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Why Aomori is Japan's best year-round destination
21.07.2023 - 08:13 / roughguides.com
As the seasons pass, Aomori Prefecture presents a variety of faces to its visitors, each one different but no less beautiful than the last. A wild bouquet of cherry blossom swallows the region in spring, while summer is the time to explore the singing sands and floral meadows of the coast. As the year draws to a close, autumn’s inferno of red and ochre leaves gives way to heavy snowfall, which smothers the mountain peaks and transforms the trees into bizarre snow monsters, bent double against the winter wind. Whenever you decide to visit, read on to discover why Aomori is Japan’s finest year-round destination.
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, travel is still on hold for many of us around the globe. Your safety is of primary importance to us, so be sure to check travel restrictions at home and in Japan before planning a trip.
Springtime sees Japan blessed by one of nature’s great spectacles, as a blanket of pink and white cherry blossom (sakura) sweeps across the archipelago from south to north. In Aomori, the sakura lasts from late April to early May, and Hirosaki Park, in the heart of Hirosaki City, is one of the best places to see it anywhere in Japan. There are some 2,600 cherry trees here, with the oldest dating back 300 years.
Taking pruning tips from Aomori’s apple farmers, the Hirosaki groundskeepers have cultivated trees which produce almost double the normal amount of flowers – making the sakura even more breathtaking than usual. Why not follow the locals’ lead and pack a picnic to enjoy under a canopy of cherry blossom? This time of year sees a special range of cherry-infused food and drink hit the shelves; try sakura mochi, a rice cake infused with the flavour of the petals and leaves.
Sakura in Hirosaki Park © Aomori prefecture
Even after the cherry blossoms have fallen from the trees, spring is a beautiful time to visit Aomori. Not only do the fallen petals linger for a while as a pretty dusting on the city’s parks and streets, but the spectacular natural landscapes of the prefecture’s national parks become accessible again as hiking trails re-open in April. The Shirakami Mountains occupy the western section of the region and are covered in pristine forests of Siebold’s beech, home to macaques, black bears and serow, a type of antelope.
The forests are criss-crossed by numerous hiking trails, which reward walkers with stunning mountain and forest scenery, broken up by cascading waterfalls. Lake Juniko, in the western Shirakami Mountains, is actually an area incorporating 33 lakes and ponds. The main water bodies are connected by raised wooden boardwalks. Boating and camping are popular activities on the lakes, some of which – such as Aoike – are famed for the deep sapphire blue of
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