How was the Tohoku region sung about in the third volume of the Railway Songs? (4) Shirinai (present-day Hachinohe) (Aomori) - Hirosaki (Aomori)
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Following on from the previous article, this article will continue our discussion of the third volume of "Railway Songs," "Oshu/Iwaki Edition," released in 1900. The first article can be found here .
Last time, we explained the route from No. 32, which passes through Ishikoshi Station in Miyagi Prefecture, to No. 36, which heads north along the Tohoku Main Line (*) to Ichinohe Station (now Ichinohe) in Iwate Prefecture.No. 37, which enters Aomori Prefecture(please note that the pronunciation of stations in the lyrics' route is always included when they appear for the first time).
*Until 1906, the Tohoku Main Line was designated as the "Main Line" or "Oshu Line" by a private railway company called Nippon Tetsudo (Japan Railways). Also, the section from Morioka Station to Aomori Station is no longer part of the JR Tohoku Main Line, but is operated by a different railway company (IGR Iwate Galaxy Railway and Aoimori Railway). However, for the sake of clarity, the section from Ueno Station to Aomori Station is referred to as the "Tohoku Main Line."
In creating this article, I referred to this website for the lyrics. Please note that more than 70 years have passed since the deaths of all the authors of the Railway Song, and the copyright has expired in many countries, including Japan and the United States
No. 37: Shirinai (present-day Hachinohe), Furumaki (present-day Misawa)
If you cross the seabed, wild horses will play together in the old grove of trees. Is this the sea of Michinoku for the first time? Is that ship?
(The kanji characters and kana spellings have been updated to reflect current usage.)
Entering Aomori Prefecture
In 1900, the next station after Ichinohoe (present-day Ichinohe) was Fukuoka, which was the last station in Iwate Prefecture at the time. Fukuoka Station was later renamed Kita-Fukuoka, and is now called Ninohe. It does not appear in the lyrics
Continuing north from there, you will eventuallythe Mabuchi River. The Tohoku Main Line crosses the meandering Mabuchi River multiple times via eight bridges, and the second crossing marksthe border between Iwate Prefecture and Aomori Prefecture.
Incidentally, the railway line from the point where the first river crossing was completed, through the prefectural border to the area past the current Metoki Station, was switched to a new line in 1967, so the route in 1900 was different from the current one. However, the fact that "the line crosses the prefectural border on the second river crossing" remains the same for both the old and new lines
The current Metoki-Aomori section is operated by the third-sector Aoimori Railway
Just across the prefectural border, there was no station in 1900, but as mentioned above, there is now Metoki Station. Metoki Station is the boundary station between the Iwate Galaxy Railway Line and theAoimori Railway Line.
Railway, the Aoimori Railway is a third-sector railway operator (jointly funded by local government and private companies) that was established in 2002 when the Tohoku Shinkansen was extended from Morioka Station to Hachinohe Station. It took over the section of the JR Tohoku Main Line, which runs parallel to the Tohoku Shinkansen, from Metoki Station to Hachinohe Station from JR East. When the Tohoku Shinkansen was extended to Shin-Aomori Station in 2010, the section of the Tohoku Main Line from Hachinohe Station to Aomori Station was also transferred to the Aoimori Railway.
Furthermore, regarding the Aoimori Railway line, the tracks and other facilities are not owned by the Aoimori Railway company, but by Aomori Prefecture. The Aoimori Railway operates its trains on tracks owned by Aomori Prefecture. This method of railway operation is called the separation of infrastructure and operation
unlikely that the Aomori Railway's small profitis solely due to its own management efforts. A significant factor is that the Aomori Prefectural Government is responsible for the ownership and maintenance of the ground facilities, which require substantial costs (the Aomori Railwaydoes not bear these costs directly), through a separation of infrastructure and operations.
Although Metoki Station is the boundary station between the lines of two different railway companies, trains do not generally start or end at Metoki Station. Trains that arrive at Metoki Station operate directly on both companies' lines, with southbound trains terminating at Hachinohe Station and northbound trains terminating at Morioka Station
Shirinai Station is the current Hachinohe Station
In 1900, the first station you encountered upon entering Aomori Prefecture was Sannohe (present-day Sannohe), and the next station was Kenyoshi, but neither of these stations appears in the lyrics. The lyrics for verse 37 begin abruptly with " Shiriuchi, " which is the current Hachinohe Station .
Hachinohe Station is located in a place called Shiriuchi-machi in Hachinohe City, and this place name is, of course, the origin of the station's original name
Hachinohe was a castle town of Hachinohe Castle, which served as the administrative center of the Hachinohe Domain, which was established after separating from the Morioka Domain during the Edo period. The present-day city of Hachinohe boasts the second largest population in Aomori Prefecture, after Aomori City, and holds the position of a representative city in the southern part of Aomori Prefecture (roughly the eastern half of Aomori Prefecture)
It's understandable that a Tohoku Main Line station was built near Hachinohe, but the station was located quite far from the city center where Hachinohe Castle (now Sanpachijo Park) was located. In fact, the area where this station now stands was called Kaminaganawashiro Village at the time, andwasn't even part of Hachinohe. For that reason, another station was named Hachinohe Station at the time.
The current Hachinohe Station is served by the JR Hachinohe Line (Hachinohe - Kuji), but part of the Hachinohe Line was opened in 1894 by the Nippon Railway. The station that is now called Hon-Hachinohe on the Hachinohe Line was called Hachinohe Station at that time (it was renamed Hachinohe Station in 1907)
the map, Hon-Hachinohe Station (then known as Hachinohe Station) is located just north of Sanpachi Castle Park. In the Meiji era, there is no doubt that Hon-Hachinohe Station was considered the central station of Hachinohe, and there would have been no reason to name Shirinai Station (the current Hachinohe Station) after Hachinohe.
Kaminaganaeshiro Village was incorporated into Hachinohe City in 1955, and at this time, Shirinai Station's location became within Hachinohe City. The renaming of Shirinai Station to Hachinohe Station and the renaming of Hachinohe Station on the Hachinohe Line to Hon-Hachinohe Station took place even later, in 1971. Since then, Hachinohe Station (the one renamed from Shirinai Station) has truly become the face of Hachinohe City. As mentioned earlier, the extension of the Tohoku Shinkansen from Morioka to Hachinohe in 2002 was a particularly significant change
Links – NHK Archives
- Tohoku Shinkansen Morioka-Hachinohe section celebrates 20th anniversary of opening: https://www2.nhk.or.jp/archives/articles/?id=C0040413
I changed trains at Shirinai Station to the Nanbu Railway
From 1929 to 1968, a private railway called the "Nanbu Railway" also operated from Shirinai Station. The Nanbu Railway line connected Shirinai Station to Gonohe Station, but it suffered catastrophic damage in the 1968 Tokachi-oki earthquake, forcing the suspension of train operations, and it was officially abolished the following year.
Incidentally,there was once a railway in Aomori Prefecture with a similar name, "Nanbu Jukan Railway," but as will be explained later,it is a completely different entity. It is also different from the "Nanbu Railway" that once existed in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
↓Please be aware that the following video contains images related to earthquake damage
Links – NHK Archives
- Severe damage in southern Aomori Prefecture from the Tokachi offshore earthquake: https://www2.nhk.or.jp/archives/movies/?id=D0009030530_00000
- [Aomori Prefecture] Nanbu Railway: https://www2.nhk.or.jp/archives/movies/?id=D0009230049_00000
On the other hand, the Hachinohe Line is still in operation, and the sightseeing train "TOHOKU EMOTION" is also running on it
Furumaki Station is now Misawa Station
The next station after Shirinai at that time was Shimoda, but it doesn't appear in the lyrics. The next station after that was Furumaki , which is now Misawa Station .
Like Shirinai (Hachinohe), it is believed that Furumaki Station was named after the local place name at the time. The station's location became part of Misawa City in 1958, and in 1961, Furumaki Station was renamed to its current name, Misawa Station
Around Misawa Station, there used to be a place called Kizakino (there is a hot spring and an elementary school with the name Kizakino in the area). This areathe places where a Nanbu horse ranch was established during the Edo period. There is also a theory that the place name "Furumaki" comes from "Furumaki," meaning an old ranch.
Although the domain-run ranch was abolished in the early Meiji period, the lyrics mention "wild horses playing in flocks in the old groves of trees," suggestingthat there were still large ranches along the railway line at that time. Furthermore, the area where Misawa Airfield (established in 1942 as a naval air base) is currently located also appears to have been a ranch in the past (as mentioned on page 150 of the document below).
I transferred at Furumaki (Misawa) Station to the Towada Kanko Railway
Currently, you cannot transfer to any lines other than the Aoimori Railway Line at Misawa Station. However, from 1922 to 2012,Towada Kanko Dentetsu(originally the Towada Railway) line. This line connected Misawa Station and Towada City Station, but due to declining ridership, its finances deteriorated, and it ended its 90-year history in 2012.
Although the railway line was discontinued, Towada Kanko Dentetsu, the company that operated the line, continued to exist under the same name and currently operates bus services and sightseeing boats on Lake Towada. While there are a certain number of cases throughout Japan where companies that do not operate railways continue to exist under names such as "Dentetsu," to the best of my knowledge, this is the only such case in the Tohoku region
Links – NHK Archives
- [Aomori Prefecture] Towada Kanko Railway: https://www2.nhk.or.jp/archives/movies/?id=D0009230053_00000
(At the time) it was the first time I had ever seen the sea
After this, the train passed Numasaki (present-day Kamikita-cho) and Ottomo stations (the other stations were not yet open at the time). We are arriving at Noheji . After passing Noheji Station, you will be able to see Noheji Bay
The Tohoku Main Line is basically an inland route. Currently, it runs near Matsushima Bay in Miyagi Prefecture, butin 1900, it ran far from Matsushima Bay. Therefore, the sea visible after passing Noheji Station would have been the first sea visible from a Tohoku Main Line train at that time.
Since I grew up in a prefecture with a coastline, I have absolutely no memory of when I first saw the sea or what I thought about it. So, this is secondhand information, but apparently,people who have grown up inland are deeply moved when they see the sea for the first time after they've grown up to a certain age.
The renowned novelistOsamu Dazai (1909-1948), who hailed from the Tsugaru region of Aomori Prefecture, also wrote about such things. In his work "The Sea," he wrote the following:
I was born in the middle of the Tsugaru Plain, so I didn't see the sea until I was about ten years old. The excitement I felt then remains one of my most cherished memories. I want to show this child the sea someday. —TheSea, OsamuDazai
By modern standards, Kanagi Town (now Kanagi Town, Goshogawara City), where Osamu Dazai was born, is quite "close to the sea." The nearest coast is only about 10km away. However, the fact that he had never been to the sea until he was 10 years old suggests that the sense of distance for people in the 1910s, when Dazai grew up, was very different from that of people today
According to Dazai's own account in "The Sea," his home in Mitaka, Tokyo, was burned down during the war, and his wife's family home in Kofu was also destroyed in an air raid, so he headed to his hometown of Tsugaru. After changing trains to the Gono Line at Higashi-Noshiro Station in Akita Prefecture, the sea came into view, but what were the reactions of Dazai's wife and their child, who were seeing the sea for the first time...? Pleaseread the original text to find out.
Currently, the JR Gono Line operates a sightseeing train called "Resort Shirakami," where you can fully enjoy the scenery of the Sea of Japan that Dazai himself likely saw
In any case, the latter half of the lyrics of verse 37 expresses the exhilaration at seeing the sea of Oshu for the first time. ...However,as I wrote in the second article,in verse 30, he makes a detour to Shiogama, a port town in Miyagi Prefecture, andeven sings a song different from the Railway Song while riding a boat in Matsushima Bay.
I transferred to the Nanbu Jukan Railway at Noheji Station
Currently, Noheji Station is served by the Aoimori Railway Line and the JR Ōminato Line. Until 1997,the Nanbu Jūkan Railway. Although it connected Noheji Station and Shichinohe Station, it struggled financially from the time it opened in 1962, and train operations were suspended in 1997. In 2002, the railway company abandoned plans to revive the line and officially closed it.
Although the line has been discontinued, the small railcars (vehicles that run on diesel fuel) known as railbuses, which were used from the line's opening until its closure, are still preserved in working order and continue to enjoy a certain level of popularity among railway enthusiasts
Information from the Southern Trans-Japan Railbus Enthusiasts' Club: Memories of Railbuses
Links – NHK Archives
- [Aomori Prefecture] Nanbu Jukan Railway: https://www2.nhk.or.jp/archives/movies/?id=D0009230052_00000
No. 38: Natsudomari Peninsula, Hakkoda Mountains
On the left side of Noheji Bay stands the cape of Natsudomari. The train continues its journey without stopping, and Mount Hakkoda greets it
Natsudomari Peninsula
About 4.5km from Noheji Station, the route passes through the former territory of the Nanbu clan, which extended from around Kitakami City in Iwate Prefecture, and enters the territory of the former Tsugaru Domain. Then, as described in the lyrics, the NatsudomariPeninsulaappears on the left side, west of Noheji Bay.
The Natsudomari Peninsula juts out into Mutsu Bay, sandwiched between Noheji Bay to the east and Aomori Bay to the west. Tsubakiyama, located in the northern part of the peninsula, and Oshima Island, offshore from the tip of the peninsula, are particularly popular tourist attractions
As its name suggests, Tsubakiyama is home to over 10,000 wild camellia trees growing in clusters across the hillside. Because it is the northernmost limit of where camellias grow naturally in Japan, it was designated a national natural monument in 1922. Tsubakiyama Beach, with its shallow waters stretching along the mountainside, was selected as one of Japan's Top 100 Beaches in 1996
Oshima is an island, as its name suggests, but it is accessible on foot via a bridge. It is popular for its stunning views from the lighthouse at the tip of the island, as well as its swimming beaches and fishing spots
However, visiting Tsubakiyama and Oshima by public transport is still quite difficult. They are located far from the railway lines, and you need to take a bus for about 30 minutes from Kominato Station on the Aoimori Railway
Kominato Station was already in operation in 1900, but what did people do after getting off the train there if they wanted to go to the tip of the Natsudomari Peninsula? Did they walk, or was there something like a horse-drawn carriage? (The first bus in Japan is said to have run in Kyoto in 1903)
Mount Hakkoda
Meanwhile, to the south of the Tohoku Main Linethe Hakkoda Mountains. Hakkoda Mountains is not the name of a single mountain, but rather a collective name for a volcano consisting of 18 peaks, including Mount Odake. Mount Odake has an elevation of 1,584m, making it the second highest mountain in Aomori Prefecture after Mount Iwaki (1,625m).
As evidenced by the fact that there was once an express train called "Hakkoda" on the Tohoku Main Line that connected Ueno Station and Aomori Station, and that one of the ferry ships that connected Aomori Station and Hakodate Station was named "Hakkoda Maru," thismountain holds a symbolic position in Aomori Prefecture.
By the way, the lyrics say "the train keeps going without stopping," but were there really that few opportunities for it to stop? The next station after Noheji, Karibasawa, was already in operation in 1900, and it was 6.5 km from Noheji. The next station, Shimizugawa, did not yet exist, and the next station after that, Kominato, was 10.7 km from Karibasawa. Nishihiranai also did not yet exist, and the next station after that, Asamushi, was 10.2 km from Kominato. Incidentally, Asamushi corresponds to the current Asamushi Onsen Station
It seems quite common to find places on regional main lines where stations are more than 10km apart. The fact that they still chose to include this in the lyrics suggests they wanted to express how the scenery changes dramatically with each station, transforming into places like Noheji Bay and the Natsudomari Peninsula
The Phantom Moura Railway
There was once a plan for the Moura Railway, which would have connected the area near the current Nishihirauchi Station to the area near the current Moura fishing port on the western side of the Natsudomari Peninsula
The plan was to establish a port in Moura for ships bound for foreign countries and to construct a railway line connecting to that port. Planned in the late Meiji era, andactual construction work was underway, the license to open the railway expired in 1918, and the project never came to fruition.
With few remaining structures or records, and with the Meiji and Taisho eras now so long ago, it's fading from the knowledge of the local people, making it truly a phantom railway
No. 39: Nouchi, Uramachi
As we pass through the tunnel, gazing at Yunoshima Island near the shore, we wonder whether the other end leads to Nonai or Uramachi, the scenery of the bay is so bright and cheerful
Asamushi Onsen and Yunoshima
Yunoshima is an island located offshore near Asamushi Onsen Station (formerly Asamushi Station in 1900) . It is estimated to have been formed by volcanic activity 6 to 7 million years ago. It is a symbolic island of Asamushi Onsen.
It is said that during the Meiji era, the villagers of Asamushi planted 2,000 Japanese black pine saplings on Yunoshima Island to soothe the eyes of tourists. Perhaps the fruits of their efforts caught the eye of Kenki Owada, who wrote the lyrics to the Railway Song
Although the song doesn't specifically mention Asamushi Onsen, it is one of Aomori Prefecture's famous spots, known as "Tohoku's Atami" and "Aomori's inner sanctuary." It seems that travelers sometimes stayed at Asamushi Onsen when bad weather in the Tsugaru Strait prevented them from traveling to Hokkaido by ship
Uramachi Station, which existed on the old line
There are several tunnels before and after Asamushi Station, and after passing through them, you arrive at Nonai Station
The current railway line, after passing Nonai, heads south, passing through Yadamae, Koyanagi, Higashi-Aomori, and Tsutsui stations before reaching its final destination, Aomori. However, this route was only opened in 1968
The previous routemuch further north than the current one, cutting through the city center, only about 500 meters from Aomori Bay(I'm not sure if it was right in the middle of the city center when the Tohoku Main Line was being constructed).
Along the old route, there were two stations: Namiuchi andUramachi. The latter, Uramachi, is likely the "Uramachi" mentioned in the lyrics, "Is the destination Nonai or Uramachi?"
However, while we know what Uramachi is,what does "Is the tunnel over at Nonai or Uramachi?" mean? Looking at the map I have, which also shows the old line, Nonai Station and Uramachi Station are about 7km apart, and Uramachi is located considerably further into the city than Nonai (although it's unclear, as mentioned above, whether this was the case in 1900 is unknown). It's hard to believe that the stations are so similar that it's hard to tell them apart. I'd really like to know the true meaning of these lyrics.
Putting that aside, the line "The scenery of Ura is bright" that follows likely refers to the beautiful view of Aomori Bay from the train window, as well as the feeling of relief (in a good way) that the long journey on the Tohoku Main Line is about to end. The station name "Uramachi" appears just before this, so the lyrics are probably also related to that
No. 40: Aomori
The sound of a spirited whistle urges on as the train arrives in Aomori. In the old days, it was a 20-day journey by land, but now it's a 24-hour train ride
"The sound of a spirited whistle" probably means something like the spirited whistle announcing the arrival of a train. The train finallyarrived at Aomori Station, the terminus of the Tohoku Main Line (more precisely, the Nippon Railway Oshu Line). This marked the end of the approximately 740km journey from Ueno to Aomori.
The origin of the place name "Aomori" is quite straightforward: it is said that there was a "blue forest" near what is now Honcho in Aomori City. It is said that this blue forest served as a landmark for ships entering the harbor
The Tohoku Main Line has shortened the travel time from 20 days to 1 day
In the Edo period, before the advent of railways, the only means of long-distance travel for people were by boat or on foot (especially for commoners). According to Google Maps, the distance to walk from Ueno Station to Aomori Station along the Oshu Kaido route is 708 km
Assuming a walking speed of about 4 km per hour, the amount of time a person can walk in a day is between 5 and 10 hours at most. A 708 km journey by land in 20 days means walking approximately 35 km per day, or nearly 9 hours, whicha fairly fast pace. Even so, it still took 20 days, which speaks volumes about how incredibly difficult the journey to Aomori must have been.
In contrast, the Railway Song proclaims that "the railway journey now takes only a day and a night," meaning it can be completed in just one day . When the Japan Railway completed its line from Ueno to Aomori in 1891, the journey time for a direct train covering the entire route was 26 hours and 25 minutes . While this is still quite long by modern standards, there is no doubt that the difference between "20 days" and "a little over a day" is enormous .
(Inevitably) overnight trains departing from Ueno
The journey from Ueno to Aomori took approximately 26 and a half hours, which naturally meant that the date would change and the train would travel through the night. The trains connecting Ueno and Aomori at that time were inevitably overnight trains. It could be said that this was a pioneering example of the "overnight train departing from Ueno (and ending in Aomori)" sung about in that famous song
Current estimated time
For your reference, there are currently no direct local trains from Ueno to Aomori. However, if you take the train bound for Utsunomiya departing Ueno at 7:16 AM and transfer to a total of 12 local trains at Utsunomiya, Kuroiso, Shin-Shirakawa, Koriyama, Fukushima, Shiroishi, Sendai, Kogota, Ichinoseki, Morioka, and Hachinohe, you will arrive in Aomori at 10:02 PM.The journey takes 14 hours and 46 minutes(as of September 2026, weekday schedule).
However, of course, if you're traveling by train, most people nowadays would use the Shinkansen (bullet train). The journey time, which initially took 26 and a half hours when the Tohoku Main Line first opened, has been steadily reduced with the introduction of express trains, limited express trains, and the Shinkansen
For example, the journey time for an express train introduced in 1908 was 20 hours and 15 minutes. By 1934, the journey time for express trains had been reduced to about 13 hours
In 1958, the "Hatsukari," the first limited express train in the Tohoku region, made its debut. Initially, it ran south of Sendai via the Joban Line, connecting Ueno to Aomori in 12 hours. After its introduction, changes were made to the rolling stock used and the route was changed to run entirely via the Tohoku Main Line, reducing the travel time to approximately 8 and a half hours
In 1982, the Tohoku Shinkansen opened between Omiya and Morioka. It was gradually extended, and in December 2010, it was completed from Tokyo to Shin-Aomori. Currently, using the fastest train, the "Hayabusa," itabout 3 hours and 10 minutes to travel from Ueno to Shin-Aomori. We live in a world where it's now commonplace to be able to make a day trip to a place that took 20 days to reach on foot one way during the Edo period, and even in the Meiji era, it took a full day just to get there one way.
Number 41: Seikan Ferry... or not?
With the Tsugaru Strait in the middle, it is 24 ri to Hakodate. Even the smoke from the passing ships reveals the prosperity of the country
When you hear the word "Seto," you probably think of the Seto Inland Sea, pottery, or Seto City in Aichi Prefecture, the birthplace of pottery. However, the meaning of "Seto" here is, of course, different. This "Seto" refers to a strait, so "Tsugaru no Seto"the Tsugaru StraitHokkaido. The song says that the distance from Aomori to Hakodate in Hokkaido, with the Tsugaru Strait in between, is 24 ri, or about 94 km.
In this context, the "ships that travel between Aomori and Hakodate"the Aomori-Hakodate Ferry. The Aomori-Hakodate Ferry was a ship that connected Aomori Station and Hakodate Station until 1988. Passengers could transfer to the ship without leaving the station's ticket gate, and railway cars could be loaded directly onto the ship.
However, the railway ferry service between Aomori and Hakodate (hereafter referred to as the Seikan route) actually began in 1908 (and the direct loading of train cars onto the ships started even later, in 1925), sothere was no ship called the Seikan Ferry in 1900. The shipthat appears in the Railway Song is likely just a vessel operated on the Seikan route by a company that was not a railway company (probably Nippon Yusen).
In the days before airplanes (the first airplane to fly in Japan was in 1910), the only way to get to Hokkaido was by ship. In the early Meiji era, people who moved to Hokkaido, as well as agricultural products from Hokkaido, were likely transported by ships on the Aomori-Hakodate route
With the opening of the Tohoku Main Line, it became possible to travel from Tokyo to Aomori in a single day, which undoubtedly led to even more active traffic between Honshu and Hokkaido. The ships on the Aomori-Hakodate route played a vital role in this traffic, contributing to Japan's development. I believe the lyrics "The prosperity of the country was known" express this very idea
As mentioned earlier, the Seikan Ferry service, which maintained close cooperation with the railway, began operation in 1908 on the Seikan route. Over 80 years, the Seikan Ferry carried a total of 160 million passengers and 250 million tons of cargo. However, with the opening of the Seikan Tunnel, which runs under the Tsugaru Strait, in 1988, allowing trains to travel to Hokkaido, the Seikan Ferry service was discontinued
Although the Aomori-Hakodate Ferry service has been discontinued, Aomori Station is currently served by three railway lines: the Aoimori Railway Line, the JR Ou Main Line, and the JR Tsugaru Line. Its role as a major railway hub within Aomori Prefecture remains intact
In present-day Aomori, the "Hakkoda Maru," one of the ships used as a ferry between Aomori and Hakodate, is preserved. Visitors can also tour the interior of the ship.
Seikan Ferry Memorial Ship Hakkoda Maru<Information>
- Name: Seikan Ferry Memorial Ship Hakkoda Maru
- Address: 1-112-15 Yanagawa, Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture 038-0012
- Phone number: 017-735-8150
- Opening hours: April 1st to October 31st: 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM (Last admission at 6:00 PM) / November 1st to March 31st: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (Last admission at 4:30 PM)
- Closed days: Mondays from November 1st to March 31st, December 31st, January 1st, and Mondays to Fridays of the second week of March
- Official URL:Seikan Ferry Memorial Ship Hakkoda Maru
Google Map
No. 42: Hirosaki
Changing trains to Hirosaki, sightseeing is also part of the fun of traveling. Tsugaru lacquerware lines the shops, and Mount Tsugaru stands tall in the sky
I'll change trains at Aomori Station and head to Hirosaki. Does "asobu" here mean playing in the way we understand it today?
The distance from Aomori to Hirosaki is about 40km, and before the railway was built, the journey would have taken a whole day. It wasn't a place you could easily go to. However, with the railway, it seems that even in 1900 theabout an hour and a half. This really highlights the immense impact of the railway. At that time, there were four intermediate stations: Shinjo (now Tsugaru-Shinjo), Daishaka, Namioka, and Kawabe.
Currently, the journey takes about 40 to 55 minutes by local train, and about 35 minutes by rapid or express train
Ou North Line (now JR Ou Main Line)
The line I transferred to at Aomori Stationthe government-owned Ou North Line, which is now the JR Ou Main Line. As mentioned in the first article, the Ou Main Line runs from Fukushima Station through stations such as Yamagata, Shinjo, Yokote, Omagari, Akita, Odate, and Hirosaki to Aomori Station. In 1900, construction was being carried out sequentially from both ends, Fukushima Station and Aomori Station, and the line on the Aomori Station side was called the Ou North Line.
The first section, between Aomori Station and Hirosaki Station, opened in 1894. The line was gradually extended thereafter, and by October 1900, when the third volume of the Railway Song was released, it had reached Takanosu Station (present-day Kitaakita City, Akita Prefecture). Five years later, in September 1905, the entire line between Fukushima Station and Aomori Station was completed
Incidentally, the Tohoku Main Line was originally opened as a line of the Nippon Railway and was acquired by the government in 1906, but the Ou Main Line was a line that was constructed by the government from the very beginning
Hirosaki was a castle town of the Hirosaki Domain
I visited by train, is a representative city in the Tsugaru region of western Aomori Prefecture. During the Edo period, there was a feudal domain called the Hirosaki Domain, and Hirosaki flourished as a castle town.
In 1898, the 8th Division of the Imperial Japanese Army was established in Hirosaki,making it a military city. This was the second division established in the Tohoku region, following the 2nd Division in Sendai. The infamous Hakkoda Mountains disaster of 1902 occurred in Aomori, where the 5th Infantry Regiment, which belonged to this 8th Division, was stationed.
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force still has a base in Hirosaki. The current population of Hirosaki City is approximately 160,000, making it the third largest city in Aomori Prefecture after Aomori City and Hachinohe City
The Tsugaru clan, who were the lords of the Hirosaki Domain, had become independent from the Nanbu clan during the Sengoku period. Because of this history,the Hirosaki Domain and the Morioka Domain, which was ruled by the Nanbu clan, were bitter rivals throughout the Edo period.
Nevertheless, after the abolition of the feudal domains and the establishment of prefectures such as Hirosaki and Hachinohe,several prefectures that had been established in the former territories of the Nanbu clanwere merged into Hirosaki Prefecture. One of the reasons for this merger seems to be that Hirosaki Prefecture's economic power far surpassed that of the surrounding prefectures. This gives us a glimpse into the prosperity of Hirosaki during the Edo period.
However, at the time of the merger, the prefectural office was located in Hirosaki and the prefecture remained Hirosaki Prefecture. Soon after,the prefectural office moved to Aomori and the prefecturewas renamed Aomori Prefecture. Reasons cited for the relocation of the prefectural office include the fact that the prefectural office was too far to the west of the prefecture, that the former Hirosaki domain's influence on the prefectural administration was too great, and that the future development of Aomori Port was anticipated.
In the area that is now Aomori Prefecture, Hirosaki was probably the most prosperous city until the early Meiji period. Also, Hirosaki University is the only national university in Aomori Prefecture. Hirosaki City alone accounts for 25% of the nation's apple production, making it the top city in the country
Even in the 21st century, the city has still been featured in fictional works, for example, so I don't think its presence has diminished at all
However, Hirosaki, like many other regional cities, is now facing the same problems as other cities, such as population decline. The Konan Railway's Owani Line, which runs through the city, is scheduled to cease operations on March 31, 2028 (*)
*As was the case with the Nanbu Railway and Nanbu Jukan Railway, which were featured in this article, it is highly likely that these lines will be officially abandoned after being suspended
Tsugaru lacquerware
Next,the Tsugaru-nuriis a traditional craft produced and sold mainly in Hirosaki, anda general term for traditional lacquerware produced in the Tsugaru region. It is said to have a history of over 300 years, dating back to the mid-Edo period.
The name Tsugaru lacquerware is said to have been given in 1873 for exhibition at the Vienna World's Fair. In 2017, it became the first item in Aomori Prefecture to be designated as a National Important Intangible Cultural Property
The manufacturing process, which involves repeatedly applying and polishing lacquer, is extremely labor-intensive and takes more than two months, but it results in exceptional durability. Tsugaru lacquerware is often described as "robust."
Mount Iwaki, also known as Tsugaru Fuji
Next, the "Tsugaru Fuji" mentioned in the lyrics refers to Mount Iwaki , which rises to the west of Hirosaki. At an elevation of 1,625 meters, it is the highest peak in Aomori Prefecture . It is included in the list of Japan's 100 Famous Mountains and the New 100 Famous Mountains of Japan. Besides Tsugaru Fuji, it is also sometimes called "Oiwa-sama."
Mount Iwaki has long been a place of worship, home to shrines such as Iwakiyama Shrine and Takateru Shrine, which enshrines the lord of the Hirosaki domain. Even today, it remains a symbolic landmark of the Tsugaru region
Every year on the first day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, the annual festival, "Oyama Sankei," is held. Many people pray for a bountiful harvest and the safety of their families,and dressed in white robes, they climb to the summit of Mount Iwaki in the middle of the nightto witness the sunrise.
Although it is uncertain when the Oyama pilgrimage began, one theory suggests it started in the early Kamakura period. It is believed that ordinary people began participating in the pilgrimage in the early Meiji period, and in 1984 it was designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property
Return journey to Tokyo
Following train number 42, which visited Hirosaki, train number 43 will return to Ueno in Tokyo. On the return trip, instead of heading south along the Tohoku Main Line, itwill take a different route than the one it took on the way there.
That's all for today
A former railway engineer and current freelance writer who has loved trains since childhood, his dream is to make train travel his career
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