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Tohoku · Prefecture · JP-02

Aomori

青森県あおもりけんAomori-ken

Honshu's northern tip: lantern floats, apple orchards and deep snow

Aomori is Japan's northernmost prefecture on Honshu, facing Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait. It is known for the Nebuta and Neputa lantern-float festivals, the country's largest apple harvest, Lake Towada and the Oirase Gorge, and some of Japan's most important Jōmon sites.

Overview

Aomori occupies the northern end of Honshu, bounded by the Sea of Japan to the west, the Tsugaru Strait to the north and the Pacific to the east. Two peninsulas – Tsugaru in the west and the axe-shaped Shimokita in the east – enclose Mutsu Bay, and the volcanic Hakkōda Mountains rise in the centre. Since 1988 the Seikan Tunnel has linked the prefecture to Hokkaido beneath the strait.

The prefecture is divided, culturally and historically, into the Tsugaru area in the west, centred on the old castle town of Hirosaki, and the Nanbu area in the east, centred on the port city of Hachinohe, with the remote Shimokita Peninsula forming a third region. The two halves differ in dialect, festivals and food, a legacy of the rival Tsugaru and Nanbu clans of the Edo period.

Aomori is Japan's leading apple producer and a major fishing prefecture, famous for Mutsu Bay scallops and the bluefin tuna landed at Ōma. Its summer festivals, above all the illuminated Nebuta floats of Aomori city, draw visitors from across the country, while the beech forests of Shirakami-Sanchi and the Jōmon settlement of Sannai-Maruyama are inscribed as World Heritage.

Name and origins

The name Aomori, literally 'blue (green) forest', is said to come from a small hill covered in pines near the port, which served ships as a landmark. The Hirosaki domain developed the port village of that name from 1624 as its gateway to Mutsu Bay.

The whole area lay within the ancient province of Mutsu. In the Edo period it was split between the Tsugaru clan's Hirosaki domain (with its branch Kuroishi) in the west and territory of the Nanbu clan – the Hachinohe domain and part of the Morioka domain – in the east. After the Boshin War the defeated Aizu clan was resettled on Shimokita as the Tonami domain. When the domains were abolished in 1871 these units were merged into Hirosaki Prefecture, which moved its seat to Aomori and took the port's name within weeks. The old Tsugaru–Nanbu divide still shapes local identity.

Cities

CapitalAomoriAomori-shiPort capital of the north, between Mutsu Bay and the Hakkōda MountainsCore cityHachinoheHachinohe-shiFishing port, industrial city and heart of the Nanbu areaCityHirosakiHirosaki-shiTsugaru's castle town, beneath Mount Iwaki and among apple orchards

Geography

The prefecture's heart is the Ōu Mountains and the volcanic Hakkōda group, whose highest peak, Ōdake, reaches 1,585 m. To the west the solitary cone of Mount Iwaki (1,625 m), the highest point in the prefecture, rises above the Tsugaru Plain, drained by the Iwaki River into the lagoon of Jūsan-ko. The Shirakami Mountains on the Akita border hold one of the largest remaining virgin beech forests in East Asia.

In the south-east Lake Towada, a caldera lake shared with Akita, feeds the Oirase stream, which flows east towards the Pacific. The Pacific coast around Hachinohe is flatter, with the grassy Tanesashi coast; the Shimokita Peninsula ends at Cape Ōma, the northernmost point of Honshu, and holds the volcanic landscape of Osorezan. The Seikan Tunnel runs from the Tsugaru Peninsula under the strait to Hokkaido.

Climate

Aomori has a cool climate with a sharp contrast between west and east. The Tsugaru side, open to the Sea of Japan monsoon, receives very heavy snow; Aomori city is regularly cited as one of the snowiest cities in the world, and Sukayu in the Hakkōda Mountains records some of the deepest snow cover in Japan. The Pacific side around Hachinohe gets far less snow and more winter sun, but in early summer it is exposed to the yamase, a cold, damp north-easterly wind that has historically caused crop failures. Summers are short and mild throughout.

Landscape

  • Hakkōda Mountains

    八甲田山Hakkōda-san

    Volcanic massif south of Aomori city, known for rime-ice 'snow monsters' in winter, wetlands and autumn colour; scene of the 1902 snow-march disaster.

  • Mount Iwaki

    岩木山Iwaki-san

    Stratovolcano of 1,625 m, the prefecture's highest point and the sacred mountain of Tsugaru, often called 'Tsugaru Fuji'.

  • Lake Towada

    十和田湖Towada-ko

    Double caldera lake on the Akita border, 327 m deep, at the core of Towada-Hachimantai National Park.

  • Oirase Gorge

    奥入瀬渓流Oirase-keiryū

    Wooded stream flowing out of Lake Towada, lined by a riverside path past rapids and waterfalls for about 14 km.

  • Shirakami-Sanchi

    白神山地Shirakami-sanchi

    Mountain range on the Akita border with an extensive virgin forest of Siebold's beech, inscribed as a natural World Heritage Site in 1993.

  • Shimokita Peninsula and Osorezan

    下北半島Shimokita-hantō

    Remote peninsula with the volcanic crater lake of Osorezan, the sea cliffs of Hotokegaura and Cape Ōma, the northernmost point of Honshu.

  • Mutsu Bay

    陸奥湾Mutsu-wan

    Sheltered bay between the Tsugaru and Shimokita peninsulas, one of Japan's main scallop-farming waters.

  • Tanesashi Coast

    種差海岸Tanesashi-kaigan

    Pacific shoreline near Hachinohe where natural lawns run down to the rocks; part of Sanriku Fukkō National Park.

Nature in this prefecture

MountainsHakkōda MountainsHakkōda-sanSnow-bound volcanoes above Aomori, with moors, hot springs and snow monsters.1585 mLakesLake TowadaTowada-koA double caldera lake high in the northern Ou Mountains400 mMountainsMount IwakiIwaki-sanThe sacred Tsugaru Fuji, rising alone above the apple orchards of Hirosaki.1625 mGorgesOirase StreamOirase KeiryūFourteen kilometres of rapids, moss and waterfallsNational ParksSanriku Fukko National ParkSanriku Fukkō Kokuritsu KōenCliffs, rias and a coast rebuilding after the tsunamiNational ParksTowada-Hachimantai National ParkTowada-Hachimantai Kokuritsu KōenCaldera lake, mountain stream and hot springs of the northern mountains2038 m

World Heritage in this prefecture

Inscribed 1993Shirakami-SanchiThe last great beech wilderness of East AsiaNaturalInscribed 2021Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern JapanTen thousand years of settled life without farmingCultural

History

Northern Honshu was a centre of Jōmon culture: Sannai-Maruyama near Aomori city was a large, long-lived settlement, and later sites such as Kamegaoka produced the goggle-eyed shakōki dogū figurines. For centuries the region lay on the edge of the Yamato state, home to the Emishi and later under the influence of the northern Fujiwara and the Andō clan, whose port of Tosaminato on Lake Jūsan traded across the northern seas.

In the late sixteenth century Ōura (later Tsugaru) Tamenobu broke away from the Nanbu clan and secured recognition from Toyotomi Hideyoshi, founding the Tsugaru line that ruled from Hirosaki until 1871; the east stayed with the Nanbu. After the Meiji Restoration the region struggled with harsh winters, famines and remoteness, but became a vital link to Hokkaido through the Seikan ferries and, from 1988, the Seikan Tunnel. The Tohoku Shinkansen reached Hachinohe in 2002 and Shin-Aomori in 2010.

  1. c. 3900–2200 BCE

    The Jōmon settlement of Sannai-Maruyama flourishes near present-day Aomori city.

  2. 1590

    Tsugaru Tamenobu, having broken with the Nanbu, is confirmed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi as lord of Tsugaru.

  3. 1611

    Hirosaki Castle is completed as the seat of the Tsugaru clan.

  4. 1624

    The Hirosaki domain opens the port of Aomori on Mutsu Bay.

  5. 1870

    Aizu retainers defeated in the Boshin War are resettled on the Shimokita Peninsula as the Tonami domain.

  6. 1871

    The domains are merged into Hirosaki Prefecture, which moves its seat to Aomori and is renamed Aomori Prefecture.

  7. 1902

    199 soldiers of an army unit die in a blizzard during a training march in the Hakkōda Mountains.

  8. 1908

    The state railways begin the Seikan ferry service between Aomori and Hakodate.

  9. 1988

    The Seikan Tunnel opens beneath the Tsugaru Strait, linking Honshu and Hokkaido by rail.

  10. 1993

    Shirakami-Sanchi becomes one of Japan's first natural World Heritage Sites.

  11. 2010

    The Tohoku Shinkansen reaches Shin-Aomori.

  12. 2021

    Sannai-Maruyama and other Aomori sites are inscribed as part of the Jōmon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan.

Culture

Aomori's culture is best known through its summer festivals of illuminated paper floats, whose origins lie in the Tanabata season and the custom of casting away drowsiness before the harvest. Each area has its own form: the huge three-dimensional warrior tableaux of Aomori's Nebuta, the fan-shaped Neputa of Hirosaki and the towering Tachineputa of Goshogawara.

The Tsugaru area also gave rise to the percussive, improvisational Tsugaru-jamisen and to kogin-zashi embroidery, born of the need to reinforce and warm hemp clothing. Shimokita is associated with the itako, blind female mediums who relay the words of the dead at Osorezan. The strong Tsugaru and Nanbu dialects are hard to follow even for other Japanese, and the prefecture has produced an unusual number of writers and artists, from Dazai Osamu to Munakata Shikō.

Festivals

  • Aomori Nebuta Matsuri

    青森ねぶた祭Aomori Nebuta Matsuri

    Held 2–7 August: large illuminated floats of warriors and deities paraded through Aomori city, accompanied by haneto dancers; on the final day the floats are carried out on the bay.

  • Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri

    弘前ねぷたまつりHirosaki Neputa Matsuri

    Held 1–7 August: fan-shaped floats painted with battle scenes on the front and beauties on the back, pulled through the castle town.

  • Goshogawara Tachineputa

    五所川原立佞武多Goshogawara Tachineputa

    Early-August festival of standing floats more than 20 m tall, revived in 1998 from Meiji-era photographs.

  • Hachinohe Sansha Taisai

    八戸三社大祭Hachinohe Sansha Taisai

    Festival of three shrines held from 31 July to 4 August with elaborate mechanical floats; part of the UNESCO-listed Yama, Hoko, Yatai float festivals.

  • Hachinohe Enburi

    八戸えんぶりHachinohe Enburi

    Pre-spring rite held 17–20 February in which dancers in horse-head hats pray for a good rice harvest.

  • Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival

    弘前さくらまつりHirosaki Sakura Matsuri

    Spring festival from late April into early May around the moats and turrets of Hirosaki Castle, one of Japan's best-known cherry blossom sites.

  • Osorezan Grand Festival

    恐山大祭Osorezan Taisai

    Held 20–24 July at the temple of Bodai-ji on Osorezan, when itako mediums traditionally hold séances for visitors.

Traditional crafts

  • Tsugaru lacquerware

    津軽塗Tsugaru-nuri

    Hirosaki lacquer built up in dozens of layers and polished to reveal mottled patterns; a nationally designated traditional craft.

  • Kogin embroidery

    こぎん刺しkogin-zashi

    Geometric white-on-indigo counted-thread embroidery of the Tsugaru farming villages, originally used to strengthen and insulate hemp garments.

  • Hishizashi embroidery

    菱刺しhishizashi

    The Nanbu counterpart of kogin, worked in diamond-shaped motifs in the Hachinohe area.

  • Yawata-uma horses

    八幡馬Yawata-uma

    Painted wooden toy horses from Hachinohe, reflecting the Nanbu area's long tradition of horse breeding.

  • Tsugaru glass

    津軽びいどろTsugaru bīdoro

    Hand-blown coloured glass made in Aomori city, using sand from the Tsugaru coast.

Traditions

  • Tsugaru-jamisen

    津軽三味線Tsugaru-jamisen

    Fast, percussive style of shamisen playing developed by itinerant blind musicians of Tsugaru, now performed worldwide.

  • Itako mediums

    イタコitako

    Traditionally blind women who act as spirit mediums, associated with Osorezan and the folk religion of the Shimokita and Nanbu areas.

  • Tsugaru dialect

    津軽弁Tsugaru-ben

    One of the most distinctive Japanese dialects, known for very short utterances; the Nanbu dialect of the east differs markedly.

  • Oyama-sankei pilgrimage

    お山参詣Oyama-sankei

    Late-summer pilgrimage to the summit of Mount Iwaki to give thanks for the harvest, an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

Cuisine

Aomori's food rests on cold seas and a short growing season. Mutsu Bay supplies scallops, the Pacific ports of Hachinohe squid and mackerel, and the Tsugaru Strait the bluefin tuna of Ōma. Apples appear in everything from juice to pies, and the prefecture is also Japan's main producer of garlic and a large grower of nagaimo yam. Winter dishes are hearty soups and stews built on miso, cod and preserved vegetables.

  • Senbei-jiru

    せんべい汁senbei-jiru

    Hachinohe soup of chicken or pork and vegetables into which hard wheat crackers are broken and simmered until chewy.

  • Ichigo-ni

    いちご煮ichigo-ni

    Clear soup of sea urchin and abalone from the Hachinohe coast; the name comes from the urchin's resemblance to wild strawberries.

  • Kayaki-miso

    貝焼き味噌kayaki-miso

    Scallops or other seafood cooked with miso and egg in a large scallop shell used as a pan.

  • Jappa-jiru

    じゃっぱ汁jappa-jiru

    Winter soup of cod heads, bones and offal with radish and miso, making use of the whole fish.

  • Ke-no-shiru

    けの汁ke-no-shiru

    Tsugaru soup of finely diced root vegetables, wild plants and tofu, prepared in large quantities for the Little New Year.

  • Ōma tuna

    大間まぐろŌma maguro

    Bluefin tuna caught by pole and line in the Tsugaru Strait off Ōma, among the most prized tuna in Japan.

  • Aomori apples

    青森りんごAomori ringo

    Grown mainly on the Tsugaru Plain since the Meiji era; varieties such as Fuji, Ōrin and Mutsu are sold fresh and as juice, cider and pastries.

Hot springs

  • Sukayu Onsen

    酸ヶ湯温泉Sukayu Onsen

    Acidic spring at about 900 m in the Hakkōda Mountains, known for its large wooden hiba-cypress bathhouse and deep winter snow.

  • Aoni Onsen

    青荷温泉Aoni Onsen

    Secluded valley inn near Kuroishi lit by oil lamps instead of electric light.

  • Asamushi Onsen

    浅虫温泉Asamushi Onsen

    Seaside spa town on Mutsu Bay within Aomori city, long the hot-spring resort of the prefectural capital.

  • Furōfushi Onsen

    不老ふ死温泉Furōfushi Onsen

    Iron-rich spring at Cape Kogane on the Sea of Japan coast, with an open-air bath on the rocks at the water's edge.

  • Tsuta Onsen

    蔦温泉Tsuta Onsen

    Beech-forest inn south of Hakkōda where the water wells up through the floorboards of the bath.

  • Yagen Onsen

    薬研温泉Yagen Onsen

    Valley hot spring on the Shimokita Peninsula, traditionally associated with the Nanbu and later the Tonami settlers.

Economy

Agriculture and fisheries are central. Aomori grows more apples than any other prefecture, leads Japan in garlic, and farms rice, nagaimo yam and burdock. Its fishing ports land scallops, squid, mackerel and tuna. Hachinohe is an industrial port with paper, metals and chemical plants. Rokkasho on the Pacific coast hosts Japan's nuclear fuel-cycle complex, and wind farms line the coasts. Tourism, driven by festivals, Towada, Oirase and cherry blossom, grew strongly after the Shinkansen reached Aomori.

Key industries

  • Apple growing and processing
  • Garlic, nagaimo and rice
  • Fisheries and scallop farming
  • Port industry at Hachinohe (paper, metals, chemicals)
  • Nuclear fuel cycle facilities at Rokkasho
  • Wind power
  • Tourism

Notable people

  • Tsugaru Tamenobu (1550–1608)

    津軽為信

    Warlord who broke away from the Nanbu and founded the Tsugaru domain.

  • Munakata Shikō (1903–1975)

    棟方志功

    Woodblock-print artist born in Aomori city, internationally recognised after his prizes at São Paulo and Venice in the 1950s.

  • Dazai Osamu (1909–1948)

    太宰治

    Novelist born in Kanagi (now Goshogawara), author of No Longer Human and the travel memoir Tsugaru.

  • Terayama Shūji (1935–1983)

    寺山修司

    Poet, playwright and film-maker born in Hirosaki, founder of the avant-garde theatre group Tenjō Sajiki.

  • Nara Yoshitomo (born 1959)

    奈良美智

    Contemporary artist from Hirosaki, known for his paintings of defiant children and the monumental dog sculpture at the Aomori Museum of Art.

Getting there

  • Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Shin-Aomori in about three hours, with a stop at Hachinohe.
  • Hokkaido Shinkansen from Shin-Aomori through the Seikan Tunnel to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto in about an hour.
  • Aomori Airport, south of the city, has domestic flights to Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo and other cities; Misawa Airport serves the Nanbu area.
  • Ferries cross the Tsugaru Strait from Aomori and from Ōma to Hakodate, and link Hachinohe with Tomakomai on Hokkaido.
  • The Ōu Main Line connects Aomori and Hirosaki with Akita; the scenic Gonō Line follows the Sea of Japan coast past Shirakami-Sanchi.

Neighbouring prefectures

Former provinces

  • 陸奥国Mutsu-no-kuni

Prefectural symbols

Flower
リンゴの花ringo no hana
Tree
ヒバhiba
Bird
ハクチョウhakuchō

Frequently asked questions

When is the Aomori Nebuta Festival?

The Aomori Nebuta Matsuri is held every year from 2 to 7 August. Hirosaki's Neputa runs from 1 to 7 August and Goshogawara's Tachineputa in the first week of August.

How long does it take to reach Aomori from Tokyo?

The fastest Tohoku Shinkansen trains reach Shin-Aomori in about three hours. Flights from Haneda to Aomori Airport take a little over an hour.

Why is Aomori famous for apples?

Apple growing began in Tsugaru in the 1870s and suited the cool climate and the well-drained soils around Mount Iwaki. Aomori has long been Japan's largest apple-producing prefecture.

Where is the best place to see cherry blossoms in Aomori?

Hirosaki Park, the grounds of Hirosaki Castle, is one of Japan's best-known cherry blossom sites, usually in bloom from late April to early May.

Is Aomori connected to Hokkaido?

Yes. The Seikan Tunnel, opened in 1988, carries the Hokkaido Shinkansen and freight trains under the Tsugaru Strait, and ferries sail from Aomori, Ōma and Hachinohe to Hokkaido.

How much snow does Aomori get?

The western half, including Aomori city and the Hakkōda Mountains, receives very heavy snow each winter, with several metres at higher elevations. The Pacific side around Hachinohe gets much less.

Related

Sources

  1. 1.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
  2. 2.全国都道府県市区町村別面積調 (opens in a new tab) — Geospatial Information Authority of Japan
  3. 3.青森県庁ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 青森県
  4. 4.Shirakami-Sanchi (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO World Heritage Centre
  5. 5.Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Editorial team · Published: