Chasing Cherry Blossoms in Aomori and Samurai History in Akita using the 5-day JR East Tohoku Pass

As of April 1, 2021, JR East has made changes to its JR East Tohoku Pass so that it is now valid for 5 consecutive days and open to tourists and *any* foreign passport holder in Japan; including foreign residents and those with SOFA/US military status. While Japan is not yet open to tourism, as a current resident I leapt at the chance to visit Hirosaki Castle/Park in Aomori, take the Resort Shirakami Sightseeing train along the coast to Akita, and explore the samurai history of Kakunodate in Akita. I hope this trip report is helpful for future planning for those interested in exploring a less commonly visited region of Japan. (Bonus is that in summer these areas will be *much* cooler and less humid than Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka areas.)

At 20,000 yen for the 5-day JR East Tohoku Pass just doing a roundtrip between Tokyo and Aomori would’ve already paid off as the one-way Shinkansen fare is 17,870 yen! My entire 5-day trip would’ve normally cost about $460 USD but with the pass was just $200. A great deal!

Purchasing the JR East Tohoku Pass

– [JR East Tohoku Pass Website ](https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/pass/eastpass_t.html)
– [Discover Tohoku With the New JR East Pass ](https://blog.gaijinpot.com/discover-tohoku-with-the-new-jr-east-pass/)

Since I am currently in Japan, I visited the JR East Travel Service Center at Shinjuku station outside the New South Exit in the Newoman building to purchase my pass in person. Each person purchasing a pass must be present and each person must show their foreign passport (photocopies not accepted). You can also purchase a voucher online but must still go in person, with your passport, to a designated travel service center to exchange the voucher for the actual pass. You must indicate the start date of the 5-day pass when purchasing and can buy the pass/voucher up to 30 days prior to the start date or even the day of travel.

– [JR East Travel Service Center Locations to Purchase Tohoku Pass or Exchange Online Vouchers ](https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/ticketwindow/?selectPass=eastT)
– [JR East: Online Purchase of Rail Vouchers ](https://www.eastjapanrail.com/#/home)

There will be staff members at the Travel Service Center who speak English well (and sometimes other languages too). They can also answer questions or give advice on the places you will be traveling to and will have lots of pamphlets in English (and other languages) you can pick up. I always make a point to stop by the Travel Service Center in each city I visit in Japan as the local offices will often have more detailed information in English on sightseeing in that city/prefecture too. The Tourist Info Offices are usually right outside the main gates at Shinkansen or other major stations in that city.

Getting Seat Reservations With Your Pass
After purchasing or exchanging your voucher for the Tohoku Pass the staff at the travel service center can also issue you the seat reservation tickets for the Shinkansen or other express/sightseeing trains you plan to take. Just have the dates, departure/arrival cities, and approximate departure time written down and if you show this to the staff they can issue you the seat reservations right then.

The other nice thing is that, for the dates the pass is valid, you can change or add in new seat reservations as needed so if you oversleep or just decide to go another route just go to the ticket office or use the applicable vending machines to get new/different seat reservations as needed. See the [reserving seats section ](https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/pass/eastpass_t.html) on the JR East Tohoku Pass website. As long as it’s a JR train or bus it’s covered by the pass for the 5 consecutive days!

This is what I wrote down and brought with me to get my seat assignments on the day I bought my pass. Seat reservations are currently required for the JR East Shinkansen lines going to Shin-Aomori and from Akita. There are no non-reserved cars currently.

Friday: Shinkansen
Depart Tokyo ~11 am
Arrive Shin-Aomori (local train to Aomori Station)

Sat/Sun: Local trains only. No seat assignments necessary

Monday: Resort Shirakami Sightseeing Train
Depart Aomori at 13:51 on Buna train.
Asked for seaside seat.
Arrive Akita

Tuesday
Depart Akita at about 10 am for Kakunodate on Shinkansen (1 hour)
Depart Kakunodate on Shinkansen departure about 4:00 pm
Arrival Station Tokyo

Using Your Pass
The new JR East Passes are just paper tickets that you insert and pick up from the ticket gates as you enter/leave the stations. This means you have to be very careful not to forget to pick up your ticket stub as you go through the gates AND that you don’t lose your pass at any point during your 5 days of travel. That ticket is like carrying around 20,00 yen/$200 cash and cannot be replaced if you lose it. Don’t forget/lose your pass or you’ll have to buy a new one! The staff at the travel service center will explain how to use the pass and show you photos and if you’re unclear about anything just ask. They are there to help. 🙂

Detailed 5-day Itinerary

Day 1: Friday
I left my home station to travel to Tokyo Station for my Shinkansen departure in the morning. Since this is the JR Chuo line, I used my pass as all travel on JR lines is free with the pass.

After arriving Tokyo, I exited the local JR line gates to transfer to the Shinkansen gates. Just follow the signs for the Shinkansen lines and look for the North Shinkansen gates. If unsure where to go, show your seat reservation ticket to a station agent and they’ll direct you.

I had about 30 minutes to grab a bento and snacks before my Shinkansen departed so, before entering the Shinkansen gates, I visited the nearby food hall/stands to get some lunch to eat on the train. There is no food/drink cart on the lines going north so you must buy drinks/snacks before getting on. You can eat and drink on the Shinkansen trains unlike local subways/trains in Japan.

Then I entered the Shinkansen gates using my JR Pass and headed to the platform to find my car number as indicated on my seat reservation ticket. There will be signs on the platform showing you where each numbered car will stop.

It took about 3.5 hours to reach Shin-Aomori station where I exited the Shinkansen gates (use pass) and transferred to the local train to Aomori Station. I checked into the [Daiwa Roynet Hotel ](https://goo.gl/maps/VKiB3rpG4srfGgJK6) which was brand new and just a 5 minute walk to the station. The room had a large bed and spacious bathroom with a rainfall shower and deep soaking tub. I didn’t get breakfast, but there is a restaurant with a large breakfast buffet right next to the hotel and a convenience store right next door too. It’s on the main shopping street so there are numerous restaurants within a shot walking distance too. I would definitely stay here again.

Before dinner, we walked down to the nearby seaside [Aoiumi Park ](https://goo.gl/maps/kyMYQocGJgDUxF6e8) to see the sunset over the bay and wander our way along the boardwalk. This is a great place for an evening or morning stroll.

Friday evening, my friend and I made reservations for dinner at [Takakyu Nebunokuni restaurant. ](https://goo.gl/maps/8bJ6Ph153zGRZDi97) I highly recommend having dinner here are there is an included shamisen (local music) concert that starts at 19:00. You do need a reservation and there is a link on Google Maps to do so online. Come at 18:30 to have time to order before the concert begins. There is an English menu but we took the waitresses advice and ordered the tasting menu of 8 local Aomori specialties and it was the right choice! Everything we had was delicious and I recommend ordering the local apple cocktail too. The concert and local dancing was a lot of fun and a great introduction to local Aomori culture. Tip: If walking, no matter what route Google gives you walk as far down the main shopping street (Shinmachi Dori) as possible as it has a nice wide sidewalk and is well lit. The back streets are much narrower and darker so it’s not as pleasant a walk.

– [Aomori Sightseeing Guide: Local Food ](https://www.en-aomori.com/category/recommended/food)
– [Aomori Sightseeing Guide: Restaurants With Local Shamisen Music ](https://www.en-aomori.com/food-008.html)

Day 2: Saturday
For breakfast, we walked around the corner from our hotel for fresh roasted coffee and a toast set from [Coffee Marron ](https://goo.gl/maps/MZiXjgUrjCPVpGtH6) It’s a cute, retro [kissaten (traditional coffee shop) ](https://tokyocheapo.com/food-and-drink/kissaten-tokyo-coffee-shops/) that is decorated with Aomori memorabilia and collectibles. No English menu but the camera function in Google translate worked pretty good. We ordered the sweet toast set which is a thick bread with local jam, hard boiled egg, and coffee. It was so nice here I came back for lunch on Monday before departing Aomori and would also recommend their egg salad and ham toasted sandwich lunch set.

After breakfast, we walk across the street to the [Utou Shrine ](https://goo.gl/maps/5dqjp6k7EJEa9YWY7) to get a shrine stamp/seal in our [Goshuin book. ](https://livejapan.com/en/in-tokyo/in-pref-tokyo/in-tokyo_train_station/article-a0002402/) This ended up being the only shrine I visited during my trip so I’m glad I got one here. We also saw a few couples bringing their month old babies dressed in kimono to the shrine for [Miyamairi](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyamairi); similar to a baptism.

We then headed to [A-Factory ](https://www.en-aomori.com/shopping-017.html) where you can buy all things apple including tasting the local apple cider (alcoholic) or fresh local apple juice. Aomori is known for its apples and you will find tons of souvenirs here in a range of price points. We ate lunch at the burger place here (just ok) but had a better meal at their upstairs restaurant another day (the steak salad was really good) when we did the cider tasting. The coffee place here was good and you can also get many flavors of apple or even local sake flavored gelato. This was also a good place to get apple treats, cider/juice, and local food items to buy before your trip home. If you’re staying in Aomori you’ll probably visit here a couple of times as it’s right by the station.

After lunch, we used our JR Pass to hop on the local train to Hirosaki for the [Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival. ](https://www.en-aomori.com/culture-034.html)We ended up taking one of the limited express trains there which had unreserved seating in the first two cars. After arriving at Hirosaki we followed the signs towards the [Dotemachi Loop Sightseeing 100 Yen Bus. ](https://www.hirosaki-kanko.or.jp/en/edit.html?id=100-yen_bus) This is normally a loop to the main [sightseeing spots in Hirosaki ](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3701.html) but during the cherry blossom festival there is a direct bus to Hirosaki Park.

[Hirosaki Park’s Cherry Blossoms ](https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/654/) are one of the top 100 spots in Japan and are gorgeous! The thousands of trees spread out before you make it seem like you’re walking through a sea of puffy pink clouds. As the petals begin to fall, they form a pink carpet or raft on the surrounding moats that is really pretty too. They have an illumination at night and the castle stays open til 8 pm during the festival so we arrived in the afternoon and stayed until evening to enjoy both the day and night Sakura views. Wear comfortable shoes as the park is large and you’ll do a lot of walking. No admission fee for the park, but there is a fee to go into the castle area. We went to the castle at night after dinner right before it closed at 8 pm. Usually you can picnic in the park but due to Covid you could only eat in certain areas this year and no alcohol was sold inside the park. There were food stalls/kid games set up but they weren’t very busy this year.

While in the park, be sure to keep an eye out for the [Heart Sakura Tree ](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2018/04/9033530c4d62-cherry-blossoms-forming-heart-shape-drawing-tourists-to-japan-park.html) which we found by noticing a group of people taking pictures and wondering what they were looking at. Also, fun fact, [Hirosaki Castle has been moved. ](https://www.en-aomori.com/culture-020.html)

We spent a lot of time at the park but did leave in the late afternoon for some snacks and local craft beer at [Degusta ](https://goo.gl/maps/K9Z1EJ1cuQWdYjePA) (the corn nuts were really good) and dinner at [Tsune Sushi. ](https://goo.gl/maps/25gJZdvPEWofsJXm6) You usually need reservations for Tsune but we lucked out and got a table soon after it opened. Best to ask your hotel or the tourist info center if they can call in advance and make a reservation here. After dinner we walked back to the park for a nighttime illumination and then headed back to our hotel in Aomori.

Day 3: Sunday
On Sunday, we checked out of the hotel and stored out bags in a [luggage locker ](https://livejapan.com/en/article-a0000274/) at Aomori Station.

From there, we walked right next door to the [Warasse Nebuta Museum.](https://www.nebuta.jp/warasse/foreign/english.html) Aomori is famous for its August Nebuta Festival where huge lit up floats are carried through the town. But if you can’t visit then, the next best thing is this museum where you can see many floats up close. Starting in May, you can also walk along the boardwalk outside and see the tents where the floats are built each year. This is a truly great Museum and you’ll likely spend 2 hours here and kids will love it too!

– [Aomori Nebuta Festival](https://www.en-aomori.com/culture-038.html)
– [Hirosaki Nebuta Festival](https://www.en-aomori.com/aomoristory/nebuta.html#nebuta_03)
– [Events in Aomori](https://japancheapo.com/events/location/aomori/)

After the museum, we had lunch and tasted some more apple cider at A-Factory though you could also try [apple pie/cakes at these cafes.](https://livejapan.com/en/in-tohoku/in-pref-aomori/in-aomori_hirosaki_hachinohe/article-a3000046/)

We then took the local train using the JR East Pass to the seaside [Asamushi Onsen.](https://livejapan.com/en/in-tohoku/in-pref-aomori/in-aomori_hirosaki_hachinohe/article-a3000046/) This was a nice and relaxing break after walking around Aomori and Hirosaki and watching the sun set from the onsen was magical. There isn’t a lot to see/do in this town so Checkin to your ryokan, head to the onsen, and relax. I got food from the convenience store and had dinner in my room overlooking the bay but if you want to eat out a friend recommended [Tsurukameya Shokudo](https://goo.gl/maps/xnaJ7vuQxNKNDy3X8) for their fresh seafood. If you like hard boiled eggs you can buy some at a convenience store and cook your own in the [public onsen fountain](https://goo.gl/maps/MkeVpkktttDjfQLEA).

I stayed at the [Nambuya Kaisenkaku ryokan](https://goo.gl/maps/vMSAgLZUFnUH9VSN9) and highly recommend it. I got a great rate on an ocean view room for a Sunday night. My room was huge and had a private toilet, shower, and small tub. I didn’t use the tub in my room at all as the sea view onsen on the top floor was so nice and relaxing. No tattoos allowed though if you have a very small one that doesn’t show when sitting in the onsen you may be ok. I went twice, once at sunset time and again the next morning after breakfast, and in the morning I was the last person in the onsen. There is also a free, concert quality, shamisen concert in the lobby at 8:45 pm. Opt to include the breakfast buffet as it’s very good and you’ll have a great view of the bay and Mt. Iwaki in the morning on a clear day. If I could I would stay here again!

Day 4 Monday:
After breakfast and a morning soak in the rooftop onsen, I checked. Out of Kaisenkaku and took the local train back to Aomori using the JR East Tohoku pass. I bought some snacks, drinks, and bento in the first floor of the [Lovina Building](https://goo.gl/maps/wifr9zHQmncSMmh37) that is connected to the station. I already had my seat assignment ticket for the Resort Shirakami train so when it was time just headed into the station to my departure platform for the 13:51 sightseeing train to Akita.

The [Resort Shirakami](https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/joyful/shirakami.html) is a sightseeing train that runs along the coast from Aomori to Akita station. I took the Buna train which has a wood lined interior, shop with special bentos, and usually a shamisen or local puppet show. When I went there wasn’t a show though, likely due to Covid. The train will make one stop for 15 minutes at the [Senjojiki Coast](https://goo.gl/maps/21DQeJwJUCiTV2wJ6) where you can get out and scramble around the rocks a bit. The train whistle will sound 3 minutes before departure so you don’t get left behind.

I rode it the whole way though if you take the earlier train you could get off at other stops along the way. Sitting back and watching the scenery was a special experience as this is a gorgeous coastline that few people ever get to see.

– [GaijinPot: Resort Shirakami](https://travel.gaijinpot.com/resort-shirakami/)
– [JR Pass: Resort Shirakami](https://m.jrpass.com/blog/resort-shirakami-train)
– You can also depart from Akita going towards Aomori and [this article gives a sample day trip itinerary.](https://thegate12.com/article/313)

After arriving at Akita Station, I checked in to the brand new [Hotel Metropolitan Akita.](https://goo.gl/maps/x6eTMsHV4KVCzxur7) Nice one night stay very convenient to the West exit of Akita Station. Starbucks next door off of lobby and soon a 7-11 will open off the lobby too. Nice size room with new furnishings/decor and good size bathroom. Only odd thing was there were miniblinds on the widow between bathroom and hotel room that were inside the shower? Kinda weird and glad I don’t have to clean those blinds after they get wet all the time. But, if you’re looking for a a convenient one to two night stay right by the station this new hotel is great!

I was quite tired so just got food to take back to my room from the [department store food hall that you walk through going from the station to the hotel.](https://akita.hotel-metropolitan.com/access/)

Day 5 Tuesday:
After checking out I headed to the Starbucks next door for breakfast before hopping on the Shinkansen, using the JR East Pass, for a short ride to Kakunodate. After arriving, head to the next door [Sightseeing Info Center](https://goo.gl/maps/NzG3ow7KJG5jhFpX7) which is in a cool old building. You can store your luggage here and pick up a sightseeing map. Then it’s just a 15 minute walk to the Samurai District.

I came here hoping to see the [famous weeping cherry blossoms](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3601.html) but was about a week too late as, like elsewhere in Japan, they bloomed early in 2021. However, I was blown away by the samurai district/history and spent all day here. I didn’t even stop to eat lunch as I kept wandering through the exceptionally well preserved samurai houses with detailed English descriptions. If you love history, samurai culture, or old merchant homes you should come to Kakunodate!

From [JapanGuide](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3601.html) “Kakunodate (角館) is a former castle town and samurai stronghold in today’s Akita Prefecture. While Kakunodate Castle no longer remains, the town is famous for its samurai tradition and its hundreds of weeping cherry trees (shidarezakura). Apart from the loss of its castle, Kakunodate remains remarkably unchanged since its founding in 1620. The town was built with two distinct areas, the samurai district and the merchant district. Once home to 80 families, the samurai district still has some of the best examples of samurai architecture in all of Japan. Kakunodate is also well known as the location of one of the Tohoku Region’s most popular cherry blossom spots. Around late April and early May, large crowds of people come to see Kakunodate’s special combination of pink blossoms and historic homes.”

Places I walked to in Kakunodate included:

[外町史料館たてつ](https://goo.gl/maps/uEXAmKhwLLmfz8bSA)

Don’t miss out on this shop. It’s an old kimono merchant family whose shop is now a souvenir store but they absolutely have a free (!) museum showing lots of Kakunodate crafts and the old warehouse area. There’s also a nice back garden with lots of flowers in bloom.

[Cherry Bark Woodcraft Museum](https://goo.gl/maps/gWRVzyysUbm82DP57)

Kakunodate is famous for its woodworkers who make intricate inlaid furniture and daily items out of cherry bark. Most of this museum is free and there a large gift shop where you can buy cherry bark items in a range of price points but I reccomed the paid area too as there you see the true masterpieces and upstairs the samurai armor.

On the second floor (paid area) of this museum is an amazing display of antique samurai armor from Kakunodate samurai. They aren’t behind glass so you can see them up close and really get a sense of how fierce they looked in battle. There are also some gorgeous kimono here too. They also have displays of daily use items from Akita’s past in this museum and the samurai manors. Much of the winter items look similar to photos and be seen of Norway’s past and other Northern/Snowy countries. Definitely worth the admission.

[Ishiguro Samurai House](https://goo.gl/maps/Q935Vcz5xoMBi22w7)

A bit small but nice intro to typical layout of the samurai houses.

[Aoyagi Samurai House](https://goo.gl/maps/4SwAve1HZXdaV73x6)

This place was huge and well worth the admission price. I spent a long time here as most displays had English descriptions too. There is a large armory where you can see samurai weapons and armor. There is also a [small retro coffee shop](https://goo.gl/maps/HqpU1XfoGtSHVHGr5) where I took a break to have apple pie and ice cream.

At the end of the afternoon I hopped back on the Shinkansen from Kakunodate station to head back towards Tokyo. There’s a ticket agent here so if you need to change your departure time or get a seat assignment it’s no problem with your pass. Pick up a bento/snacks by the Lawson near the Samurai District as there’s only a shall Conbini near the station.

ALL the train travel indicated above was fully covered by the JR East Tohoku Pass! I hope you get to visit these places too!