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The JR East Railway 150th Anniversary Free Pass will also expire in three days
Until yesterday, I was on a two-day, one-night trip departing from Sendai Station, going from Iwate to Akita (one night) to Iwate to Sendai, but today I'm heading to Aomori
Yesterday I returned to Sendai just after 8pm, and today I will be taking the Tohoku Shinkansen, Hayabusa 1, which departs at 8:05am, the same as two days ago, to Aomori
My general destinations are the Aomori Museum of Art, Hirosaki Brick Warehouse Museum, and Sannai Maruyama Ruins, and my goal is to try something called "curry milk ramen."
Departing from Sendai Station! Heading to Aomori!
The Hayabusa departs at 8:05. I had a drink last night, hoping to reminisce about my trip, but I'm still tired from the trip. I board the Tohoku Shinkansen and head straight for Aomori
The last time I went to Aomori was about 5 or 6 years ago, for a two-day, one-night trip for work
At that time, I was mainly based in Furukawa, Aomori City, so the only time I'd ever been outside of Aomori City was when I went on a club trip in junior high school
Before boarding the Shinkansen, I stopped by NewDays inside the south ticket gate of the Sendai Shinkansen to buy breakfast. I came across a rice ball I'd never seen before, the "Original Toge Kamameshi" rice ball. It was a little pricey, but it had a nice weight to it, so I bought it without hesitation
I thought it would be difficult to recreate the flavor of Kamameshi in an onigiri, but when I tried it, I was surprised. The broth was strong and the taste was quite to my liking. The ingredients were also generously packed with chicken, shiitake mushrooms, chestnuts, and ginger? I was very satisfied. Above all, the seasoning was excellent; neither too bland nor too strong. I apologize for my poor reporting skills, but I would definitely recommend it. It's more delicious and satisfying than the price would suggest
Arriving at Shin-Aomori Station
It takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes from Sendai Station to arrive at Shin-Aomori Station
At Shin-Aomori Station, we were greeted by miniature Aomori Nebuta, Goshogawara Tachineputa, Hirosaki Neputa, and Nebuta in the shape of a sunshade clay figurine
There were many people who appeared to be tourists from overseas taking photos, and I joined in, splashing around and taking pictures by myself
From Shin-Aomori Station to Hirosaki
I got off at Shin-Aomori Station, but I think I'll head to Hirosaki for now
To get to Hirosaki from Shin-Aomori Station, take the JR Ou Main Line rapid train bound for Hirosaki, which takes 32 minutes one way
Arrived in Hirosaki
In Hirosaki, there were several places I wanted to take a leisurely stroll around, such as Hirosaki Castle and Tsugaru Domain Neputa Village, but I also had other places I wanted to visit in Aomori City, so this time I headed to Hirosaki's newest attraction, the Hirosaki Brick Warehouse Museum
From Hirosaki Station to Hirosaki Brick Warehouse Museum
I wanted to take a quick stroll around the city, so I decided to walk to the Hirosaki Brick Warehouse Museum
The distance is 1.5km and takes about 20 minutes
Before arriving at the Hirosaki Brick Warehouse Museum, here is a brief explanation of the city's routes and stations
Hirosaki City has two stations. One is Hirosaki Station, which is served by two lines, the JR Ou Main Line and the Konan Railway, and which you will travel to from Shin-Aomori Station to Hirosaki Station. The other is Chuo Hirosaki Station, on the Konan Railway Owani Line, which connects Hirosaki and Owani. The Owani Line is a local line in Aomori Prefecture with a line length of 13.9 km and 14 stations. It opened as the Konan Electric Railway in 1952 and was transferred to the Konan Railway in 1970, making it a historic railway line that marks its 70th anniversary this year
There is Chuo Hirosaki Station near the Hirosaki Brick Warehouse Museum, but this is on the Konan Railway Owani Line, which connects Hirosaki and Owani, so you cannot transfer directly from Hirosaki Station
Even with my JR East Free Pass ticket, I was unable to board the train
Chuo Hirosaki Station has been selected as one of the 100 best stations in Tohoku, as it is "a summer-friendly station close to Hirosaki Park, a famous cherry blossom viewing spot, and with a pleasant cool breeze from the Tsuchibuchi River across from the platform," so we recommend stopping by when you visit Hirosaki
Hirosaki Station on the JR Ou Main Line is a railway that opened on December 1, 1894, and this year marks its 128th anniversary
The Konan Line at Hirosaki Station connects to Kuroishi Station to the north, and the Konan Railway runs vertically from north to south with Hirosaki as its base. The total line length is 30.7 km, which is not a very long line, but it shows how important trains are in a snowy city
Before we knew it, we had arrived at the Hirosaki Brick Warehouse Museum
Hirosaki Brick Warehouse Museum, a building with 100 years of history
The Hirosaki Brick Warehouse Museum building is a warehouse and sake brewery (Fukushima Sake Brewery, Yoshino-cho Brick Warehouse) built by Fukushima Tosuke between 1907 and 1923 for the brewing and storage of sake. After Fukushima Tosuke suddenly passed away from a heart attack at the age of 55, the warehouse was temporarily rented by Miyuki Shokai, which was established in Shinagawa-cho, Hirosaki City, and has been producing apple cider since around 1940
Until around 1964, the company took over the cider business and produced whiskey for the Tohoku region, but the brick warehouse became too small and the factory was relocated to Sakaemachi, Hirosaki City in 1965, putting an end to sake brewing at the Yoshinomachi brick warehouse. After that, it was used as a government rice storage facility from 1978 to 1997
In 2020, under the leadership of architect Tsuyoshi Tane, known for designing the Estonian National Museum, the current Hirosaki Brick Warehouse Museum was born, aiming to be neither a new construction nor a renovation, but an "extension" based on the concept of "inheriting memories," passing on to the future the cultural consciousness of the people of Hirosaki, who seek to carry on retro-modernism into the present day
Before its expansion, the Hirosaki Brick Warehouse Museum hosted three exhibitions by Hirosaki-born contemporary artist Nara Yoshitomo
I believe that this event helped to encourage the use of the Yoshino Town Brick Warehouse as an art museum
During my visit , the documentary exhibition "Hello, can we have an exhibition of Nara-san?" Nara Yoshitomo Exhibition Hirosaki 2002-2006 was being held.
Of course this has been checked
This exhibition will look back on the history of the three exhibitions that were held before the extension
Photography is permitted inside the museum, but I feel it would be inappropriate to post any of the work on this website, so I will not be posting any of the work
When asked what I thought, I'm not good at expressing myself, so I'm at a loss for words, but although this is an exhibition about Yoshitomo Nara, it's not just about Yoshitomo Nara himself; it also joyfully depicts the town-wide fun, after-school activities, and secret bases that have been shown in the three exhibitions, and it's also notable that you can see the history of the Yoshino Town Brick Warehouse at the same time
Here and there, you can catch glimpses of the works and notes written during the preparation period, as well as the children's play and mischief, and the works themselves are also on display
As I looked at the works and notes of children and adults, I was reminded of the past and found myself muttering to myself, ``I remember drawing like this,'' ``That's right, this is such a fun time,'' and ``Adults used to look at things like this.''
The event will run until March 21, 2023, so please come and visit us
The newly extended Hirosaki Brick Warehouse Museum is a truly enjoyable place. I believe there is no other museum like it in the world
INFORMATION
Name: Hirosaki Brick Warehouse Museum
Address: 2-1 Yoshinocho, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, 036-8188
Closed: Tuesdays (if a public holiday falls on a Tuesday, the museum will be closed the following day), New Year's holiday
Admission fee: Varies depending on the exhibition. Please check the official website
GOOGLE MAP
Leaving Hirosaki behind, we head back to Shin-Aomori Station
Since this was my first time in Hirosaki, I wanted to take it a little more slowly, but it was already just before 2pm and there were other places I wanted to see in Aomori City, so I quickly headed back to Shin-Aomori Station
Just as when I arrived, I boarded the JR Ou Main Line bound for Aomori to get to Shin-Aomori Station
It is not an express train, so the return journey takes 41 minutes, covering a distance of approximately 33km
Arrived at Shin-Aomori Station and had a late lunch
We arrived at Shin-Aomori Station around 2:30 p.m
I decide to have a late lunch here. I want to eat something called "curry milk ramen." Since I haven't done any research beforehand, I just look it up on my smartphone
I searched on my smartphone and found one ramen restaurant that was open just after 2pm near the station. It was called Sapporokan along National Route 101, and although it was a little far from Shin-Aomori Station (1.6km), I checked the opening hours and decided to head there
First time trying miso curry milk ramen
We've arrived at Sapporo Hall!
Everything is a first-time experience. I enter the restaurant with a pounding heart. The first thing I do is buy a ticket from the machine. I already know what I want, so I don't hesitate and click on the "Miso Curry Milk Ramen." I wonder if I should order rice, but I decide to go with the ramen. I don't order any options so I can fully enjoy the "Miso Curry Milk Ramen." I don't order a large portion either
The bowl arrived!! It looked like a regular miso ramen, but the subtle, soft aroma of milk and the aroma of curry spices were appetizing, and it was clear that it was not a mismatch
The first sip of the soup surprised me! It was a perfect match! Delicious! The miso, curry, and milk were all in just the right ratio, nothing more, nothing less. It was the perfect combination
The noodles are egg-shaped curly noodles, a specialty of Sapporo ramen, which I really like and it's the best. I'm very satisfied
I'm not sure I'm expressing myself well as I write this, but to put it simply, "I love it. It's delicious, so if you go to Aomori City you should try it! I wonder if they'll open a branch in my hometown."
If you visit Aomori City, seafood is great, but be sure to also try the "Curry Milk Ramen."
INFORMATION
Name: Sapporokan
Address: 56-3 Ishieokabe, Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture
Phone number: 017-782-1765
Business hours: 11:00-21:25 (last order)
Closed: Open all year round
GOOGLE MAP
To Sannai-Maruyama Ruins
I was very satisfied with the curry milk ramen, and then headed straight for the Sannai-Maruyama ruins. I actually wanted to stop by the Aomori Museum of Art, but it was closed for renovations from October 3rd to November 22nd. It was a shame, but I decided to just head to the Sannai-Maruyama ruins
It was around 3pm and I thought there would be some kind of transportation available, but the bus wasn't until an hour later, so I decided I couldn't wait that long and decided to walk
The distance is 3.3km and the journey takes approximately 42 minutes.I head to Sannai Maruyama Ruins to get some exercise and because I enjoy walking around unfamiliar places
When you arrive near the Sannai-Maruyama ruins, you will find the bus stop in front of the Prefectural Art Museum
We head to the ruins, regretting that we came all the way here but couldn't stop by
Arrival at Sannai-Maruyama Ruins
We have arrived
The Sannai-Maruyama Ruins and the Aomori Museum of Art are located almost across the road from each other
First, I will explain the Sannai-Maruyama ruins, but I will quote a part of it
The Sannai-Maruyama Site is located in Maruyama, Sannai-cho, Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture. It is the remains of a large settlement located on a river terrace on the right bank of the Okidate River from the middle to late Middle Jomon period (approximately 5,900-4,200 years ago). The settlement is a planned arrangement of houses, tombs, dumping areas, large post-hole buildings, post-hole buildings, storage pits, tombs, pit graves, clay mining pits, embankments, roads, and more
The existence of ruins in this area has been known since the Edo period, but excavation work was actually quite recent. In 1992, as a result of a preliminary survey for the construction of a new prefectural baseball stadium, it was discovered that the ruins were likely the remains of a large settlement, and large-scale excavation work was subsequently carried out
As excavation work progressed, six chestnut pillars, each about one meter in diameter, were discovered in 1994, which were thought to be the remains of a large building
In response to this, Aomori Prefecture decided in the same year to cancel construction of a baseball stadium, which had already begun, and instead to preserve the ruins
It was designated a historic site in March 1997, a special historic site in November 2000, 1,958 excavated items designated as important cultural properties in May 2003, and the "Jomon Sites in Hokkaido and Northern Tohoku", including the Sannai-Maruyama Site, was registered as a World Heritage Site in July 2021
To enter the Sannai Maruyama Ruins, you must pay the admission fee at the Jomon Jiyukan, which is shown in the exterior photo above
First, we visited the Jomon Jiyukan Museum to see a miniature model of the Sannai-Maruyama ruins and other materials
After passing through a tunnel about 80 meters long,
The Sannai-Maruyama ruins spread out before your eyes. Having passed through the tunnel, you feel as if you have traveled back in time to the Jomon period
Large dug-out pillar building
As you stroll through the ruins, you will see a large post-hole building in the distance
The building was built by digging a hole in the ground and setting up pillars without using foundation stones, with the ground serving as the base.The current restored large post-hole building is about 20m high
The current large, post-hole building was reconstructed based on an estimate of its overall size based on the results of excavation surveys and an analysis of the earth pressure at the bottom of the post holes, and is a three-story building with floors spaced 4.2 meters apart, the same as the pillar spacing. There are various theories about the roof, so it has not yet been restored
It's huge and apparently you can see Kitakami Bay and Hokkaido from up there
Of course, you can't climb it
Remains of a large pit dwelling
These are the remains of a large pit dwelling. The largest at the Sannai-Maruyama site is approximately 32 meters long and 10 meters wide. As it was discovered near the center of the settlement, it is thought that it may have been a meeting place, a community workshop, or a communal residence
You can also take a tour inside
As you descend into the semi-basement, you will be overwhelmed by the spaciousness and height of the interior, which is almost like a temple
Within the Sannai-Maruyama ruins, you can see several artificial domes, such as those shown in the photo below
These will all be preservation domes that maintain a constant humidity level to protect the ruins, graves, pit graves, clay pits, mounds, etc. found during excavations
Of course, you can also tour the inside of the dome
However, when visiting the dome, please be careful not to open or close doors or leave them open
Remains of pit dwellings
The remains of 550 pit dwellings have been identified at the Sannai-Maruyama site, but only about 15 have been restored to date
The 15 restored pit dwellings can be toured inside
However, the entrance is quite narrow. Because I am large, I sometimes had to crawl to get in
Among the structures, there are many pit dwellings made by local elementary school students
After touring the Sannai Maruyama Ruins, we return to the Jomon Jiyukan Museum and finish by visiting the permanent exhibition room
Although we are not posting photos from the permanent exhibition room, you can view approximately 1,700 different excavated artifacts, including approximately 500 important cultural properties excavated from the Sannai-Maruyama ruins, and learn about the lifestyles and customs of the time, as well as connections with other regions
In the basement of the Jomon Jiyukan Museum, there is the "Jomon Big Wall," which is made up of 5,120 pieces of Jomon pottery scattered to a height of about 6 meters
Finally, while I was looking for souvenirs at the gift shop, I found a gachapon machine called "Capsule Collection National Treasure Clay Figurines" and spun three of them to buy as souvenirs
It doesn't really matter, but I won the "Hollow Clay Figurine," "Jomon Venus," and "Choir Clay Figurine."
I looked at my watch and saw that it was 5pm, which meant that the Sannai-Maruyama ruins were about to close, so I decided to head home
However, I thought there must be a bus to Shin-Aomori Station, so I checked with the reception
"There are no buses at this time."
I thought I would have to walk again, but I decided to take a taxi back to Shin-Aomori Station. When visiting the Sannai-Maruyama Ruins, please be sure to check the operation status of public transportation
We recommend checking in advance and allowing plenty of time for your visit
I think the taxi fare from Sannai-Maruyama Ruins to Shin-Aomori Station was around 1,300 yen
INFORMATION
Name: Sannai Maruyama Ruins
Address: 305 Sannai Maruyama, Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture, 038-0031
Admission fee: Adults: 410 yen, High school and university students: 200 yen, Junior high school students and younger: Free
Visiting hours: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Golden Week, June 1st - September 30th only: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM) *Last admission 30 minutes before closing
GOOGLE MAP
Returning home to Sendai
Our day trip to Aomori comes to an end when we board the JR Tohoku Shinkansen Hayabusa No. 44 bound for Tokyo at 6:25 PM
At the same time, "We went to Tohoku! Commemorating 150 years since the opening of the railway! A journey with the JR East Pass" also comes to an end
Wow, those three days were the most fun! I wondered how long it had been since I had traveled so far alone, and although I was tired from the unrealistic plan, I was able to experience and think about so many different things, so I think it was a great trip
Finally, here is a summary of the calculations for this trip on JR East using standard fares!
JR East! Congratulations on the 150th anniversary of the opening of the railway. And thank you!
Celebrating 150 years since the railway opened! A complete guide to travelling with the JR East Pass
Day 1 total
traffic section
train
fare
Ride time
Between Sendai Station and Morioka Station
Hayabusa
6,790 yen
39 minutes
Morioka Station - Kakunodate Station
Komachi
2,830 yen
55 minutes
Kakunodate Station - Akita Station (Finish point of Day 1)
Komachi
3,000 yen
43 minutes
Day 1 total
12,620 yen
137 minutes
Day 2 total
traffic section
train
fare
Ride time
Akita Station - Morioka Station
Komachi
4,620 yen
108 minutes
Morioka Station - Ichinoseki Station
Echo
3,560 yen
39 minutes
Ichinoseki Station - Hiraizumi Station
Tohoku Main Line
200 yen
7 minutes
Hiraizumi Station - Ichinoseki Station
Tohoku Main Line
200 yen
8 minutes
Ichinoseki Station - Sendai Station
Yamabiko and Hayabusa
4,480 yen
32 minutes
Day 2 total
13,060 yen
194 minutes
Day 3 total
traffic section
train
fare
Ride time
Sendai Station - Shin-Aomori Station
Hayabusa
11,640 yen
104 minutes
Shin-Aomori Station - Hirosaki Station
Ou Main Line Rapid
590 yen
32 minutes
Hirosaki Station - Shin-Aomori Station
Ou Main Line
590 yen
41 minutes
Shin-Aomori Station - Sendai Station
Hayabusa
11,640 yen
106 minutes
Day 3 total
24,460 yen
283 minutes
JR East Pass travel total and regular fare difference
I'm a member of the Neft editorial team. I love alcohol, music, and traveling, so I indulge in some drinks after work on weekdays, and on weekends, if I have free time, I travel to nearby areas. I work hard every day with the goal of eventually traveling overseas to find connections to Tohoku through NEFT reporting.
