{"id":36049,"date":"2026-02-04T14:09:58","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T14:09:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/?p=36049"},"modified":"2026-02-16T15:24:40","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T15:24:40","slug":"exploring-coast-to-coast-in-aomori","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/04\/exploring-coast-to-coast-in-aomori\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring Coast to Coast in Aomori"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F36049&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F36049\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F36049&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F36049&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F36049%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F36049\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F36049\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul><p>So often in Japan, you know an experience is going to be memorable, even before you do it. That visit to majestic Kiyomizudera in Kyoto, for example; the climb up Mount Fuji; a night out in Tokyo\u2019s karaoke bars. Other times, these moments are more accidental.<\/p>\n<p>And as<em>\u00a0National Geographic Traveller<\/em> writer, Alicia Miller, found on her first introduction to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/aomori\/\">Aomori<\/a>, on our<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/self-guided-japan-holidays\/i-aom\/japans-undiscovered-north\/\"> Japan&#8217;s Undiscovered North itinerary,<\/a>\u00a0it\u2019s these surprises that can become the most memorable moments of all.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-36082 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-2.jpg\" alt=\"Aomori Food\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-2.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-2-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-2-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-2-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-2-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-2-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-2-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-2-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>After a couple of days in the historic samurai town of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/kakunodate\/\">Kakunodate<\/a> in neighbouring prefecture Akita \u2013 seeing samurai homes, still inhabited by local samurai families, and taking a one-to-one lesson in <em>bushido<\/em> (\u2018the way of the warrior\u2019) \u2013 I figured a ride on the Gono Line was\u00a0 going to be a slightly more scenic route to my next stop, the city of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/hirosaki\/\">Hirosaki<\/a>. It ended up being the most spectacular train journey I\u2019d ever taken in Japan.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>A coastal introduction<\/h2>\n<p>Like much of the northerly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-regions\/tohoku\/\">Tohoku<\/a> region, Aomori is largely undiscovered by visitors. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-regions\/hokkaido\/\">Hokkaido<\/a> \u2013 land of snow, skiing and Sapporo beer \u2013 just to the north often paints a more visual picture in the mind\u2019s eye but when it comes to Aomori there\u2019s a bit of a collective mental blank. Which is a shame, as in reality it\u2019s anything but empty: home to original samurai castles and UNESCO World Heritage sites, rambling apple orchards and glassy rice fields, dramatic forest gorges for hiking and beaches for lounging. There are unique local crafts, and even a mini version of iconic Mount Fuji, the 1,625m Mount Iwate.<\/p>\n<p>Crucially, in Aomori, there\u2019s coastline: hugged on three sides by water, bordering both Sea of Japan and Pacific Ocean, the prefecture is shaped by water. And, as I learned, so is the Gono Line.<\/p>\n<p>It was just around lunchtime in Akita when I boarded the Resort Shirakami 3, the Gono Line\u2019s comfy sightseeing train, lined in large windows. I buried my nose in my book while the seats filled up around me, with Japanese pensioners toting packed lunches and day bags. It was several stops along the line until I looked up from my pages, and when I did I nearly dropped the book straight into my lap.<\/p>\n<p>We had gone from gentle rolling rural landscapes to hugging a dramatic and wild coastline. Plunging, jagged rock faces met steely, frothing surf: the Sea of Japan. It felt precarious and thrilling, with the water almost close enough to reach out and touch. Had I just accidentally stumbled upon one of Japan\u2019s great rail trips, when I had just been trying to get from A to B?<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-36088 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-1.jpg\" alt=\"View from the window on the Gono Line\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-1.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-1-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-1-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-1-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-1-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-1-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-1-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-1-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-1-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Exploring inland<\/h2>\n<p>Turns out, this wouldn\u2019t be the only unexpectedly wonderful moment I\u2019d experience in Aomori. Aomori has an incredibly diverse landscape and soon the train segued inland towards the city of Hirosaki, where the drama of the coastline softened to rice paddies and apple orchards (Hirosaki is the apple-growing capital of Japan). That night I slept in a historic <em>ryokan<\/em> owned by a samurai descendent, who kindly ferried me to dinner at a restaurant specialising in local <em>shamisen<\/em> music. The wait staff and chef doubled as the house band, turning out folky, county-and-western style tunes as I sipped my beer.<\/p>\n<p>With a lot of ground to cover \u2013 Aomori is more than 9,600 square kilometres \u2013 I didn\u2019t have long to linger in Hirosaki, moving on two days later to Aomori City, up on the north coast. The city is known in Japan for is huge, week-long Nebuta festival each August, but in quieter September I was able to enjoy its more low-key draws, including <em>nokkedon<\/em>, a kind of DIY <em>chirashizushi, <\/em>or \u201cscattered sushi\u201d in the central fish market. After polishing off bowlfuls of rice topped with fresh and fat prawns, <em>tamago<\/em>, sea urchin and <em>ikura<\/em>, my guide took me to the nearby UNESCO-listed ancient ruins, San\u2019nai-Maruyama, to discover the background behind Japan\u2019s prehistoric residents, the Jomon people.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read more about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/self-guided-japan-holidays\/i-aom\/japans-undiscovered-north\/\">Japan&#8217;s Undiscovered North<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The next day I once again moved inland, southeast of Aomori City to the Oirase Keiryu Gorge. Cloaked in dense, moss-lined forest, this wild ice-age wonder of rapids and waterfalls, is popular within Japan for its accessible walking trails, particularly in autumn when the leaves begin to turn. But I heard the voices of only a couple of other international tourists as my guide and I snaked along the path that lined the tumbling stream, fed by Towada-ko, the largest crater lake in Japan.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-36091 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-2.jpg\" alt=\"Coastal view from the Gono Line window\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-2.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-2-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-2-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-2-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-2-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-2-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-2-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gono-Line-Window-View-2-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Onwards to the Pacific<\/h2>\n<p>Aomori had much more to give but the final stop on my whistlestop tour brought me \u2013 where else? \u2013 back to the coast. This time to Hachinohe, on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to the quiet and remote stretches I had witnessed on the Gono Line and the cosmopolitan streets of Aomori City, Hachinohe bore the marks of a major port city, with huge ships cluttering its waterside. The area is particularly known for its first-rate mackerel and squid and though my time here would be brief, I knew I had to taste it.<\/p>\n<p>I met my guide Machida-san in Hon-Hachinohe station that evening, where we boarded a commuter train to the quiet waterside district of Same. It all started with the usual introductions; she told me how she was from Osaka and when she moved to Hachinohe with her husband she initially felt a bit lost. On a mission to discover the local area, she would go down to the waterside village of Same, where she discovered some old fishermen\u2019s bars \u2013 almost all entirely run by women. \u00a0Now, as head of her own guiding business, she wanted to show them off to visitors.<\/p>\n<p>Clutching electric lanterns in hand to light our way on the darkened night-time streets, we moved from tiny bar to tiny bar. As we opened each door to a new intimate, homely space \u2013 each one only large enough to hold a dozen or so guests \u2013 we\u2019d trade a <em>konbanwa<\/em> and take up the host\u2019s offer of drinks and small seafood dishes.<\/p>\n<p>As the hours (and bars) passed, our cheeks became reddened by warmth, jolliness and <em>sake<\/em>, and Machida-san (who kindly acted as translator) and I began to chat merrily with the locals and quiz the elderly bar women. Over sublime grilled mackerel we heard sad stories of the Tohoku earthquake and the decline of the local fishing industry. But we also we heard bright, hilarious tales that made us smile and laugh (some, until we were nearly in tears).<\/p>\n<p>I left Hachinohe \u2013 and Aomori prefecture \u2013 the next day with the feeling that, as well as enjoying some sublime seafood and getting an insight into local culture, I had made some new friends. Last night\u2019s tour hadn\u2019t entirely been an accident of course but the depth of the shared human connection I experienced in Hachinohe was, most definitely, a surprise. And, most definitely, something I will remember.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-36094 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-1HEIC.jpg\" alt=\"Aomori Bar Tour\" width=\"3024\" height=\"4032\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-1HEIC.jpg 3024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-1HEIC-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-1HEIC-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-1HEIC-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-1HEIC-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-1HEIC-1200x1600.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-1HEIC-900x1200.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-1HEIC-720x960.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-1HEIC-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-1HEIC-390x520.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-1HEIC-780x1040.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Same-Bar-Tour-1HEIC-510x680.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3024px) 100vw, 3024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Alicia Miller is the travel editor for <em>Women and Home <\/em> and a freelance travel writer, working with <em>National Geographic Traveller,<\/em> <em>The Telegraph <\/em>and\u00a0<\/strong><em><strong>The Sunday Times.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>She travelled with us on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/self-guided-japan-holidays\/i-aom\/japans-undiscovered-north\/\">Japan&#8217;s Undiscovered North.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h4>Like this post? 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Help us by sharing it! So often in Japan, you know an experience is going to be memorable, even before you do it. That visit to majestic Kiyomizudera in Kyoto, for example; the climb up Mount Fuji; a night out in Tokyo\u2019s karaoke bars. Other times, these moments are more accidental. 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