Aomori, Japan

A Gateway to the Road Less Traveled

Found on Japan’s main island, Honshu, Aomori City spends most of the year offering visitors a taste of a sleepy, seaside city mixed with forward-looking developments and modern art.

Combining the history of an established port town with modern facilities and attractions, the city has been called the economic and cultural center of the area.

The characters for Aomori mean “blue forest” which is fitting considering the city belongs to the Aomori Prefecture, which boasts gorgeous vistas including the beautiful Hakkoda Mountains, Oirase River and Lake Towada. Aomori City faces Mutsu Bay to the north and is surrounded by mountains in the other three directions.

The bay area of the city offers visitors the chance to feast on local delicacies, take in modern art and snap beautiful photos of the Aomori Bay Bridge, which is stunning at night.

Ambitious tourists looking to take in accompanying sights could make their way to the rugged vistas of the Shimokita Peninsula or Lake Towada, the largest caldera lake on Honshu.