Day One Japan

Aomori (青森)

See the festival floats at WA RASSE, then walk past an apple cider workshop and a former train ferry to the lookout over Aomori Bay.

The red ribbon-like exterior of Nebuta Museum WA RASSE in Aomori
Nebuta Museum WA RASSE · 掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized

Getting to WA RASSE

From Shin-Aomori Station (新青森駅)

From Tokyo (東京駅), take a Hayabusa (はやぶさ) Shinkansen to Shin-Aomori. Change to the JR Ōu Main Line (奥羽本線) on platforms 1–2 and look for Aomori (青森) on the departure board. It’s one stop away. Check the local train time before you travel.

Shin-Aomori Station, JR Lines Gate (新青森駅 在来線改札)

The JR Lines ticket gates at Shin-Aomori Station beneath signs with orange Ōu Main Line markers
Mister0124 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized

Four stops along the waterfront

  1. 1. Nebuta Museum WA RASSE (ねぶたの家 ワ・ラッセ)

    See the full-size illuminated floats from the Aomori Nebuta Festival. Buy your museum ticket on the day. Allow about 30 minutes for the exhibits, or an hour if you join a festival demonstration.

    Last entry is 6:30 p.m. from May to August and 5:30 p.m. from September to April. Closed August 9–10 and December 31–January 1.

  2. 2. A-FACTORY

    Walk past Aomori Ekimae Beach (あおもり駅前ビーチ) to the market with the row of pitched roofs. Stop for apple snacks, a meal or locally made cider. Shop and restaurant hours vary.

  3. 3. Hakkoda Maru (八甲田丸)

    Follow the waterfront to the yellow ferry that once carried trains between Aomori and Hakodate (函館). Go aboard to see the rail deck. From November through March, the ship usually closes on Mondays.

  4. 4. ASPAM (青森県観光物産館アスパム)

    Take the Aomori Love Bridge boardwalk (青森ラブリッジ) to the triangular building. Head up to the 13th-floor observatory for bay views on a clear day. From ASPAM, it’s about eight minutes on foot back to Aomori Station.

Transport and visitor information checked .