Aomori Prefecture
I joined a tour that visited some of the highlights of northern Aomori Prefecture, including Mount Osore, one of Japan’s most sacred spiritual sites; Hotokegaura, a scenic coastline lined with dramatic rock formations; Cape Oma, the northernmost point of Honshu; and Cape Tappi, located near the Honshu-side entrance to the Seikan Tunnel.
Tourist attractions in northern Aomori are spread across a wide area, and traveling between them by public transportation alone can be time-consuming. For this reason, joining a guided tour or renting a car is a convenient way to explore the region efficiently.
Kabushima Shrine (Hachinohe City) Famous as a breeding ground for black-tailed gulls.
Visitors may want to carry an umbrella to avoid receiving an unexpected “gift” from the gulls flying overhead.
Mount Osore Mount Osore is one of Japan’s Three Great Sacred Sites and has long been believed to be a place where the souls of the deceased gather. It is known for its desolate volcanic landscape filled with the smell of sulfur and for the itako, traditional blind mediums who are said to communicate with the spirits of the dead.
Crossing the drum-shaped bridge over the Sanzu River, the river believed to separate this world from the next, marks the entrance to the sacred grounds of Mount Osore.
Bodaiji Temple of Mount Osore
Mizuko Jizo in Jigokudani (Hell Valley)
View of Lake Usoriyama from Gokurakuhama Beach
It is said that the Pure Land of Paradise lies beyond the lake.
Oma
The Northernmost Point of Honshu
Tuna Monument
Hotokegaura A mystical coastal landscape surrounded by a deeply spiritual atmosphere.
Tsurunomai Bridge and Takayama Inari Shrine
Tsurunomai Bridge
The longest wooden triple-arched bridge in Japan.
Takayama Inari Shrine
Famous for its spectacular Senbon Torii (Thousand Torii Gates).
Cape Tappi
Tappi Misaki Lighthouse
Tappi Misaki Lighthouse
