A man and a woman, both wearing sunglasses and hats, smile and pose for a selfie on a sandy beach with large yellow letters spelling "AOMORI" in the background. The woman is making a peace sign with her hand.
David Schulz

Aomori Downtown

It's a short cycle from our apartment to Higashi-Aomori station.  Apparently our leisurely breakfast had been a little too leisurely and we just missed a train and had a wait of nearly an hour for the next one.  It's just two stops to the end of the line - Aomori. 

Exiting the station we were surprised to see a lot of tourists floating about.  We'd become accustomed to the distinct lack of tourists on the Japan Sea coast.  We didn't expect Aomori to be much different.  All became clear when we spied the massive cruise ship in the harbour that had disgorged its hordes into downtown Aomori for the day.  

Eat

We headed away from downtown and the shopping street to avoid the cruise ship crowds.  Given our best ever ramen experience was in Sapporo, Ramen Ajino-Sapporo was a must try.  After a small wait we were able to get a seat at the counter and steaming bowls of a quite spicy ramen were soon served up to us.  I'm not entirely clear what I ordered, but I know I enjoyed it!

Cafe des Gitanes has been serving up single origin coffee goodness for 18 years. The focus here is unapologetically on the coffee. There's no meals, no sweet treats, just coffee. We opted for the Aomori blend pour over which was smooth and flavourful.  

As was to become the norm during our stay in Aomori, we swung by the supermarket on our way home from the station and grabbed a prepared meal for dinner.  It's not quite home cooking but it was nice to have a casual meal without having to head out in the evening.

See and Do

The Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse is the main tourist drawcard downtown and it lives up to its starring role. Here in the North, the winters are long and the summers short, so the festival is a social and cultural bright point.  The museum does a good job of highlighting the exuberance of the festival and showcasing the main players - the massive illuminated washi paper sculpture floats.  The use of perspective is like a real life 3D movie where depth of field is exaggerated for great effect.  The design of the cladding for the building that suggests a curtain being drawn back is a nice touch.

The observation deck at the prefectural tourist information centre is worth a quick look if you're prepared to pay the ¥400 admission.  The 360° view of the harbour and the city gives you a good sense of where things are and how spread out this little city is.

A large, artistic structure resembling a hand made of washi paper with visible framework is suspended from the ceiling. In the background, a red, eerie face with blue eyes and glowing accents is also part of the hanging installation.
A brightly colored lantern in the shape of a fierce, stylized warrior's face, featuring exaggerated yellow eyes, bold eyebrows, and a scowling expression. The face is illuminated from within, highlighting intricate details and vibrant hues.
A large, colorful illuminated sculpture depicts an elderly man with fierce facial expressions and exaggerated features. He wears a detailed, traditional Japanese costume with vibrant patterns, and is surrounded by a bright orange and red background.
A person in a red shirt stands behind a striped red and white barrier, smiling at the camera. Behind them is an elaborate, brightly lit float featuring large illuminated figures and traditional Japanese lanterns with kanji characters, likely part of a festival display.
People are seated on wooden stools at a counter in a restaurant, separated by white dividers for health safety. The walls are decorated with various pictures and signatures. The restaurant has a cozy atmosphere with checkered tile flooring and a stainless steel kitchen in the background.
Elevated view of a waterfront cityscape featuring a cable-stayed bridge, modern buildings, and a docked yellow-and-white ferry. The image captures the serene harbor water under a partly cloudy sky, with distant mountains on the horizon.
Aerial view of a cityscape featuring a mix of modern and older buildings. An elevated highway runs through the right side of the image. Green parks and tree-lined areas are visible, as well as a river flowing towards the left edge of the image. Distant mountains frame the background under a partly cloudy sky.
A vibrant stained glass window featuring sailing ships and waves is displayed above a large, modern cruise ship docked at a port. The cruise ship has a blue hull with white and orange accents, and the background shows calm sea waters and distant mountains.
A cozy coffee shop interior with a teal and white color scheme. A barista is working behind the counter, which has wooden drawers, coffee equipment, and jars on shelves. A chalkboard menu is visible on the wall. Pendant lights hang from the ceiling.

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