Road Trip To Hokkaido - Part 1
Interesting spots along the scenic JR Tsugaru Line include Nogiwa Park; a shrine where floats from the Nebuta festival are kept; and the beautiful Mutsu Bay known for its tender and sweet scallops.
Join us as we embark on a two-day trip of enquiry and discovery on the JR Tsugaru Line in Aomori Prefecture. The scenic local line, which opened in 1951, runs along the Mutsu Bay and there are 18 stations, covering a total route distance of 55.8km. We begin our journey from Aomori City. We first drop by an apple shop to get information and are told about Nogiwa Park near Aburakawa Station. From Aomori Station, we catch the train leaving at 10.40am and head there. During the ride, we catch a glimpse of the Aomori Train Centre, where decommissioned trains can be found. We arrive at the neighbouring station of Aburakawa at 10.45am. A resident here tells us about the area’s famous Nebuta summer festival. We decide to check out the floats after visiting Nogiwa Park.
It takes us 40 minutes to walk to Nogiwa Park. In the centre, there is a lake built for agricultural use. We walk around the huge park and stumble upon a “hidden” spot which offers a spectacular view of the lake with its calm waters. It is often visited by waterbirds and one can see lotus flowers in full bloom in summer.
We make our way back to Aburakawa and visit a shed at a shrine, where some small Nebuta floats are kept. There is documentation indicating that a Nebuta festival was held in Aburakawa in 1716. It is said to be the oldest recorded Nebuta festival.
After this, we take the train departing at 1.25pm and advance two stops to Okunai Station. We have not had lunch yet and a passenger suggests we eat at a ramen shop called Nippamaru. We reach Okunai at 1.35pm and walk to Nippamaru, located along National Road 280 which runs parallel to the Tsugaru Line. Its speciality is Chobozan ramen, which is inspired by a local mountain. We also order the restaurant’s fried noodles, soy sauce ramen and gyoza dumplings. Thick, freshly made noodles are used for the Chobozan ramen, along with bean sprouts and a sweet and spicy soup made with ground beef. On the other hand, the soy sauce ramen features thin, curly noodles which are topped with bamboo shoots and homemade roast pork. Scallops and dried sardines from Mutsu Bay are used for the soy sauce ramen soup. The fried noodles are the eatery’s “secret menu” item which only a few customers know about. For this dish, ramen noodles are boiled, rinsed in water and then stir-fried.
Nippamaru’s owner suggests we visit Mutsu Bay, which is famous for its scallops, and a beach near Gosawa Station. We first make our way to Mutsu Bay and explore the port. Scallops from Mutsu Bay are caught between April and June. At the port, up to 100 tonnes of scallops are caught each day. Scallops from this area are known to be tender, thick and sweet.
We take the train which leaves Okunai Station at 3.45pm and go to Gosawa Station. After riding through the green countryside for about 25 minutes, the train reaches Gosawa at 4pm. We visit a store called Mori Syoten to ask for directions to the beach. We manage to find it after walking for 20 minutes from the station. Tamamatsu Beach stretches for approximately 200m along Mutsu Bay. The beautiful sandy beach with clear waters is popular with families.
We board the train at Gosawa Station at 4.50pm and advance two stops to Kanita. During the five-minute journey, we marvel at the beautiful sunset over Mutsu Bay. We start looking for lodging and a driver recommends Furofushi Onsen. We take the 5.05pm community bus which runs along the sea before reaching a stop near the inn at 5.35pm. We walk for about five minutes from here to Furofushi. However, there is a problem with its hot spring baths so it is not accepting guests for the night. It is past 6pm by now. We take the community bus again and alight at Nakamura Ryokan near the Kanita River. However, it is fully booked. Another inn by the river, Sasaki Ryokan, is also full.
The last outbound train left Kanita Station at 7pm, so we cannot advance any farther. We can however take the train back to Aomori Station, one of which leaves at 7.50pm, while the other express train departs from Kanita Station at 9pm. We want to have dinner so ask a resident for suggestions. We are told about Maruhachi, located next to Sasaki Ryokan. It is nearly 8pm and we start walking from Kanita Station towards the restaurant.
Tips:
1) Popular attractions of Aburakawa include Nogiwa Park and the Nebuta festival
2) Mutsu Bay is known for the cultivation of tender and sweet scallops
