Aomori Winter Activities: 8 Unique Experiences To Do In Aomori

Aomori was only supposed to be a short stop at the end of winter adventure in Hokkaido where I’d catch my flight back to Tokyo. But a confluence of perfect timing, some luck stumbling around, a couple of recommendations from local friends turned Aomori from an afterthought to a highlight. I’m already feeling an itch to get back to the region to do some more exploring on my next trip.

From experiencing a historic onsen and timeless tradition at Sukayu, soaking in a beautiful cypress wood bath, to riding the charming Winter Stove Train and running around a seafood market to build the ultimate seafood bowl – Aomori surprised me at every turn.

Here are some experiences you’ll want on your list for your winter visit to Aomori.

1. Build Your Own Nokkedon

It blows my mind that people fly all the way to Tokyo and wait hours in line for places to have a seafood donburi at Tsujihan just because every lazy influencer shares the same video. If you a truly fun and unique seafood experience, the first thing you should do in Aomori is to visit the Aomori Gyosai Center (location on map) and build your own Nokkedon, which translates simply to bowl with toppings.

The concept is simple: you buy a voucher containing 12 tickets that can be exchange for fresh seafood in the market. You use your first ticket to exchange for a bowl of rice. From there, you go from stall to stall and exchange between 1 to 3 tickets for different seafood dishes that the vendor will place directly into your bowl. At the end, you’ll have a custom made seafood bowl that will fill your stomach, satisfy your palate, and costs just ¥2000 or about $13.

2. Explore The Aomori Museum Of Art

This was one of the coolest modern art museums I’ve ever been to, and it’s also home to the giant Aomori Dog statue by local artist Yoshitomo Nara. The space is massive, which allows it to curate and house some equally massive works of art, like the full backdrops used in the Aleko Ballet that was designed by Marc Chagall. It’s also a nice escape from the winter weather.

3. Experience Konyoku at the Sukayu Onsen

Just an hour’s bus ride away in the Hakkoda Mountains is an historic onsen bathhouse constructed in 1929 out of cypress wood. What’s especially unique about this onsen is that it’s one of the rare places that still honor the tradition of Konyoku or mixed-gender bathing. I recommend an overnight stay to get the full ryokan experience, including the kaiseki dinner, as well as a snowshoe walk in the morning. Overnight guests can arrange for a complimentary roundtrip transfer from Aomori.

You can read about my unique experience at Sukayu this past winter.

4. Take A Trip On The Winter Stove Train

Some time ago, I learned of an old winter train where guests can enjoy warm sake and dried squid freshly grilled on a potbelly wood stove right in the middle of the carriage. I immediately put it on my long bucket list and made a point to ride this train that pretty much goes nowhere. Was it worth it? Absolutely and I’d happily do it again the next time I’m in Aomori since the starting station is only a little over an hour away. You can read about my experience riding the Tsugaru Railways Winter Stove Train.

5. Visit Hirosaki Castle

Just an hour away from Aomori is the town of Hirosaki, where you can visit the charming Hirosaki Castle and get a stunning view of the the sacred Mount Iwaki. I recommend spending a night at Hirosaki as well so you can take a direct train to the Tsugaru Goshogawara station to take the Winter Stove Train.

6. Drive Through The Hakoda Wall

Every year on April 1st, the road between Sukayu Onsen and Yachi Onsen on highway 103 officially opens for traffic. Because Aomori is home to some of the heaviest snowfall each year, snow piles up to 6-9 meters from the ground. A dedicated team of plowers work for nearly a month to reopen the driving path opening up a road that’s flanked by snow walls reaching around 6-7 meters most years and as high as 9 meters in record years.

7. Cross The Tsugaru Strait To Hakodate By Ferry

If you’re continuing onto Hokkaido, skip the Shinkansen and take the Tsugaru Kaikyo ferry across the Tsugaru Strait that connects the islands of Honshu with Hokkaido. It’s a smooth ride, even in the winter and there’s food and entertainment on board. You can eat take a shower during the short 3 hour journey.

8. Ride The Hakkoda Ropeway To See The Snow Monsters

The Hakkoda Mountains are popular for skiers and snowboarders, but the area is also famous for its snow monsters. These oddly shaped “monsters” are actually just trees covered in snow thick layers of ice that form slowly from water blown by the wind onto the trees. These droplets freeze and layer over each other and eventually form an endless field of oblong figures that cover the mountains.

You can visit by taking a bus to the Hakkoda Ropeway and riding the 10 minute cable car up to the top of Mt. Tamoyachi where you can get a great expansive view from the summit.

Bonus: Eat Everything Apple

Miyazaki has its mango, Yamagata, its cherries, and Aomori is famous for its apples. Apple pie, apple cider, apple anything. There’s even a store called A-Factory that specializes in different apple related products. It’s only a minute way from the Aomori Station complex and worth a visit if you’re looking for local souvenirs. But whatever you do, don’t miss out on trying all the apple goodness.

Hotel Recommendation And Where To Stay In Aomori

Coming from Hokkaido, I was pleasantly surprised to see that hotel prices were similarly reasonable since I had booked ahead. While availability remained, a lot of the same hotels increased their prices when I looked for availability during the same week. Here’s my short list I put together during our search. We traveled to Aomori in the winter, so I wanted to find a comfortable hotel where we expected to spend more time. I also wanted to stay close to the Aomori Station since it’d be easier to get around to the other places we were planning to visit.

1. Hoshino Resorts KAI Tsugaru

The first hotel that caught my eye, was unfortunately in a small onsen town about 1.5 hour away from Aomori. I’m including it here because, if your plan is still flexible, I’d look into visiting Owani Onsen and staying at the Hoshino Resorts KAI. It’s been bookmarked for my next winter trip when I plan to explore the onsen towns in the north of Honshu.

2. ReLabo Spa&Stay

We chose to stay at ReLabo Spa&Stay because it was connected right to Aomori Station, which made access to everything so easy, including visiting the Nokkedon seafood market, getting picked up for the Sukayu Onsen, and getting to Hirosaki Castle and the Winter Stove Train on the JR line. The hotel has the best view of the Aomori Bridge and Tsugaru Strait as well as a properly equipped gym, yoga area, and a hot spring spa. We only spent one night here and I wished we stayed longer.

3. Aomori Center Hotel

After Hakodate, we wanted a rest and relaxation day, so I booked the Aomori Center Hotel. There was an indoor spa and outdoor hot springs and a luxurious buffet breakfast was included. It was perfect, but we were only able to book the Aomori Center Hotel for one night because we left it a bit last minute. In the end, it worked out because we went to Sukayu Onsen the next day and then returned and got to experience ReLabo.

Looking for more travel inspirations? Scroll through some of the 450+ experiences on my bucket list. Maybe you’ll find your next adventure on there.

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Updated on November 7, 2024