR East View Dynamic Rail Package! It is easy and convenient because you can freely combine trains and hotels with online reservations and receive coupons at reserved-seat ticket machines at stations. For a round trip trip to Aomori and Hakodate, please take the JR East View Dynamic Rail Package. *Please click the link above to change your desired date, time, and other conditions. *Please note that the second night's accommodation will be arranged separately.
