{"id":37227,"date":"2026-09-09T12:20:18","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T11:20:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/?p=37227"},"modified":"2026-09-10T14:14:49","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T13:14:49","slug":"the-places-in-between-aomori","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2026\/09\/09\/the-places-in-between-aomori\/","title":{"rendered":"The places in between: 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%2F37227&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%2F37227\" 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%2F37227&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%2F37227&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%2F37227%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%2F37227\" 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%2F37227\" 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>A land of primeval forest, fishing communities and plenty of apples, Aomori is just three hours north of Tokyo by bullet train \u2013 but only 0.8% of Japan\u2019s visitors make it there.<\/p>\n<p>Come to Aomori to walk the Oirase Gorge, a designated National Special Place of Scenic Beauty, but stay longer and you\u2019ll find fishing towns, wild stretches of coastline and one of Japan\u2019s biggest summer festivals. More importantly, you\u2019ll get a sense of the pride people take in keeping local traditions alive. Tour guide Mr. Fumiho sums Aomori up best: \u201cA place where you can experience a deep, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/themes-g\/undervisited-japan\/\">authentic side of Japan<\/a> that has a completely different flavour from the country&#8217;s traditional &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/self-guided-japan-holidays\/i-grc\/golden-route\/\">Golden Route\u2019<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n<h4>Visit Aomori on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/self-guided-japan-holidays\/i-aom\/japans-undiscovered-north\/\">Japan\u2019s Undiscovered North<\/a><\/h4>\n<h2><strong>Hachinohe: a taste of Tokyo in years gone by<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Board the <em>Shinkansen <\/em>bullet train north, and your first stop in the Aomori prefecture is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/hachinohe\/\">Hachinohe<\/a>. A small, coastal city, with a weekly timetable defined by its fishing industry.<\/p>\n<p>Japan specialist, Will, arrived in time to hit the weekend essentials: Saturday night in the city\u2019s tiny bars, followed by the famous Sunday morning market at Tatehana Wharf.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHachinohe\u2019s <em>yokocho<\/em> (small alleys) are lined with tiny bars, packed with locals, many fishermen by trade. I drank <em>sake<\/em> and swapped stories with them for hours. People often say <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/tokyo\/\">Tokyo<\/a> felt like this in the 90s, so it felt very special to experience something similar 30 years later\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Hachinhoe isn\u2019t on the average Japan itinerary. English isn\u2019t widely spoken here (Will speaks Japanese), so if you can\u2019t communicate much further than <em>konnichiwa<\/em>, this is a good place to meet up with a guide. They\u2019ll lead you to the best bars, help you order, then leave you to your seafood and <em>sake<\/em> before moving on to the next bar.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-37290\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Hachinohe-bar-hopping-3-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Man in a black and gold shirt carefully pouring to finish a blue cocktail in a martini glass with an olive at the bottom\" width=\"819\" height=\"546\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Hachinohe-bar-hopping-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Hachinohe-bar-hopping-3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Hachinohe-bar-hopping-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Hachinohe-bar-hopping-3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Hachinohe-bar-hopping-3-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Hachinohe-bar-hopping-3-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Hachinohe-bar-hopping-3-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Hachinohe-bar-hopping-3-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Hachinohe-bar-hopping-3-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Hachinohe-bar-hopping-3-390x260.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Hachinohe-bar-hopping-3-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Hachinohe-bar-hopping-3-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Sunday morning market, a coastal walk and a hot pot<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>For a city that is late to bed on Saturday, Hachinohe gets going remarkably early on Sunday. Tatehana Wharf morning market has over 350 stalls, and draws between 10,000 and 30,000 people from 6-9am. Arrive with an appetite for fried chicken, fish grilled out of the back of trucks, calamari, gyoza, and ramen. You may even meet the market\u2019s unofficial squid mascot.<\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve eaten your fill, head out on the Michinoku Trail. Japan\u2019s coastline is almost 30,000 km long \u2013 and yet many visitors see little of it. The section beginning at Hachinohe passes fishing villages, grasslands and clifftop shrines. Just remember to look up as well as out to sea. Black-tailed gulls (umineko) soar above and may drop a surprise or two. Free umbrellas are available at the shrine close to the trail start, and if you do come under fire, you get a lucky <em>omamori<\/em> shrine souvenir. On a more delicious note, time your walk to reach Tanesashi Fishing Port for a hotpot lunch, made from that morning\u2019s catch.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-37287\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Michinoku-Trail_Hachinohe-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"green grassy trail leading to forest and sea along the coast\" width=\"819\" height=\"614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Michinoku-Trail_Hachinohe-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Michinoku-Trail_Hachinohe-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Michinoku-Trail_Hachinohe-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Michinoku-Trail_Hachinohe-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Michinoku-Trail_Hachinohe-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Michinoku-Trail_Hachinohe-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Michinoku-Trail_Hachinohe-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Michinoku-Trail_Hachinohe-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Michinoku-Trail_Hachinohe-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Michinoku-Trail_Hachinohe-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Michinoku-Trail_Hachinohe-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Michinoku-Trail_Hachinohe-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Big nature at Oirase Gorge<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>From fishing city to forest, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/experience-japan\/i-od013-18\/guided-oirase-gorge-walking-tour\/\">Oirase<\/a> is around an hour and a half from Hachinohe by bus.<\/p>\n<p>The Oirase River cuts through the gorge for 14 km, through beech, maple and <em>katsura<\/em> trees. More than 300 varieties of moss quilt the riverside rocks.<\/p>\n<p>Japan specialist Chris walked the section from Ishigedo to Kumoi no Taki.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s one of the prettiest forest areas I\u2019ve ever been to \u2013 and that\u2019s coming from someone who lives in Colorado. The river is blue and glassy in the calmer sections, then fast flowing and frothy over the rapids. The walk ends at the 20 metre-high Kumoi no Taki waterfall, where I stood for a moment and listened to the crashing water.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris visited in June, when the leaves are at their greenest, and temperatures are comfortable, without the intense summer heat found further south.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-37299\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250608-IMG_7582-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"A blue river with rocks in running between two banks of green leafy trees\" width=\"819\" height=\"614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250608-IMG_7582-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250608-IMG_7582-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250608-IMG_7582-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250608-IMG_7582-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250608-IMG_7582-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250608-IMG_7582-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250608-IMG_7582-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250608-IMG_7582-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250608-IMG_7582-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250608-IMG_7582-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250608-IMG_7582-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250608-IMG_7582-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Hirosaki: sweet apples, samurai farmers, and a <em>Joppari<\/em> heart<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Although <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/hirosaki\/\">Hirosaki\u2019s<\/a> castle is one of the few originals to survive the end of the samurai rule, the city is perhaps as well known for its apples.<\/p>\n<p>Aomori\u2019s warm days, cool nights and snowy winters are perfect apple-growing conditions, and the fruit is a fierce point of pride here.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37305 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_122029-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"red letter box against snowy background with a red apple sculpture on top\" width=\"410\" height=\"547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_122029-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_122029-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_122029-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_122029-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_122029-1200x1600.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_122029-900x1200.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_122029-720x960.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_122029-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_122029-390x520.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_122029-780x1040.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_122029-510x680.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 410px) 100vw, 410px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The prefecture grows 60% of Japan\u2019s apples, and around 80 varieties (everyone has their favourite).<\/p>\n<p>Apples were the answer to samurai unemployment. At the end of the Meiji Period, many of the elite class lost their status and farming became a profession many samurai turned to. Perhaps this is why that dedication to apple cultivation has infiltrated the Aomori dialect. In Aomori, a person who is passionate (or indeed, stubborn) is called <em>Joppari<\/em>. It\u2019s common to boast of having a \u201c<em>Joppari<\/em> heart\u201d when it comes to apple farming.<\/p>\n<p>Hirosaki is where you come to get a proper taste of Aomori\u2019s apples, as Japan specialist, Ali, did.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are completely apple obsessed. There are 47 bakeries serving up Aomori apple pie (and an apple pie caf\u00e9 map of the city), a cider factory, apple merch everywhere, and a particularly refreshing apple flavoured sorbet I couldn\u2019t get enough of\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to pick your own, head to Hirosaki Apple Park, with 1,200 trees across 65 varieties to try.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37311 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_131129-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Rachel wearing an orange wooly hat and a blue coat is picking red apples\" width=\"410\" height=\"547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_131129-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_131129-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_131129-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_131129-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_131129-1200x1600.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_131129-900x1200.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_131129-720x960.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_131129-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_131129-390x520.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_131129-780x1040.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20251118_131129-510x680.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 410px) 100vw, 410px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Indigo dyeing: the \u201cOld Japan\u201d way<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Apple growing isn\u2019t the only tradition Hirosaki takes seriously. Japan specialist Ali visited 13th-generation master dyer Mr Kawasaki at his family\u2019s 250-year-old indigo studio, with thick wooden beams, deep vats and Edo-period dye jars.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGloves and apron on, we tried a couple of designs. One with elastic bands on the cloth to make concentric circle patterns. For another, we scrunched the wet cloth and kneaded it in the indigo vat. It was good, messy fun, and we left with a pocket-sized souvenir.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-37320\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-16-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Two different styles of indigo dying shown hanging up to dry\" width=\"819\" height=\"614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-16-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-16-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-16-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-16-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-16-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-16-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-16-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-16-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-16-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-16-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-16-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-16-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Mr Kawasaki is the latest in his family to take the reins, but his mother likes to pop in and oversee proceedings. So do studio cats, Jajamaru and Koume.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cConnoisseurs of indigo dyeing often praise our traditional <em>hon-ai<\/em> (true indigo) dyeing method using wood-ash fermentation\u201d, explains Mr Kawasaki.<\/p>\n<p>His pride in the craft work extends to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/hirosaki\/\">Hirosaki<\/a> itself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHirosaki preserves a kind of simple, unpretentious history that is increasingly disappearing today. Famous tourist destinations are often carefully designed to entertain visitors, whereas Hirosaki offers a quiet atmosphere. You can appreciate the beauty of <em>wabi-sabi<\/em> and enjoy a more understated experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-37317\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-20-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Ali wearing a blue overall holding up her indigo design with Mr. Kawasaki\" width=\"819\" height=\"614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-20-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-20-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-20-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-20-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-20-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-20-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-20-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-20-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-20-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-20-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-20-510x383.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kawasaki-Dye-Works-in-Hirosaki-20.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Kuroishi: a welcoming town behind closed doors<\/h2>\n<p>The deeper you go into Aomori, the quieter things become. Ali caught the Limited Express train from Hirosaki through rice fields to Kuroishi.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSchool children hopped on for a stop or two, there was a sleeping businessman at the end of the carriage, but apart from that, the train was empty.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37329 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Quiet-local-train-on-the-way-from-Hirosaki-to-Kuroishi-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Empty train carraiage with man sitting alone on left\" width=\"410\" height=\"547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Quiet-local-train-on-the-way-from-Hirosaki-to-Kuroishi-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Quiet-local-train-on-the-way-from-Hirosaki-to-Kuroishi-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Quiet-local-train-on-the-way-from-Hirosaki-to-Kuroishi-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Quiet-local-train-on-the-way-from-Hirosaki-to-Kuroishi-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Quiet-local-train-on-the-way-from-Hirosaki-to-Kuroishi-1200x1600.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Quiet-local-train-on-the-way-from-Hirosaki-to-Kuroishi-900x1200.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Quiet-local-train-on-the-way-from-Hirosaki-to-Kuroishi-720x960.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Quiet-local-train-on-the-way-from-Hirosaki-to-Kuroishi-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Quiet-local-train-on-the-way-from-Hirosaki-to-Kuroishi-390x520.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Quiet-local-train-on-the-way-from-Hirosaki-to-Kuroishi-780x1040.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Quiet-local-train-on-the-way-from-Hirosaki-to-Kuroishi-510x680.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 410px) 100vw, 410px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe town was very quiet, but Kuroishi is my favourite place in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/aomori\/\">Aomori<\/a> because of it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur guide showed us around the town, which looked shut up to the world. But he didn\u2019t let that stop us. He rolled up the wooden shutters of a closed caf\u00e9 (he\u2019s friendly with the owner, he assured us). Behind was a carefully decorated, old building with a huge garden and <em>tatami<\/em> mat flooring. It felt like we had a proper backstage pass to life in a small Japanese town.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-37335\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kuroishi-traditional-garden-2-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Traditional Japanese garden, framed by doors\" width=\"819\" height=\"614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kuroishi-traditional-garden-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kuroishi-traditional-garden-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kuroishi-traditional-garden-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kuroishi-traditional-garden-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kuroishi-traditional-garden-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kuroishi-traditional-garden-2-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kuroishi-traditional-garden-2-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kuroishi-traditional-garden-2-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kuroishi-traditional-garden-2-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kuroishi-traditional-garden-2-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kuroishi-traditional-garden-2-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kuroishi-traditional-garden-2-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Vegan food can be harder to come by in rural Japan, but Kuroishi surprised Ali. She had a big vegan lunch at a <em>ryokan <\/em>inn.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe community here is keen to meet dietary requirements \u2013 they want to ensure everybody is welcome,\u201d Ali explains.<\/p>\n<p>Aomori City is home to the original summer Nebuta <em>matsuri<\/em> festival. Across the prefecture, smaller Neputa* festivals take place every August, and Kuroishi keeps the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/experience-japan\/i-npt-19\/neputa-lantern-making\/\">Neputa<\/a> spirit going year-round.<\/p>\n<p>When the festival is over, locals roll the <em>washi<\/em> paper paintings off the floats. Visitors can choose brightly coloured cuttings to make their own lantern.<\/p>\n<p>Japan specialist Chris did just this.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s one of my favourite souvenirs, and now my best night light at home\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-37302\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250609-IMG_7719-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Colourful tiles on block of wood - small squares laid out on table\" width=\"819\" height=\"614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250609-IMG_7719-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250609-IMG_7719-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250609-IMG_7719-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250609-IMG_7719-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250609-IMG_7719-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250609-IMG_7719-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250609-IMG_7719-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250609-IMG_7719-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250609-IMG_7719-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250609-IMG_7719-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250609-IMG_7719-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250609-IMG_7719-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Aomori City: A northern, retro outpost and home of Nebuta<\/h2>\n<p>Aomori City is as north as the Honshu <em>Shinkansen<\/em> trains go. Once out of the station, you may find that parts of the city feel decades removed from Japan\u2019s more popular urban centres.<br \/>\n\u201cThe city has very \u2018Showa era\u2019 retro vibes,\u201d Japan specialist,Will explains. \u201cLike Japan 30 or 40 years ago with quirky, pastel-coloured architecture, rickety corrugated iron roofs, plant shops everywhere, and views out to sea\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur guide took us through the streets lined with curiosity and antique shops. We stopped at a modern looking patisserie (and I was a little confused as to why we were there), but then, we went through to the back, where there were rows upon rows of traditional <em>wagashi<\/em> sweets.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/aomori\/\">Aomori<\/a> isn\u2019t a city frozen in nostalgia. For six days in August, giant illuminated floats move through the streets to the sound of drums, flutes and shouting crowds.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-24572\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Aomori-Nebuta-Festival-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Bright and scary looking massive floats for Nebuta\" width=\"819\" height=\"546\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Aomori-Nebuta-Festival-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Aomori-Nebuta-Festival-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Aomori-Nebuta-Festival-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Aomori-Nebuta-Festival-564x376.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Aomori-Nebuta-Festival-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Aomori-Nebuta-Festival-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Aomori-Nebuta-Festival-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Aomori-Nebuta-Festival-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Aomori-Nebuta-Festival-390x260.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Aomori-Nebuta-Festival-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Aomori-Nebuta-Festival-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Aomori-Nebuta-Festival.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Festival float artist, Chia Huang, explains more.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAomori City is one of the snowiest cities in Japan. In a region where winter is long, the sunny days of summer are especially precious. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/experience-japan\/i-fst006-13\/nebuta-festival\/\">Nebuta festival<\/a> is a celebration that makes the most of a short summer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If an August visit doesn\u2019t work (and accommodation can be near impossible to secure, the festival is so popular), the festival spirit lives on year-round here. Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse displays full-size floats from previous festivals, alongside performances and exhibitions on how they are made.<\/p>\n<p>Visit the city between May and mid-July and you may be lucky enough to see the floats being made in real time, like Japan specialist, Ali, did.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGiant marquees are set up across the city wherever there is space \u2013 temporary warehouses for teams to construct the floats before the festival. We got to poke our heads inside.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe floats themselves were truly massive. Perhaps nine metres wide and five metres high, with people on ladders, cutting, painting, building all around us, bringing the paper sketches to life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chia Huang, one of the artists at work that day, explains more.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Nebuta floats are a wonderful showcase of the skills and craftsmanship that have passed down through generations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37341 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1720677457036-300x226.jpg\" alt=\"Lady painting a tiger nebuta float, currently black and white\" width=\"819\" height=\"617\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1720677457036-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1720677457036-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1720677457036-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1720677457036-1200x904.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1720677457036-900x678.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1720677457036-720x542.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1720677457036-1440x1084.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1720677457036-390x294.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1720677457036-780x587.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1720677457036-510x384.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1720677457036.jpg 1474w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>A prefecture of pride<\/h2>\n<p>The people of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/aomori\/\">Aomori<\/a> are proud, and it is well deserved. From Mr Kawasaki\u2019s indigo studio in Hirosaki to the Nebuta workshops in the prefectural capital.<br \/>\nAs Chia says: \u201cI believe everyone should visit Aomori at least once in their lifetime\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>You can visit Aomori on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/self-guided-japan-holidays\/i-aom\/japans-undiscovered-north\/\">Japan\u2019s Undiscovered North<\/a>, or we can weave into your own tailormade cultural adventure. Speak to one of our specialists to start planning your trip.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>* Not a spelling error! The subtle letter swap between Nebuta and Neputa marks a key difference. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/experience-japan\/i-fst006-13\/nebuta-festival\/\">Nebuta<\/a> is the festival in Aomori City, where it began. Neputa festivals are those that take place in Aomori prefecture, outside of the city itself.<\/em><\/p>\n<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%2F37227&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%2F37227\" 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%2F37227&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%2F37227&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%2F37227%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%2F37227\" 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%2F37227\" 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>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Like this post? Help us by sharing it! A land of primeval forest, fishing communities and plenty of apples, Aomori is just three hours north of Tokyo by bullet train \u2013 but only 0.8% of Japan\u2019s visitors make it there. Come to Aomori to walk the Oirase Gorge, a designated National Special Place of Scenic [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":174,"featured_media":37299,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2360],"tags":[1301],"class_list":["post-37227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travellers-tales-from-japan","tag-aomori"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/174"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37227"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37227\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37398,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37227\/revisions\/37398"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}