Get around

Taxis are always available from the train station.

Buses exist in Aomori, but it can be confusing without at least an intermediate Japanese ability.

Anywhere on or around the downtown main street is easily accessible by foot.

See

As with most outlying prefectural capitals, there isn't much to see in the city itself if you go in without knowing what to look for.

• Nebuta Festival. Aug 2-7. Said to be Japan's biggest fire festival. This festival includes an abundance of street vendors. Each day culminates in a huge parade featuring lit up lantern floats and costumed dancers.  edit

• Nebutanosato. This museum houses exhibits about the Nebuta if you're unable to make it during festival season.  edit

• Aomori Bay Bridge. This bridge spans a short harbor inlet that could easily be walked around in five minutes, so it appears to be basically an excuse for public funding as a tourist attraction.  edit

• Aspam Center. A large triangular building that can be easily spotted from the train station or the bridge, this is the tourism center for all of Aomori prefecture. It includes a movie about the prefecture (Japanese only) and an observation deck with views of the harbor and city (extra charge).  edit

• Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyu-Geshiki. This memorial alongside the ferry terminal looks like it might honor some historical event or local hero, but it's actually dedicated to a song. Meaning "Tsugaru Strait winter scenery", the 1977 hit ballad is an all-time karaoke favorite.  edit

• Aomori Prefectural Museum. Houses exhibits about the history of Aomori prefecture.  edit

• Asamushi Aquarium, [4]. A nice aquarium that features a dolphin show and a transparent underwater tunnel.  edit

• Asamushi Onsen. A hot springs resort on Mutsu bay with a rather large number of inns.  edit

• Sannai Maruyama. A historical site dedicated to the Jomon people, as many Jomon artifacts have been uncovered here.  edit

• Yotei-maru Ferry. The ferry which connected Hokkaido and Aomori prior to the building of the Seikan Submarine Tunnel, is now a somewhat run down museum, a short walk from the train station. The rear part of the deck of the ferry serves as a beer garden on summer nights.  edit

Do

• Nebuta Matsuri, [5]. This is Aomori's most famous festival. It is held in early August.  edit

Buy

For loading up on regional souvenirs, head to ASPAM, the unusual-looking triangular building located just behind the bridge on the harbor. It contains an exhibition hall for promoting tourism and local products.

Eat

• Ganesh, (A few blocks SE of the train station — go down Shinmachi a few blocks and then right a few blocks.). This is a small restaurant with very good Indian food. It is difficult to find but worth the search. The restaurant is not directly on the road; it is tucked in with a small parking lot and has a small but incredibly garish sign.  edit

Drink

• Aomori Grand Hotel. This hotel has a bar on the top floor, with a nice view of the bay bridge and the Aspam center. As far as hotel bars go, this one is quite reasonably priced.  edit

• Karaoke U-Bo. A large karaoke chain that has a branch about four or five blocks down the main street on the left. This location has a nice selection of English songs and, of course, offers all you can drink plans.  edit

• Cafe Skyline Gusto, Shinmachi. 7AM-2AM. Cafe Skyline Gusto is a small, unassuming cafe across from the Aomorikan Hotel, down a street or two. It has pretty standard fare in terms of Japanese breakfast food (toast with mayonnaise and eggs), but also features bacon and sausage as sides to eggs (most expensive is ¥499). In addition, you can also get a stack of three pancakes or two pancakes with condensed milk, banana and maple syrup (both are roughly ¥450). The most welcome part for the English-speaking traveler is that a meal comes with complimentary access to the restaurant's drink bar, which includes milk, a wide variety of juices (remember Aomori is famous for their apples!) as well as the coffee machine, which dispenses cappuccino, American style coffee as well as espresso. The bar is self-serve, and makes for an easy morning. The drink bar by itself is roughly ¥350, so buying breakfast is worth it for the drink service alone.  edit

• Carpe Diem English Bar (ichi go ichi e), (5 min walk from the train, Shinmachi passage is a pedestrian area on the right side of the main street. Carpe Diem is between Bonitos Coffee Shop and the spagetti shop. 2 doors down from the ramen shop.), ? 017 722-2129. 11:30AM-late. Carpe Diem is a Gaijin friendly bar, premiership football, curry made by our Calcutta chef. Free internet. ¥500 for a large beer..  edit

Sleep

Numerous hotels dot Shinmachi, the main street that stretches out from the train station. These hotels generally increase in price the closer you get to the train station.

• Aomori Grand Hotel. This hotel is probably the closest and most expensive of these hotels. It is on the left as you begin down Shinmachi.  edit

Contact

The city tourist information center is located next to the bus stop on the left as you exit the train station; they have good brochures and maps in English. You can pick up the free Northern Tohoku Welcome Card [6] here, which gets you discounts on transport and attractions.

Get out

• Hirosaki, the "Kyoto of the North", is 45 minutes away by train.
• The Shimokita Peninsula, one of the most remote but also one of the most beautiful places in Japan, is a few hours away by train.
• The route from Aomori city to Hachinohe via Sukaya Onsen and Lake Towada is accessible via an infrequent Japan Rail bus (leaving e.g. 10:10am, noon) which leaves from the terminal (stop 8) outside Aomori Station. This is a picturesque route in a 45-person-capacity bus with a recorded tour commentary in Japan and English, and which also allows day trips to the Hakkoda Mountains. This area is an hour away by bus from Aomori, and can be hiked via Sukaya Onsen or from the local cable car, which the bus also stops at. The last bus for Aomori leaves from the onsen at 16:58 (cable car 17:08). Lake Towada is also a worthwhile stopping point on the road to or from Aomori.