"Any crying children here?" The Namahage of Oga, Akita Prefecture, is known nationwide as a representative folk event of the Tohoku region. However, while their appearance and names may differ, they actually fulfill a similar role...
Aoiwa
When most people think of New Year's, they probably think of sumptuous meals. However, in the Tohoku region, which is particularly prone to heavy snowfall, New Year's meals are more than just "luxurious.".
Things that people who grew up in Aomori Prefecture take for granted may surprise people from outside the prefecture and seem unusual. In winter, there's a ski mountain on the school grounds, and students learn to make prints in art class...
Hirosaki Castle in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, has been undergoing a "hikiya" (moving) project since 2015 to move the castle tower approximately 70 meters from its original location. The building was moved as is, without being dismantled...
![What day is it today? Tohoku Edition [1220]](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1220-600x420.png.webp)
Foghorn Memorial Day (Aomori Prefecture) December 20, 1879 (Meiji 12), marks the installation of Japan's first steam-powered foghorn (fog signal station) at the Shiriyazaki Lighthouse in Higashidori Village, Shimokita District, Aomori Prefecture.
Cod is synonymous with New Year's in Aomori. The steaming aroma of jappa soup and the rich flavor of cod milt evoke memories of winter dining in Aomori. While cod-filled meals are rarely seen outside the prefecture, they have long been an essential part of Aomori's cuisine.
Aomori is the number one apple producer in Japan, and it goes without saying that it is the apple kingdom. Although Aomori residents eat apples on a regular basis, when choosing apples, they do not only consider "sweetness" and "aroma"...
![What day is it today? Tohoku Edition [1205]](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1205-600x420.png.webp)
Anniversary of the death of Matsudaira Katamori, the 9th lord of the Aizu domain (Fukushima Prefecture). Matsudaira Katamori, the 9th lord of the Aizu domain in Mutsu Province, died of pneumonia on December 5, 1893 (26th year of the Meiji era).
![What day is it today? Tohoku Edition [1204]](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1204-600x420.png.webp)
The Tohoku Shinkansen Line Completely Opened On December 4, 2010, approximately eight years after the opening of Hachinohe Station, Shin-Aomori Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line opened, shortening the journey from Shin-Aomori Station to Tokyo Station in three hours and two minutes.
![What day is it today? Tohoku Edition [1201]](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1201-600x420.png.webp)
The Tohoku Shinkansen (Morioka - Hachinohe) opened on December 1, 2002, when the approximately 97km section of the Tohoku Shinkansen between Morioka Station and Hachinohe Station opened, marking the first time the Shinkansen had entered Aomori Prefecture.
