The definitive guide to Portland's food scene Acclaimed chef Masa Miyake has leased a pair of adjacent space in Bayside where he plans to launch a restaurant and Japanese-style convenience store The new businesses are a family project that are being worked on by Miyake along with his son Reo Miyake and Reo’s partner Helen Carter We are especially excited about Aomori and Aomori Market + Kitchen because they will be family-run businesses These projects allow us to bring together our experiences from both Maine and Japan we hope to extend this family-focused model to our customers and employees Aomori Restaurant (instagram) will be located in the corner space next to Hanover Street and a 6-8 seat chefs counter and will have outdoor seating during the summer The concept is of a casual Japanese restaurant inspired by Maine and Japan’s Tohoku Region serving small plates inspired by classic izakaya dishes and Japanese home cooked meals Aomori Kitchen and Market (instagram) will be modeled after the conbini convenience stores in Japan—an all-day combination convenience store The market will stock Japanese specialty items as well as some basic everyday essentials or to enjoy at one of the markets 10 counter seats In the evening it will also serve as waiting area bar for customers before getting seated at the restaurant The 1,500 and 1,800 square foot space are located at 52 Hanover Street in the Armature building across  from Wilson County Barbecue, Bar Publica and Argenta Brewing. Work with Woodhull on the architecture and design for the restaurant and market are just wrapping up and the hope is to have both businesses open before the end of the year Aomori is a region in Japan that’s had a relationship with Maine since the Cheseborough from Bath, Maine crashed there in 1889. The Friends of Aomori have maintained a connection between Aomori Prefecture and Maine for more than 30 years it’s also the part of Japan where Masa Miyake is from The similarity in climate was part of why he opened his first restaurant in Portland and the new restaurant is named for his hometown Do you have some details you’d like to pass on about an upcoming business or development in the Portland food scene? Then please fill out our Contact Form Aomori — An annual presentation of Japanese traditions and culture was recently held at the U.S please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent About 400 people in 48 groups showed traditional performing arts or offered opportunities to experience Japanese traditions and culture deepening an exchange with about 3,000 U.S The 37th Japan Day was hosted by Misawa International Club a Misawa-based international exchange organization Aomori University’s ninja club and Aomori Prefectural Sanbongi High School’s naginata team staged demonstrations Chances also were offered to families and other visitors to try calligraphy kimono dressing or origami paper folding with the help of volunteers military personnel Seth Harris tried playing “Sakura Sakura” (Cherry blossom as he usually does not play musical instruments Harris said he found the koto produced beautiful sounds Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun I don’t think there are many places in the world where you can “hire” a snowboarding Olympic gold medallist for the day but that’s exactly what’s on offer at Aomori Spring in the far north of the main island of Honshu I visited Aomori Spring in February 2024 (see my full resort review here) and was offered the chance to spend a few days on the hill with Kaitlyn Farrington halfpipe gold medallist in Sochi 2014 and the first female rider to perform a backside 1080 she wasn’t available as a guide to the general public yet but the plan is to start offering her services for the 2024-25 season at ¥60,000 for half a day or ¥100,000 for a full day for up to 6 people (Which is competitively priced as many guided tours cost up to ¥250,000 or more for a group of 6) On the slopes in Aomori Spring with Olympic gold medallist Kaitlyn Farrington I’m reasonably confident it’s unique in Japan to have an English-speaking female snowboarder guide but it’s certainly unique to get to spend the day with an Olympian Kaitlyn was very friendly and patient with us She was happy to chat about her life on the tour and even let us pose with her gold medal It was like riding with a friend rather than a guide As there was plenty of fresh snow and not much competition for it we spent the first two days riding the in-bounds runs and the lift-accessed trees It was far more relaxed than the usual guiding experience One of the best perks of a guided tour at Aomori Spring is that you can take the gondola up at 8am which is only available to tour groups (it opens to the public at 8:30 am) untouched groomed runs on your way to making first tracks in the unpisted black runs Being the only group on the hill is a special feeling showing us the hidden power stashes and the areas to avoid I realised what a difference it makes riding with someone who knows a resort inside out – especially somewhere like Aomori Spring with a completely relaxed attitude towards people riding in the trees it can be nerve-racking finding new routes Kaitlyn completely took away the worry about where to go and what runs to take and that’s exactly what we did for three wonderful days it’s always had a bit of an underlying macho attitude There’s not much rest time for the slower riders and there’s always a rush to get as far as you can as fast as you can Some of the relaxed attitude here comes from the resort and the very low competition for fresh lines this has a lot to do with having a female guide but there was never any feeling of a need to hurry or pressure to keep up there are boarders who want to push it hard when with a guide riding with Kaitlyn at Aomori Spring is a different option that can meet these needs (of course you have the option to go big with Kaitlyn if that’s what you’re looking for) If you want to progress your off-piste riding Kaitlyn is just as happy hiking in the backcountry as she is messing around on the green runs A post shared by Kaitlyn Farrington (@kaitlynfarr) There are some steeper “At Your Own Risk Area” tree runs on the second peak served by the two-seater Diamond chairlift is steeper with wide gaps and clearings with some interesting features and ridges which you can either ride down into thicker forest or cut back onto Twister Course if you stay right of the gulley is shorter but nicely spaced and gives you a chance to show off to the people on the lift Run DG-2 is the narrow strip of trees flanked by two runs on the 2nd peak at Aomori Spring When I previously visited for a few days just after Japan reopened to international visitors post-Covid the resort was almost deserted and we spent nearly all our time here lapping the Diamond Lift I can see there’s so much more to explore in the trees all over the resort and above the lifts the sun came out with breathtaking views across the sea to Hokkaido We decided to hike up above the Diamond chair and access the sidecountry to skier’s right of tree run DG-2 Just a short 20-minute hike opened up fresh lines with wide-open trees that fed back into the gulley at the bottom of DG-2 but we got a great taste of the easy-access sidecountry here The face we took was very different from the in-bounds terrain with a consistently steep pitch all the way to the bottom Snow has started to roll down the hill and form small snowballs You might wonder why an ex-pro is guiding in Japan. Apart from the fact that she just loves snowboarding, Kaitlyn had to retire at 25 after a bad fall uncovered a congenital spine condition. She also guides in Argentina with SASS We broke for lunch each day at the excellent ramen restaurant at the bottom of the Quad 1 chairlift. One of the great things about spending a day with Kaitlyn is that she’s happy to chat over lunch about life as a pro snowboarder and tell stories about her travels, her injury, and life after retiring from professional competition. Unbelievably, she was preparing to go to the moon as first backup for the dearMoon project in 2023 There is a regular skier-led guiding program at Aomori Spring with local guide Kenji You can hike up through the snow monsters and above the tree line to the peak of Mt Iwaki This is a more serious undertaking and requires backcountry experience and the ability to hike for up to three hours This is a typical requirement for backcountry tours but it does tend to scare off those of us who want to go more off the beaten track but don’t have the required experience or fitness Voting is now open – your chance to support the resorts accommodation and service providers that have delivered the best experiences to their guests You’ll also have the chance to win a $150 eGift voucher from backcountry.com VOTE NOW Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Ski Asia’s bi-monthly newsletter with the latest news Two commercial flights were canceled Tuesday evening after a U.S Air Force strategic bomber blocked a shared runway in northeastern Japan Trouble with a B-1B Lancer at Misawa Air Base in Aomori prefecture prompted the runway closure from about 6 p.m The Air Force shares the runway with commercial flights at Misawa Airport and military flights by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force Footage posted Wednesday by RAB Aomori Broadcasting shows a stationary Lancer on what appears to be Misawa’s runway with emergency vehicles with flashing lights parked nearby A spokesman for the Tohoku Defense Bureau — an arm of Japan’s Ministry of Defense — confirmed by phone Wednesday that a U.S military aircraft was involved in the runway closure and that two commercial flights were affected The bureau is seeking further details from the Air Force Japan Airlines confirmed that a flight from Haneda Airport in Tokyo was unable to land at Misawa Airport and returned to Haneda That aircraft’s scheduled return to Haneda was also canceled A Japan Air Self-Defense spokesman referred all questions about the incident to the Air Force Stars and Stripes has reached out to Misawa’s 35th Fighter Wing for comment and more information B-52 Stratofortress bombers and B-2 Spirit stealth bombers to the Indo-Pacific Such task force missions began in January 2018 and have continued regularly since 2020 The Air Force has not disclosed the number of bombers or airmen deployed to Misawa It’s customary in Japan that some government and company officials speak to media without identifying themselves Share your travel photos with us by hashtagging your images with #visitjapanjp there are several airports in cities including Aomori A recommended trip will be flying from Tokyo to Aomori to explore Aomori and Akita prefectures then returning to Tokyo from Akita or Odate-Noshiro (in northern Akita) Check out the curated itinerary below to find out more The flight from Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) to Aomori Airport (AOJ) takes just over an hour while one from Osaka Itami Airport (ITM) to Aomori Airport is approximately 1.5 hours Start your journey by renting a car at Aomori Airport, then set off to discover amazing Aomori City About Rental Cars in Japan About Miso-Curry-Milk Ramen Experience one of Japan's most famous festivals, the Nebuta Festival here at this museum any time of the year and you can try your hand at taiko drumming About Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse check out a wide variety of gourmet foods and traditional crafts made in Aomori Don't forget to savour “AOMORI CIDRE" which is brewed locally and has won a gold medal at an international sake competition About A-Factory the Aomori Museum of Art has actively hosted exhibitions concerts and workshops featuring Aomori-native artists and performers About Aomori Museum of Art The prefecture is famous for its delicious apples so you should enjoy Aomori's apples at the only roadside station in Japan featuring a scenic apple orchard Visitors can delight your palates in the Apple Blossom Festival in spring and partake in apple picking during autumn About Roadside Station Namioka Apple Hill Located just a 30-minute drive from Aomori City Asamushi Onsen offers peaceful hot springs and beautiful ocean views This charming town is perfect for a relaxing escape where you can soak in traditional baths and enjoy the surroundings About Asamushi Onsen Following a scenic 45-minute drive from Asamushi Onsen, indulge in the expansive vistas of Towada-Hachimantai National Park while ascending the Hakkoda Mountains with ease aboard a cable car About Hakkoda Ropeway Indulge in Bara-yaki, a beloved local beef BBQ dish renowned in the eastern region of Aomori prefecture About Towada Barayaki Originating from Lake Towada that borders both Aomori and Akita prefectures the Oirase Stream meanders through the picturesque Oirase Gorge immersing yourself in the intricate beauty of your surroundings About Oirase Gorge Unwind at a traditional Japanese ryokan nestled near the entrance of Oirase Gorge The hot spring here has been well-loved for centuries and makes this inn a hidden treasure of Aomori About Tsuta Onsen Situated in the lush forests by the picturesque Lake Towada Towada Shrine offers a tranquil retreat where ancient traditions and stunning natural landscapes blend seamlessly immerse yourself in a unique spiritual experience amid breathtaking scenery this sacred site offers Savour the refined taste of Himemasu (Red Salmon) for lunch this local delicacy holds the distinction of being recognised with a regional collective trademark flavourful flesh that reflects the purity of Lake Towada’s pristine waters A must-try for all and even the discerning visitors to the region As you journey from Aomori to Akita stop at the Hakka Toge View Point to take in panoramic views of stunning landscapes this viewpoint offers a perfect escape with its picturesque scenery Experience the splendour of nature while creating lasting memories Embark on a fun and scenic adventure with the Odate-Kosaka Rail bike You can pedal along a charming old railway track through the beautiful Japanese countryside while enjoying stunning views of lush landscapes and seasonal colours a delightful museum and park dedicated to the iconic Akita Dog breed This attraction offers interactive exhibits and insights into the breed's history and culture Enjoy a heartwarming experience and learn about these loyal and majestic dogs in a beautiful Treat yourself to Kiritanpo Nabe, a beloved dish from Akita where grilled rice sticks are simmered in a hearty hot pot Inspired by the region's plentiful rice harvests and the locals' adaptability towards chilly winters this dish beautifully showcases Akita's agricultural roots and culinary creativity offering a taste of cherished local tradition Discover the artistry of Odate-Magewappa at this charming workshop, where master artisans create exquisite bentwood boxes and utensils by hand. Witness the meticulous process up close and even try your hand at crafting your very own Magewappa piece. Uncover the beauty of woodworking and take home a unique, handmade treasure from Odate Immerse yourself in the cultural heart of Akita at Odaiko no Yakata Japan's only and largest Odaiko drum museum This vibrant museum showcases Akita's rich history and traditions Experience the essence of Akita through captivating storytelling and hands-on activities all centred around the craftsmanship of the world's finest Odaiko drum Be sure to grab some local souvenirs like a Magewappa Bento Box or Iburi Gakko (Akita's famous smoked daikon radish pickles) before you board If you have an extra day to explore more of Akita Prefecture experience the unique hospitality of Noshiro City through its variety of hotels each offering a blend of comforts and local charm many set against the beautiful backdrop of Akita’s landscapes Journey just an hour from Noshiro City to the Namahage Museum where you'll dive into the vibrant history and culture of the Oga Peninsula's iconic Namahage ritual Witness the intriguing tradition where masked figures call out "Are there any crying children?"—and even try on a real Namahage costume yourself for a truly memorable experience Browse the JNTO site in one of multiple languages Charie and Mary Dickson of Rehoboth Beach experienced the vibrant Aomori Nebuta Festival The festival showcases enormous lantern floats made from intricately painted washi paper stretched over wire frames and illuminated from within Some floats reach heights of up to 72 feet and are manually pushed down the parade route by as many as 100 people Musicians playing drums and flutes accompany the floats Show fellow Cape Gazette readers just how wide a territory their newspaper covers! Carry your Cape Gazette on your travels. Email jamie@capegazette.com a photo and description - don’t forget names Record snowfall in January has severely damaged apple orchards in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Aomori the country's largest apple-producing region with authorities fearing losses could exceed 10 billion yen ($65 million) Among many areas that saw above-average snowfall in January the city of Hirosaki reported a record 126-centimeter accumulation according to a local meteorological observatory The weight of snow has badly damaged apple trees grown in the city and 10 other municipalities raising concerns about the impact on this year's autumn harvest in the prefecture which produces about 60 percent of Japan's apples who cultivates around 150 trees at his 4,000-square-meter orchard and the trunks of some trees as old as 50 to 60 years even snapped Kudo has been working to reduce damage by spreading snow-melting agents and reinforcing branches but uncleared farm roads have left three of his five orchards inaccessible "I won't know the full extent of the damage until the snow melts but I estimate that about a quarter of my trees have been affected," he said the Aomori prefectural government has allocated a supplementary budget to fund aerial distribution of snow-melting agents using unmanned helicopters Officials said an assessment of the full damage will be conducted after the weather warms but warned that further snowfall in February could worsen the situation Guests at Fukushima hot-spring resort stranded by avalanche To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible The order was secured in the fourth quarter of 2024 and the projects are expected to reach commercial operations in 2028 They will enable both companies to support Japan’s goal of increasing the share of the national electricity mix from renewable energy from 36 percent to 38 percent by 2030 Trade and Industry’s 6th National Electricity Mix The announcement represents the fourth time that GE Vernova has announced an order or milestone in Japan since the beginning of 2024 and will bring the total amount of energy being supplied in the country by GE Vernova wind turbines to 1.8 GW “We appreciate the trust that Eurus has shown in our GE Vernova technology” said Gilan Sabatier “We are pleased to be able to support them on this project and look forward to continuing to enhance our relationship with them as they work to bring online more renewable energy both in Japan and globally.” GE Vernova's Onshore wind business currently has a total installed base of more than 56,000 turbines and nearly 120 GW of installed capacity worldwide GE Vernova are said to be one of the rarest phenomena in the world There is a very popular snowshoe tour that allows you to see this spectacular winter view in Hakkoda The ropeway provides easy access to the ice field and back you can see the frost-covered trees from above change into snowshoes and explore the ice field Enjoy a 360° panoramic view of these "snow monsters" standing in a row it couldn't be easier to explore the snowy mountains For more information, check out Tohoku Tourism's official webpage many find themselves longing for summer .. nine o’clock sunsets and hours by the pool (or beach) ice and below freezing temperatures is not something a lot of people look forward to I wait for it like a child waits for Christmas or summer vacation – impatiently and excitedly I watch the forecast and snow reports incessantly eagerly anticipating the start of ski/snowboarding season I wouldn’t call myself an expert (or even good) by any stretch of the imagination But I can’t wait for the mountains to finally have enough snow on them for me to clumsily tumble down the slopes on my snowboard Snowboarding is one of my most favorite activities It’s relaxing and exhilarating and freeing all at the same time I relish feeling the wind on my face as I glide down the mountain And I always feel ecstatic when I learn to do something that I couldn’t do before it’s unlikely that I’ll turn down the chance to board there are some locations that are just incredible One of my favorite places to snowboard is in Ajigasawa The Aomori Spring Ski Resort isn’t super big but it’s also not overly crowded (which I love) About half of the trails are for beginners (perfect for kids and a novice like me) 30 percent are for intermediate skiers and snowboarders and 20 percent are for the experts The quality of the snow at this resort is excellent (lots of powder) and spending a few days on the slopes at this resort was heaven and while not extremely steep (the max slope was only 18 degrees) or difficult (it’s a beginner run) More advanced skiers and boarders may not enjoy this resort as much as I did But there is plenty terrain to go off-piste and the resort also has a big half-pipe for the more adventurous types I also really enjoyed Aomori Spring because it offers night-skiing and boarding This was the first resort I ever boarded at night at I half-expected the snow to be harder or icier only two of the lifts are open for night skiing and none of the advanced trails are accessible after 5 p.m The amazing cabin cul-de-sac we stayed when I visited this resort you can stay at the very nice and very elegant Rockwell Hotel Western-style rooms with views of the slopes and the hotel is situated at the foot of two of the main lifts But we wanted something a little more private and spacious so we opted to stay in the little cabin village just a few minutes down the mountain (think fancy camping) The little wooden cottage was fully furnished and featured a kitchen It’s a wonderful place to start and end your day Access to the lifts from the cabins is easy and you’re close enough to the hotel to take advantage of its amenities you’re just far enough away to feel secluded and really appreciate nature It’s what made this getaway feel that much more relaxing and adventuresome and marvelous accommodations really made this trip one of the best I’ve ever taken Sign up for our weekly newsletter of articles from Japan At the very tip of Japan’s main island of Honshu Aomori is just about as off the beaten path as it gets when it comes to checking out Japan’s hidden gems Aomori is known for its scrumptious apples in the fall and its vibrant Nebuta festival in the summer But what awaits visitors traveling to Aomori in the spring Why Should I See the Cherry Blossoms in Aomori take a chance on adventure and set out to see the sites of a region dismissed by the masses Despite being easily accessible from Tokyo and having gorgeous sights Aomori Prefecture is much less visited by foreign tourists than Kyoto Aomori has everything from delicious foods making it the perfect travel destination during the spring sakura rush For a more immersive cherry blossom experience resulting in a later bloom date for Aomori compared to Kyoto or Tokyo Cherry blossoms in Aomori are predicted to begin blooming around April 21 in 2025 The cherry blossom season typically lasts about two weeks blossoms may still be in bloom into late April or even early May offering a chance to catch them if you miss the peak The Best Places to see Cherry Blossoms in Aomori Aomori is often associated with being cold pink comes to play and gorgeous blossoms peek out from their buds as if to say “spring has sprung!” Aomori has an incredibly diverse array of places to see the cherry blossoms Why not give the Aomori a chance and see the cherry blossoms up north for a change While it is true that comparatively few people will travel all the way to Aomori to do their annual “hanami” (flower watching) the one exception is Hirosaki Park in Hirosaki City famous for its annual cherry blossom festival The Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival brings in over 2,000,000 visitors every year during the duration of the festival held between April and May one of the twelve remaining original castles in Japan and boasts 2,600 cherry blossom trees of over 50 varieties and taking pictures of the famous “Hirosaki Sakura Heart” that end up colonizing social media pages for weeks to come If you do plan on visiting Hirosaki during this time it is highly recommended to book accommodation far in advance as it will book out Nearest Station: Chuohirosaki Station (Konan Tetsudo-owani Line) has been selected as one of the 100 Best Roads in Japan and as one of the 100 Most Beautiful Japanese Historical Landscapes and is garnished with 165 pine trees and 156 cherry blossom trees While one would expect to visit the street during the peak bloom it’s worth holding out a day or two until the cherry blossoms are just starting to drop creating a truly unique effect not seen elsewhere Kanchogai-dori Street (Koma Kaido Road) 官庁街通り (駒街道) a 20-kilometer stretch of approximately 6,500 Oyamazakura cherry trees flourish earning the title of the “World’s longest Cherry Blossom Tree Row.” Planted over the course of a decade beginning in 1985 a walking path from the Komoriyama-iriguchi bus stop to Dake Hot Spring Village provides scenic views with a free hot spring footbath available at Iwaki Sanpokan near the path Adjacent to the Komoriyama-iriguchi bus stop is Sakurabayashi Park home to around 1,000 Somei Yoshino cherry trees that create a stunning sakura tunnel when in full bloom it is not uncommon to be able to enjoy both views of snow with the sakura contrasting the transformation from winter to spring famously known as a childhood playground for the celebrated Japanese novelist Osamu Dazai is one of Japan’s Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots the park boasts around 1,500 cherry trees that bloom in spectacular fashion each spring Renowned as one of the finest cherry blossom viewing locations on the Tsugaru Peninsula the iconic feature of Ashino Park is the local train that passes through a tunnel of cherry blossoms When the cherry blossoms are in full bloom the sight of the train traveling through this floral tunnel is a picture-perfect moment that is hard to forget the park offers a children’s zoo and a campsite making it a beloved retreat for local residents and visitors alike Hachinohe Park commands 37 hectares of Hachinohe City and is so large that it is divided into nine distinct zones The botanical garden and greenery zone showcase a variety of plant species while the amusement zone features a small theme park complete with a mini-roller coaster and Ferris wheel The park is also a premier destination for cherry blossom viewing with around 2,000 cherry trees creating a breathtaking display each spring the park comes alive as crowds gather to relax and enjoy the sight of pink blossoms drifting through the air Gappo Park is home to the 670 cherry blossom trees with some unique varieties such as somei yoshino The white sand beach gives access to the Mutsu Bay and the annual spring festival is a highlight for many making it a great place to explore and spend the day The park itself is centered around a 400 year old black pine tree and it was originally part of the Oshu Kaido the historic road that connected northern Japan with the capital of Edo Saruka Park in Hirakawa City is known for one thing in particular With 330 cherry blossom trees lining the two ponds Saruka Park puts on a splendid display of cherry blossoms each year You can enjoy both pedal boats and row boats on Miharugaike Pond and after you’ve strolled through the park the town holds mystery solving activities (in Japanese only) where participants must solve a series of five puzzles that take them all over the park with the promise of a prize was originally built in 1334 by the Nanbu clan It served as the clan’s main stronghold during the Nanbu clan’s control over the region Unlike traditional Japanese castles with stone walls and large keeps Nejo Castle was a flatland fortification made primarily of wood and earthworks reflecting its role as a regional administrative center rather than a military fortress Nejo Castle is recognized as one of Japan’s 100 famous castles and features reconstructed buildings within a historical park which is home to 155 sakura trees that typically bloom in mid-April It’s a great spot to visit if you’re looking for a peaceful escape with fewer tourists offering a touch of everyday charm with a sprinkle of magic Atago Park is the residence of over 700 Somei Yoshino cherry blossom trees encouraging people to come from all over to see the park during the peak bloom season One majestic tree in particular is of the Edohigan variant and is believed to be over 300 years old standing 18 meters tall with a trunk circumference of about 5.3 meters is celebrated as the northernmost sakura on Honshu and is recognized as a city-designated Natural Monument the park comes alive with a road relay race and enchanting night illuminations by garden lanterns a name so long that by the time you say it the well-preserved grounds of the park are hemmed with cherry blossoms enhancing the historic charm of the ruins of Sanohe Castle the castle was allowed to fall into ruin in 1634 but then restored partially in 1967 in order to serve as a local history museum as well as offer the public a green space to dote on the history of their great city The Park has over 1,600 cherry blossom trees and deer can often find their way into the park blending nature and history Aomori Prefecture is located in the northern Tohoku region of Japan and is easily accessible from many major cities By air: There are two main airports in Aomori: Aomori Airport and Misawa Airport and Kobe fly to Aomori regularly on the domestic route Unlock discounted publishing that highlights your organization and the peer-reviewed research and clinical experiences it produces Find out how channels are organized and operated including details on the roles and responsibilities of channel editors Offering a variety of advertising and sponsorship options for reaching influential specialists from targeted demographic splits efficient publishing and peer reviewing experience without sacrificing publication times Generate broad awareness and deliver relevant peer-reviewed clinical experiences directly to potential customers Dedicated Cranial Radiosurgery: Clinical Experience with New & Innovative SRS Technologies Real-Time Adaptive Motion Management on Helical and Robotic RT Platforms Please note that by doing so you agree to be added to our monthly email newsletter distribution list Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report AOMORI—Heavy snow has blanketed the northernmost prefecture on the main island of Honshu disrupting public transportation and leading to the deaths of two men Aomori Governor Soichiro Miyashita has described the snowfall since the end of last year as a “disaster.” the accumulated snow was more than three times as deep as in the average year at many locations the depth of snow was 111 centimeters in the central part of Aomori and 374 cm in the city’s mountainous Sukayu district according to the Japan Meteorological Agency died and 12 others were injured while removing snow from rooftops and other places between late December and early January Snow continued to affect train operations on Jan the first business day of the year at many local governments and companies The JR Tsugaru Line was closed between Aomori and Kanita stations on Jan while services were partially suspended on the JR Ou Line the JR Ominato Line and the Aoimori Railway Line Twenty-seven flights have also recently been scrapped due to snow Hirosaki city closed off a large part of Hirosaki Park after snow brought down pine and cherry trees City officials warned that more trees could fall Miyashita called on residents to prepare for more snow in the coming weeks “Snow falls most from the end of January to the middle and latter parts of February,” he said “We want people to take substantive safety measures.” the amount of snowfall has recently increased due to the formation of local snow clouds The daily high fell to minus 1.9 degrees on Jan a cold air mass of minus 6 degrees is expected to cover the Japanese archipelago at an altitude of 1,500 meters until around Jan It could bring heavy snow not only to the Sea of Japan side of the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions but also to the Shikoku and Kyushu regions in western Japan snow could fall where it normally does not,” an agency official said (This article was compiled from reports by Ryoji Koko and Shoko Rikimaru.) Heavy snow to hit eastern and western Japan through Dec Deadly risks lie beneath beauty of backcountry skiing areas Snow disrupts transportation; more forecast for Kanto-Koshin Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version A trip to Aomori prefecture is not all about sightseeing with the region home to many local dishes well-known across Japan – and we're not just talking apples Seafood dominates Aomori's regional cuisine Read on to find out about Aomori's food visitors will have the chance to try Nokke-don at Furukawa Fish Market After buying your tickets and getting your rice get your preferred toppings and craft the perfect seafood rice bowl as you see fit Try the traditional Tsugaru cuisine of Matagi-meshi (lit originally using wild mountain vegetables and game meats (bear It is considered the earliest example of the kamameshi style of cooking – in a small pot you can try their own Matagi-meshi comprising chicken Try sea urchin and abalone simmered in dashi Iga-menchi refers to minced squid fishcake a local izakaya favourite in the Hirosaki region of Aomori Curry milk ramen has a popular following thanks to a local Aomori City shop — it's derived from the Hokkaido style over the water It's hardly an Aomori classic but sneaks into this list for being something a little different Today's print edition Home Delivery marking the first consolidation of two regional banks within the same prefecture in the Tohoku region integrated their operations in April 2022 by setting up Procrea Holdings as their parent company.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); "We take pride in representing Aomori's economy as synonymous with Aomori Michinoku Bank," Susumu Narita In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division Aomori police have arrested the former head of a hospital in Hachinohe and his brother who was a doctor at the hospital for allegedly concealing a case of a patient at their hospital killing another patient They are accused of issuing a false death certificate that said the patient had died of illness the former head of the Michinoku Kinen Hospital on Friday and raided the hospital and other locations the same day who was murdered by another patient at the hospital in March 2023.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); Investigative sources said Saturday that the brothers have denied the allegations The two were sent to prosecutors the same day AOMORI — An event celebrating the blossoming of cherry trees is being held at Gappo Park in Aomori Prefecture through April 29 There are about 630 Someiyoshino and other varieties of cherry trees in the park While many of the cherry blossoms there are still in bud the flowers are expected to reach their peak around Wednesday allowing visitors to enjoy viewing the flowers at night AOMORI—To address environmental concerns over renewable energy projects Aomori Prefecture is introducing zoning regulations and taxation for large-scale wind and solar farms Prefectural officials released draft ordinances on Dec targeting onshore wind farms with an output exceeding 500 kilowatts and solar plants whose output surpasses 2 megawatts The move comes as the national government pushes for maximum use of renewable energy sources It reflects Aomori's frustration with businesses generating renewable energy for large cities often at the cost of the local environment and landscape the country’s second-largest wind power producer will be the first prefecture to establish local regulations of this kind The initiative divides the prefecture into three zones: A In the environmental conservation areas of zones A and B Violations will result in a fine of up to 50,000 yen ($318) operators will be charged 410 yen for solar power and 1,990 yen for wind power for every kilowatt generated The vast majority of the prefecture’s land belongs to zones A and B businesses can still operate energy plants in zone B without taxes if the governor approves confirming that a project will not negatively impact the environment or the local community operators are allowed to conduct business with a tax of 110 yen per kilowatt for solar plants and 300 yen per kilowatt for wind farms the tax will be declared exempt in zone C if the governor determines the project is in harmony with the environment and the host community Officials will propose the ordinances to the prefectural assembly in February they will be implemented in the next fiscal year New taxes will require the authorization of the internal affairs minister before they can take effect Similar taxation was introduced in Miyagi Prefecture earlier this year (This article was written by Yusuke Noda and Ryoji Koko.) Offshore wind power next big thing in Japan’s green push nuclear projected to be cheapest energy sources in 2040 Wind farm plan in Hokkaido called threat to endangered fish Japan to ease regulations to boost renewable energy output EDITORIAL: Reliance on nuclear power is the last thing Japan needs Operator plans November start of large wind farms off Akita Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Tokyo SaitamaPhoto: Chichibu Yomatsuri10 most spectacular traditional festivals you must see in Japan in 2025Japan is home to amazing cultural events – so plan your trip around these Japanese celebrations in Tokyo Japan has a host of awe-inspiring traditional festivals every year some of which have been celebrated for centuries offering visitors a glimpse of Japanese culture that you won’t find at your average museum What makes traditional festivals in Japan particularly special is the fact that many of them are perfectly preserved customs that have been passed down through generations It also helps that many Japanese people are still actively involved in these festivals – they're still deeply important community gatherings If you’re wondering which events are the best ones to catch we’ve rounded up Japan's most spectacular annual festivals From the snowy showcase at Hokkaido to summer’s bon odori dancing these are the celebrations you should definitely check out while you’re in the country RECOMMENDED: The most beautiful places in Japan Photo: Kouniceshot/PixtaWhat is it?The Hakata Dontaku Matsuri in Fukuoka is Japan’s largest festival over the Golden Week holidays in May A staggering 30,000 people are involved in the festivities which culminate in two massive parades known as the Hakata Matsubayashi that travel through the streets of Fukuoka.Celebrated for over 800 years the two-day festival sees locals from Fukuoka and the Kyushu area perform dances along the city streets Participants are usually dressed in bright that are covered with fresh flowers and driven through the procession There’s no better time to show off your smooth moves as the final evening encourages everyone to participate in the dancing to bring the festival to a close Why go?This festival is worth the trip to Fukuoka: besides the big parades there are live performances on stages all over the city as well as the mouthwatering food and drink stalls Do also check out the fringe events near Hakata Port.  When is it?The festival takes place on May 3 and 4 every year over the Golden Week holidays 画像提供：神田明神What is it?The Kanda Matsuri is one of Tokyo’s three major festivals and takes place around Tokyo’s Kanda Shrine the festival is considered one of Japan’s top three along with the Kyoto Gion Festival and Osaka’s Tenjin Matsuri with the highlight being the full-day parade through the central Tokyo districts of Kanda accompanied by mikoshi (portable shrines) from these neighbourhoods The Kanda Matsuri originated in the Edo period (1603-1868) as a demonstration of Edo’s (present day Tokyo) prosperity when the first Tokugawa shogun settled there.  Why go?The festival is considered a celebration of good fortune and prosperity and is one of the largest processions in Tokyo it’s a rare sight to see as the festival happens only on odd-numbered years.  When is it?The spring festival takes place in mid-May on odd numbered years and runs for six days with the main festivities concentrating on the Saturday and Sunday of the decided week The next festival is slated for May 8 to 15 2025 Photo: Kobby Dagan/DreamstimeWhat is it?The Kyoto Gion Matsuri is the annual festival of Yasaka Shrine with a history going back about 1,100 years It's considered one of the top three festivals in Japan along with Tokyo’s Kanda Matsuri and Osaka’s Tenjin Matsuri The festivities span over the entire month of July but the highlight is the procession of 33 large floats known as yamahoko which are pushed down the streets of Kyoto Nearly all of the floats – or 29 to be exact – are designated Important Tangible Cultural Properties There’s a large main procession followed by a smaller one on a later date.  Why go?As the festival spans an entire month there’s something for everyone to see as long as you're in Kyoto sometime in July There are a number of fringe events leading up to the main procession: watch locals assemble the ornate floats see beautifully decorated folding screen displays in Kyoto’s traditional machi-ya townhouses When is it?The festival takes place throughout the month of July with the grand procession of floats scheduled for July 17 There is also a second smaller procession on July 24 Photo: Osaka Convention & Tourism BureauWhat is it?Undoubtedly one of Osaka’s most famous festivals, Tenjin Matsuri is also one of Japan’s three big traditional celebrations along with Kyoto’s Gion Matsuri and Tokyo’s Kanda Matsuri The Tenjin Matsuri is tied to Osaka’s Tenmangu Shrine and honours the shrine’s deity Sugawara no Michizane The first day of the festival sees rituals performed on the shrine grounds while the second day comprises two processions – one on land and one on water The former has people parading through the streets in colourful costumes Two mikoshi (portable shrines) are also brought through the streets to the Okawa River the shrines are loaded onto boats and the procession moves onto the water with special performance boats floating down the river and a fireworks display.  Why go?The procession along Okawa River makes this festival unique –  you can watch from the riverside as boats carrying noh (classical Japanese theatre) and bunraku (puppetry) performers sail past The river is also lined with food and drink stalls.  When is it?The festival is scheduled for July 24 and 25 every year The main festivities happen on the second day Photo: Kyonntra/iStockWhat is it?The summer Aomori Nebuta Festival is a Japanese fire festival that sees around 20 massive lantern floats (known as nebuta) paraded down the streets of Aomori in northern Honshu inspired by traditional kabuki or mythical Japanese stories The festival also features nebuta dancers accompanying the parade along with performers playing instruments such as flutes and drums A staggering number of guests head on up to Aomori for this annual celebration when the city hosts approximately 2.5 million people over the duration of the festivities Why go?One of the most popular festivals in the country Aomori Nebuta Festivalwas designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan in 1980 Don’t miss the final day of the festival when the nebuta floats are placed on boats in Aomori Bay and sailed around under a stunning fireworks display When is it?The festival takes place between August 2 and 7 every year with parades of the floats scheduled for every evening except the night of August 7 – that’s when the floats are on boats in the bay Photo: fb.com/sendaitanabatamatsuriWhat is it?A common celebration around Japan, Tanabata is also known as the ‘star festival’. This Sendai edition is one of the largest Tanabata festivals in the country and it happens annually at the beginning of August The festivities take place in downtown Sendai with the highlight being the colourful streamers that can reach up to 5m in length strung through the city’s main shopping arcade These cheerful decorations are crafted by local shops Why go?Other than seeing the beautiful streamers and a fireworks display to kick off the festival on the evening of August 5 When is it?The festival was traditionally celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month of the year by way of the lunar calendar When Japan pivoted to the solar calendar the festival moved to August and is now held annually on August 6-8 with the festivities kicking off on the evening of August 5 Photo: fb.com/tokushimacityawaodoriWhat is it?This annual celebration takes place in Tokushima and is one of the most famous summer dance festivals in Japan thousands of visitors flock to Tokushima to watch people perform what’s known as the ‘fool’s dance’ with a history dating back more than 400 years There are multiple celebrations throughout the day but the main event happens in the evening when groups dance their way through the streets of downtown Tokushima Dancers are accompanied by traditional musical instruments that set the beat Women generally wear colourful yukata (summer kimono) while the men dress up in happi (lightweight coats with straight-sleeves).  the festival sees a number of stages set up for professional dance group performances. Other big draws are the festive food stalls and games You might even be able to join a dance or two to show off your own moves – so don’t be shy!  When is it?The Awa Odori is held during obon season (when spirits of the deceased are thought to visit the realm of the living) in mid-August Photo: fb.com/karatsu.kankouWhat is it?The Karatsu Kunchi Festival takes place in the city of Karatsu in Saga prefecture This autumn event celebrates a bountiful harvest season and sees large hikiyama floats parading down the streets from Karatsu Shrine all the way to Nishino Beach This is definitely one of the more photogenic festivals – the detailed floats can take up to three years to make and are even embellished with gold and silver The first evening of the festival sees the large hikiyama strung with lanterns and paraded down the brightly lit streets.  Why go?The floats used in this festival are unlike any others you’ll see around Japan Some are 7m tall and come in impressive shapes such as lions When is it?The festival takes place from November 2 to 4 If you can’t make it to the festival Karatsu is still worth a visit: the iconic floats are displayed at an exhibition hall the rest of the year Photo: Chichibu YomatsuriWhat is it?The Chichibu Yomatsuri, otherwise known as the Chichibu Night Festival, is an annual celebration that takes place out at Saitama’s Chichibu Shrine and has been celebrated for over 300 years It's a Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage and the highlight here is the massive floats with their stunningly ornate designs The evening procession sees four large floats move down the streets accompanied by smaller floats known as kasaboko and lively music courtesy of flutes and taiko drums The areas around the procession can get really crowded but there’s still plenty to see as the final day of the festival boasts an amazing fireworks display and lots of food and drink stalls.  Why go?Chichibu Shrine is roughly 90 minutes from central Tokyo so it’s an easily accessible festival if you’re already visiting the capital there’s a large fireworks display which is rare in winter – fireworks are usually a summer thing in Japan When is it?The festival takes place every year on December 2 and 3 with most of the main festivities happening on the second day including the large procession of floats and the fireworks show Why go?While the festival is worth a visit both day and night, the evening sees the snow and ice sculptures lit up until 10pm (11pm in the Sukino area). The festival also has tons of family-friendly activities for kids.  When is it?Sapporo Snow Festival takes place for one week every February at Odori Park, as well as the entertainment district of Sukino. The 2025 festival took place from February 4 to 11. Photo: Byodoin/Sean PavoneFrom Okinawa to Kyoto and Mt Fuji, these nature and historical attractions are essential stops on any trip through Japan Photo: Sean Pavone/DreamstimeTravel off the beaten track to these storybook villages Edo-era towns with geisha (not Kyoto!) and seaside retreats Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! facebooktwitterpinterestinstagramAbout us In a celebration dating back to the 8th century Aomori’s Nebuta festival displays huge lanterns structured and painted to depict history and myth Motifs inspired by ancient folklore and historical tales transport spectators into a world of myth and legend. Locals get to appreciate the work they put in the previous months, when the whole community came together to paint and waterproof the washi paper covering the floats festival goers donning colorful costumes jump and shout “Rassera!" The procession spans approximately six miles with judges scrutinizing each float's artistry and craftsmanship An offshoot of the Tanabata festival which dates back to the 8th century the festival draws millions of spectators and participants across three dozen cities every year Its purpose is to chase away bad spirits that cause drowsiness during the busy farming season accompany the floats during the festival.Photograph by Kazuki Wakasugi Yomiuri Shimbun/AP ImagesWhile the Nebuta Festival in Aomori City is the most popular those of Goshogawara and Hirosaki have their own flair in Hirosaki where the festival is said to have originated in 1722 with locals coming together to paint the simple shell-shaped floats artisans in charge of designing and constructing the floats (Look Inside Spain’s Unusual Baby Jumping Festival) Though many aspire to become Nebuta artisans, the job offers little pay and rest, resulting in high dropout rates. The Nebuta Festival, while holding on to tradition, is learning how to adapt to the times.  On a cold February afternoon in snow-frosted Aomori City, the two Nebuta artisans are hard at work. Before the presentation in August, the masters need to research into the designs, which are almost always historically-informed, make 2D drafts full of color, and transform them directly into full-size 3D structures with wires and wooden planks before placing the lightbulbs, sticking on the washi paper, and painting over the white canvas. Takenami is especially excited this year about the float he is making for Japan Railway, themed around young people traveling and rediscovering a post pandemic world. Kitamura remains tight-lipped about this year’s float.  Kitamura and Takenami are the last two active Nebuta Masters. To reach this honor, an artisan must train and complete multiple major floats: a multi-decade-long process that doesn’t guarantee the title. Only seven have been chosen as Masters since the first in 1959. Although the festival happens only once a year, it is no part-time job and offers only a few weeks of rest. Four massive floats show off their intricate structure, bright colors, and painted details crafted by Nebuta masters.Photograph by Kentaro Tominaga, The Yomiuri Shimbun/ AP ImagesThis has built differing schools of thought between the two on how future generations should be brought up: whether it’s the responsibility of the artist to dedicate their life, or the responsibility of the region to make the craft livable. Kitamura grew up making miniature Nebuta floats with his two brothers at home. By fourth grade, he had found his calling. He made his first float at 18, remembering the joy of the process and satisfaction when the result was “heaven-like.” For thirty years, he took on other work in the winter off-season to stay afloat. He recalls living with six other men in a small apartment in Yokohama, where he worked as a plasterer in winter.  Now, his disciples work six days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. When asked how they make an income, he shrugs, “I have no idea. You must dedicate it all, in order to thrive.”  Takenami fell in love with the colors of the floats and begged his mother to take him to the festival every year as a child. He worked as a full-time pharmacist while working on Nebuta on nights and weekends until he was 35.  Takenami has his disciples—most have full-time jobs—work a similar schedule. For future generations, Takenami believes the city should have a budget for artists wanting to move to Aomori to learn. Disciples often find the financial barrier too difficult.  “You plant the seed and the bud emerges, but it withers before the flower can bloom.” Nebuta and its artisans have had to adapt to attract new generations of talent and interest. The Nebuta craft only welcomed its first female artisan, Asako Kitamura, 41, in the past decade. “Girls were just not included,” says Kitamura, who grew up watching her father, Takashi, work on Nebuta. “I was told not to come into the work space.” Kitamura won a prestigious award after directing her first float in 2012 depicting the Battle of Zhuolu to those affected by the triple disaster in Fukushima a year earlier. Everyone asked her if her father had made it, she remembers.  Since then, much has changed. Her father sees her as a rival and acknowledges her as an equal in the field. Two out of sixteen Nebuta artisans in Aomori are currently women. Although she hasn’t taken on any apprentices yet and feels it is important to “raise successors whether they be men or women.” “There are some things that you won’t know unless you have a female teacher,” she says, recalling how she continued making floats while pregnant with her two children, with even tougher sleepless nights after their births. “Male artisans simply can’t understand that struggle.” There has also been more awareness put on the environmental impact of Nebuta in past years. Approximately 23 kilowatts, or two times the daily electricity usage of a household, is used for one float every night of the festival. In the past ten years, LED lights, which use less energy, have become common and during last year’s festival, a handful of floats implemented solar-power panels. There is ample effort being put into keeping the art form fresh. The Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse holds an annual competition for students to draw pictures they want made into floats—then sponsors a few to be made by artisans. In high schools, you might find Nebuta clubs, and more floats are depicting anime and other pop culture. Takenami hopes Nebuta will one day  become recognized globally as its own “genre of art.” Originating over a thousand years ago, the Nebuta Matsuri is a traditional summer festival held in several cities in Aomori Prefecture, most notably in Aomori City Nebuta has since developed into a parade involving huge papier-mâché floats that mainly portray kabuki actors the Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse exhibits such floats used in the most recent festival celebrating this unique cultural event and archiving its history The name was chosen as the winner of a public naming competition; rasse is based on rasse-ra the typical heave-ho shout cried out by the float-haulers while wa has several meanings in Japanese including "harmony" and "circle." Together the name is also meant to evoke the word warai the museum is only a short walk from the city’s central station The building that houses the museum is an eye-catching sight with red vertical louvers covering its exterior and giving its entrance a look like that of a steel curtain parting to welcome visitors spacious hall filled with colorful lights coming from the Nebuta floats showcasing traditional artistry and folklore The papier-mâché figures are astonishingly dynamic with flowing hair and splashing water magically brought to life handmade masks and costumes used for local festivals Clark County Museum has created an entire street of historically important buildings relocated from various other locations within the county Beautiful portraits of the artist's children and his amazing stained glass windows in the Art Nouveau style This pair of statues commemorates a once-widespread carnival tradition of blowing on each other’s butts with bellows loving tribute to America's most isolated city Home to a massive collection curated by the Burbank Historical Society this museum examines every aspect of life in the city known for aviation and the film industry back during the heyday of the Tokugawa shogunate Aomori — The New Ohashi bridge spanning the Mabechi River in Hachinohe opened to traffic on March 22 after seven years of construction which connects the city center to an industrial road and a coastal industrial zone is expected to revitalize the regional economy through increased flow of goods and people The new bridge is a municipal road connecting Numadate and Hattaro in the city the Ohashi bridge was originally built in 1955 but its corrosion due to aging and its narrow width became a problem leading to the construction of the new bridge to start in fiscal 2018 The new bridge is approximately 300 meters long and 11.5 meters wide It has a one-lane road in each direction and sidewalks that are 2 meters wide each The total cost of the project was approximately ¥10.3 billion a commemorative ceremony with a brass band performance and a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held with about 150 people including city officials and local elementary and junior high school students “I hope that the reborn bridge will be loved by citizens and link to the future.” ShareSaveCommentLifestyleSpiritsA Is For Apples In Aomori, Especially The Hard Cider A-FactoryByJeanette Hurt Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights Jeanette Hurt covers the culture of spirits 06:23pm EDTShareSaveCommentThe A-Factory ciderie is located in downtown Aomori In the middle of downtown Aomori, across from the Nebuta Museum lies the A-Factory The A-Factory has been fermenting hard cider for 40 years who has been the cider maker at A-Factory for the past five years best apples are harvested in the Aomori prefacture (Aomori is also a port city) Fuji apples account for 50 percent of all apples grown in Japan but other Japanese varieties are also used in the cider making adding that the A-Factory also gets some of their apples from Hirosaki and cidermaking happens in the fall and winter The steel fermenting tanks are behind glass from the main A-Factory shop area the A-Factory also is a duty-free store that sells apples a bakery that specializes in apple pastries like tarte tatins a gelato stand and a sweet shop/cocktail bar that sells apple mojitos and fresh A-Factory offers samples of three different types of hard cider: sweet Each is determined by the alcohol by volume level A-Factory also presses but doesn’t ferment apple juice and non-alcoholic sparkling cider All three varieties of the cider pair well with fish and meat but the sweet also pairs really well with the apple pastries sold in the shop visitors to the shop area can watch cider being made It takes five workers to press all the apples that come through the cider shop “We are very busy during harvest,” Shuichi says and we process more than 1,000 liters per year.” The harvest isn’t the only popular time to visit Shuichi and his staff also sample the ciders they make in the store A lot of people discover the shop because of its proximity to the Nebuta Museum as Aomori is known for its Nebuta Festival which features a parade of extravagant and exquisite floats crafted of paper her husband Neon and their daughter Mariana discovered the cider shop after they visited the the Nebuta Museum “We were checking out the museum before we came here,” Charlotte says The Singapore family was enchanted by both the cider and the shop itself with a perfect amount of appleness,” Mariana says Neon says he especially appreciated the architectural and interior design AOMORI — Heavy snow has killed four people and caused much other damage in Aomori Prefecture due to a strong cold front that hit Japan at the year-end and New Year holiday According to the Aomori prefectural police there were four snow-related deaths in 2025 as of Monday evening in four municipalities The victims apparently died while removing snow from the roof the prefecture applied the Disaster Relief Law to 10 municipalities that the prefecture has applied the law to cope with a snow disaster According to the Japan Meteorological Agency on Sunday the snow was measured to be 139 centimeters deep in Aomori part of Hirosaki Castle’s Hitsuji-Saru Yagura tower an important cultural property of the country was damaged by a tree that fell under the weight of snow The prefecture set up a task force to deal with the heavy snow on Saturday and decided to apply the law to stop the spread of further damage municipalities removing snow from houses feared to collapse or be isolated will have the expenses paid for by the central government and the prefecture which could cause heavy snow on the Sea of Japan side of the country from Wednesday to Friday which may grow into blizzards and warning-level snowfalls There is concern that snow will increasingly accumulate in a short period of time particularly on the Sea of Japan side in northern and eastern Japan The agency is calling for vigilance against snow-caused traffic hazards AOMORI — A frigid tug-of-war competition heated up a small part of the city of Aomori on Saturday stripped to the waist and exhaling visible clouds of white vapor pulled a rope against each other on hardened snow The event was organized by a committee including the Aomori municipal government was participated in by 85 people on 17 teams Among the participants was a 34-year-old assistant language teacher from the United States He said he joined the event because he thought it would be a truly unique experience adding that there is no such event in his country Operations of Japan's first interim spent nuclear fuel storage facility in Aomori Prefecture started Wednesday as the Nuclear Regulation Authority certified the facility's safety The NRA issued the certificate after confirming that the operator had undertaken proper safety management at the storage facility in the Aomori city of Mutsu since the first cask containing 69 assemblies of spent fuel with 12 tons of uranium arrived from the No 4 reactor of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata Prefecture in September.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); The facility is slated to accept spent fuel from Tepco and Japan Atomic Power it is scheduled to take in a total of eight casks the spent fuel is set to be transported to a reprocessing plant under construction in the Aomori village of Rokkasho it still uncertain when the plant's construction will be completed given the fact that Japan Nuclear Fuel has repeatedly extended the construction period It is now aiming to finish the work by March 2027 The Federation of Electric Power Companies (FEPC) of Japan asked Aomori Prefecture on Thursday to accept a new proposal for nuclear waste returned from overseas to be delivered to the prefecture During the day's meeting with Aomori Gov Soichiro Miyashita at the prefectural government office FEPC Vice Chairman Toshiharu Sasaki presented the idea of delivering to Aomori a small amount of high-level radioactive waste from foreign countries instead of a larger amount of low-level radioactive waste that was set to be sent there under an earlier arrangement The high-level and low-level nuclear waste was generated from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plants in Japan.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); produces about 439,000 tons of apples per year (as of 2022) The prefecture is responsible for about 60 percent of Japan’s apple production and you’ll find just about any product featuring Aomori apples all over And you may be surprised to find hard apple cider and apple brandy Though hard apple cider is not as common as beer refreshing and sparkling drink is slowly starting to gain some following cider is also earning favor as a health-conscious alternative to other alcoholic beverages Apple brandy is also a relatively new concept in Japan but a spirit that should not be overlooked apple brandy also showcases the quality and delicious flavor of local apples In Aomori’s scenic Tsugaru area near majestic Mt a local cidery and distillery are using distinct methods to create their own flavorful apple spirit concoctions so take note and plan ahead to check them out popular cidery Tugboat is producing Crazy Cider Dry hard apple cider using a “fresh press method.” award-winning Crazy Cider Dry a well-balanced pucker and umami flavor according to Tugboat owner Kiyoto Mizuguchi all freshly pressed apple juice should be fermented immediately or within 24 hours,” Mizuguchi said “It is slowly brewed under lower than 20 degrees centigrade until it is matured as an excellent hard cider.” Mizuguchi said he was inspired to start brewing cider by the distilleries and breweries in Portland Tugboat started producing Crazy Days apple brandy brewed with local apples and water straight from the Shirakami Mountains Another distillery pumping out a popular apple-based brandy is Mohodori Distillery in Goshogawara City the production of Lovevados 40 first starts off as juice from fermented Fuji apples that is then distilled into delicious the process of fermenting full fruits first allows for the final product to maintain “a refreshing aroma and clear and elegant flavor.” Both Tugboat and Mohodori Distillery are in Tsugaru which boasts vast apple orchards perfect for a nice day trip They both offer factory tours so you can witness the production up close Purchase their products online or at the factories and sample a different taste of Aomori An earthquake struck Aomori Prefecture on Wednesday around 3:40 p.m. measuring four on the seven-level Japanese seismic intensity scale occurred at a depth of about 10 kilometers Tremors with an intensity of four on the Japanese scale were recorded in the towns of Hiranai and Noheji Aomori — Fourteen workers of Starbucks Coffee Japan in Aomori Prefecture recently tried their hand at pruning apple tree branches at a farm in the Tomisakae district of Hirosaki The farming event was part of a project organized by the city and others for Starbucks workers to learn more about apple cultivation throughout the year The coffee chain has been working to promote locally grown apples at its shops the 14 workers tried to prune apple tree branches while wearing kanjiki (traditional Japanese snowshoes) to make it easier to move around on the snow following advice to put some muscle into it when pulling on the saw “I didn’t know it would take so much effort to care for an apple tree,” said Mei Fukuzawa assistant manager of the Hirosaki Koen-mae Starbucks shop “I want to share the appeal of local apples.” By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. The bus tour takes you on a journey through the Oirase Gorge in Towada Hachimantai National Park which stretches between Lake Towada and Yakeyama The waterfalls throughout the gorge freeze over in winter and turn into stunning clusters of icicles known as icefalls When the area is covered in a blanket of snow Tours are available both during the day and in the evening the evening tour is the one to go for as the icicles are illuminated with colourful lights The evening tour stops at a total of five spots along the gorge while a special lighting car travels along with the tour bus to light up each spot in different colours.  The tour has been held annually since 2017 and will run again from December 20 2024 to March 2 2025. Tickets cost ¥3,300-¥4,400 per person (children ¥1,650-¥2,200). You can book a spot on a tour here.  This article was published on November 2 2021 and updated on November 28 2024 The best times to see autumn leaves in Japan this year, according to official forecast Shibuya to cancel 2025 New Year’s Eve countdown celebrations The amazing illuminations at Ashikaga Flower Park are here until February 2025 This magical igloo village in Nagano is actually a pop-up restaurant Shibuya Sky is celebrating Christmas with mirror balls and rooftop light shows Want to be the first to know what’s cool in Tokyo? Sign up to our newsletter for the latest updates from Tokyo and Japan. The famed Stove Train of the Tsugaru Railway a cherished winter tradition in Aomori Prefecture The retro-style passenger cars are warmed by traditional coal-fired potbelly stoves They traverse the chilly Tsugaru Plain as the region enters the cold depths of December This seasonal service will run until the end of March A departure ceremony was held on December 1 at Tsugaru-Goshogawara Station The first train of the season left at noon Passengers enjoyed the scenic views along the route They captured photos and soaked in the nostalgic atmosphere A unique highlight of the journey is the grilled surume (dried squid) sold onboard “The nostalgic atmosphere of the train is heartwarming The surume tastes even better when enjoyed here,” she said The train operates two to three round trips daily. It covers a roughly 20-kilometer (12.4-mile) stretch to Tsugaru-Nakasato Station. Each leg of the journey takes about 40–50 minutes. An additional fee of ¥1,000 JPY ($6 USD) on top of the standard fare is required to ride in the cars with stoves You must be logged in to post a comment ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Aomori — An event covering the local history of coffee and mochi and explaining why the two go well together was recently held in Hirakawa Both of these delectables have roots in the Tsugaru region The Kotsugaru Afternoon Tea event took place at Seibien garden on Feb 22 and was organized by Kotsugaru Joshi-bu a group of mainly women who love kotsugaru Kotsugaru is a touristic brand that passes down local festivals beliefs and food culture in the Tsugaru region from olden times Three types of coffee and eight kinds of mochi were served to 18 participants The group explained that coffee was traditionally thought to be effective in treating edema and that it was drunk as medicine by the members of the local Hirosaki clan eventgoers were informed that mochi has been used for offerings and at festivals since ancient times in the region made from flat slices of mochi and sesame sauce as well as coffee prepared in the way that Hirosaki clan members are said to have drunk it They also took commemorative photos and enjoyed their time talking together “The sesame sauce of uchiwa mochi and coffee went really well together,” said Mie Kondo Aomori Prefecture--Spent nuclear fuel from Niigata Prefecture arrived here on Sept 26 en route to a newly opened interim storage facility a significant step in managing Japan's nuclear waste This marks the first instance in the nation of storing spent nuclear fuel outside the grounds of a nuclear power plant The move comes despite ongoing local concerns about the lack of a concrete national policy for handling radioactive waste The cargo vessel that departed from the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant arrived at Sekinehama Port here in the morning unloading a cask containing 69 spent fuel assemblies weighing approximately 12 tons the storage facility will receive a total of 96 tons of spent fuel in eight casks from the same plant The company is a subsidiary of major nuclear plant operators Japan Atomic Power Co The facility is designed to store 5,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel when a planned second building is completed Aomori Prefecture and Mutsu aim to generate more than 300 million yen ($2.07 million) by March 2029 by taxing the spent fuel which supplies electricity to Tokyo and the surrounding areas has been offline since 2021 due to safety violations As a condition for restarting its reactors municipal officials in Kashiwazaki have demanded a reduction in the amount of spent nuclear fuel stored at the plant A deal signed between local authorities and RFS limits storage at the Mutsu facility to 50 years utilities hope to relocate the fuel to a recycling facility to render it reusable again residents are concerned that the supposedly temporary storage site may ultimately become a permanent disposal location for radioactive waste Japan has long advocated for recycling spent uranium and plutonium for reuse in reactors construction has stalled at the proposed fuel reprocessing plant in Rokkasho Initially scheduled to open nearly three decades ago the plant's launch has been repeatedly postponed leading to widespread criticism that the project is going nowhere (This article was written by Yusuke Noda and Teruto Unuma.) Aomori governor to OK nuclear waste storage Safety measures OK’d for facility to store spent nuclear fuel Mayor again stands in way of plan for spent nuclear fuel Utility eyes Yamaguchi as site to store spent nuclear fuel Town assembly gives nod to start 44-year-old nuclear reactor Mayor OKs 2 aged reactors at Takahama nuke plant for restart A simple request to examine a centuries-old artwork led to a stunning discovery: the paintings on “fusuma” sliding doors owned by a long-established family in northern Japan were deemed to be missing parts of a priceless set in the possession of the British Museum in London It turned out the scenes were from a single themed “piece” portraying Japan’s four respective seasons by the renowned Kano school of painting Quite how the set of paintings ended up on opposite sides of the world will probably never be known although it seems likely it happened early in the Showa Era (1926-1989) Putting the missing pieces together came down to the intuition of the academic summoned to examine the paintings according to the education board of Nakadomari town in Aomori Prefecture A group of four painted sliding doors collectively titled “Kacho-zu” (Paintings of birds and flowers) are displayed at a Shimuan annex building that forms part of the Miyakoshi family estate in Nakadomari located in the Tsugaru Peninsula of northern Aomori Prefecture Each of the panels measures 170 centimeters by 110 cm the ninth head of the large landowner clan is said to have purchased the screens when they were put up for sale in Tokyo around 1922 It is believed the partitions were produced by a painter from the Kano school between the late Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1568-1600) and the early Edo Period (1603-1867) Records show that the screen pictures were later donated by the Kujo family in today’s Kyoto Prefecture to Tanzanjinja shrine in what is currently Nara Prefecture a former senior researcher at the Kyoto National Museum who is an expert on the Kano school style of painting received an image of “Kacho-zu” in an email a former professor of Japanese art history at Gakushuin University in Tokyo explained that Nakadomari town officials were “seeking expert advice because the artwork has long remained unexamined in detail.” The municipality simply expected that Yamashita would assess the old-style sliding doors But something caught Yamashita’s trained eye Yamashita quickly realized he had “encountered a similar work somewhere” before The set of four partitions captured in the image depict scenes of spring and summer from right to left Like other paintings of the Kano school that are often adorned with gold foil the works he inspected boasted characteristic fine gold and silver powder Yamashita perused a pictorial book from his collection of publications at home He bought the book at the exhibition “Masterpieces of Japanese and Chinese Art from the British Museum,” which was held in 1987 at the Tokyo National Museum Yamashita came to a photo of a group of four sliding doors from the British Museum collection that feature bird and flower paintings Scenes of autumn and winter are depicted on them from right to left “The surfaces of both sets of doors are designed gorgeously in a similar style,” Yamashita said “I figured they may form a single series of paintings to represent the flow of spring Yamashita and Shimao went to Nakadomari last October to compare the “Kacho-zu” in the Miyakoshi residence with an image of its presumed counterpart at the British Museum The pair confirmed that the screens are basically equal in size and the drawing style is identical A stream illustrated in the summer scene from the Miyakoshi home’s panels appears to run into the water depicted in the autumn section of the British Museum’s partitions The same triple-dot pattern is used for their door-pulls to open and close the fusuma Yamashita concluded the two groups of painted doors are from the same artistic series “They were likely created by a skilled painter active in the Kano school from the closing days of the Azuchi-Momoyama Period through the early Edo Period,” Yamashita told a news conference held in Nakadomari on Sept 17 Yamashita said it was impossible to name the artist responsible for the works given that he has “just found out they are part of the same series of paintings.” However the fusuma in possession of the Miyakoshi family are thought to have been painted by the famed artist Kano Sanraku (1559-1635) himself The door paintings disappeared from the Tanzanjinja shrine in the chaotic aftermath of a decision taken early in the Meiji Era (1868-1912) to separate Shinto from Buddhism as the Japanese government began gearing up aggressively to embrace Shinto as the state religion The spring-summer set of paintings got separated from the autumn-winter group at the time The former reached the Miyakoshi family on the Tsugaru Peninsula while the latter is thought to have arrived at the British Museum between 1935 and 1936 “These precious artifacts are significant in helping us to understand the history of Japanese artwork getting separated important for research on the paintings of the Kano school,” Yamashita said of the latest discovery The Shimuan is opened to the public each spring and autumn “My dream is to organize an exhibition showcasing both sets of fusuma paintings from Nakadomari and Britain at some point in the future,” he said Kano Eitoku’s national treasure paintings back in original setting Collaboration between 2 famed Edo Period artists found Hosokawa’s dragon art on show at Kyoto’s Ryoanji temple AOMORI — “Nebuta Santa” is attracting visitors to The Nebuta Museum WA-RASSE in Aomori depicts Santa Claus in a sled pulled by a reindeer and stands 2.2 meters tall and 3 meters wide The model of a valiant Santa handing out presents from atop an adorable reindeer will be on public view near the first-floor entrance of the cultural and tourist exchange facility until Wednesday Visitors do not have to pay an entrance fee to see the float This is the first time a nebuta float with a Santa Claus design has been unveiled at the facility It was created by nebuta artist Hiroaki Fukushi To make the bag that the Santa holds in his left hand Fukushi reused washi Japanese paper he originally used for a nebuta float displayed during the Aomori Nebuta Festival earlier this year “The colors of the float are very beautiful The combination of nebuta and Santa Claus is interesting,” said Harumi Nakasato AOMORI — About 50 worshippers attended a Shinto purification ritual at Uto Shrine on Dec burning dolls and other sacred items to pray for good health in the coming year After attendees were purified by a priest at the shrine’s worship hall they purified themselves by passing through chino-wa — a ring made of bamboo and a shimenawa rope measuring about 3 meters in diameter which are meant to take on human sin and impurity into a fire before joining hands in prayer “I hope next year will be a year I can try things I want to try,” a 66-year-old Aomori office worker who participated in the event said “I feel better physically and mentally now.” Aomori — Someiyoshino cherry blossoms of a specimen tree were confirmed to be blooming on Wednesday at Tatehana Park in Hachinohe and members of a local group which observes cherry blossoms at the park declared the bloom had begun the bloom is occurring two days later than last year The leader of the group said: “I’m relieved the cherry trees have bloomed as usual I hope you will come and see the cherry blossoms in full bloom from now until the end of next week when you will be able to enjoy a cherry blossom petal blizzard.” Aomori Prefecture--A distinct Taiwanese flavor permeates the colorful Aomori Nebuta Festival this year the festival features a giant float depicting Maso She has also been drawing worshippers for more than 300 years at a shrine in this northern town famous for its tuna fishing town officials were hoping the depiction of Maso also known as Mazu in Taiwan and other parts of the Chinese-speaking world a Nebuta artisan who belongs to the association of Nebuta lovers was busy applying color to the cheeks of the Nebuta float I’ve never done makeup before,” the 45-year-old artisan said adding that it was also the first time for him to create a massive Nebuta of a female figure This year’s theme was the guardian goddess of the sea The theme was chosen to wish for the safety of ships in waters off the prefecture ahead of the 400th anniversary next year of the opening of Aomori Port The Nebuta float is 9 meters long and 5 meters high Suwa drew a rough sketch based on documents about Maso that were collected when Huang Xiao-wen returned to Taiwan in January to vote in the presidential election inspired by the Tempisama Gyoretsu (sea goddess parade) in Oma that was held on Marine Day The festival involves people dressed in masks and elaborate costumes parading through the streets to the sounds of drums and firecrackers The procession will end with a mikoshi portable shrine carrying a 60-centimeter-tall statue of Maso Maso is the deified form of a shaman who was born in China in 960 She became venerated as a goddess after her death Taiwan has around 870 temples dedicated to her Maso is cherished not only as the guardian goddess of the sea but also a deity for various wishes the government issued a decree to make a clear distinction between Shinto and Buddhism This decree brought into question the proper place for Maso Maso was enshrined at the Oma Inari shrine along with other deities belief in Maso persisted quietly among fishermen “This may be the only shrine in Japan where local gods and Maso from overseas are enshrined equally,” said Hiromi Ogata a professor of cultural anthropology at Kagawa University Maso became a household name in the town because of the Tempisama parade said his father and local business leaders negotiated for more than a decade with the Japan Maso association to make the parade a highlight of the town’s tourism appeal a new statue of Maso was gifted from Chaotian temple The Taiwanese temple and Oma’s shrine became sister shrines the following year When the Maso statue returned to Taiwan this past March it generated headlines in Japan and Taiwan Around 40 people from the temple in Taiwan participated in this year’s Tempisama parade “Maso is considered the ‘mother of Taiwan’ and one of the top three folk beliefs in Taiwan,” noted Lin Cheng-wei a distinguished professor of folklore at Taipei National University of the Arts “Taiwanese people would be delighted to see Maso belief continued in the small Japanese town,” he said One of the reasons local people want to attract Taiwan tourists is to ensure that ferry services People in Oma often take the ferry to go to hospitals or to buy essential goods in Hakodate which is shorter than driving to Aomori city the ferry operators are struggling to stay in business They also hope the ferry will be used by more Taiwanese tourists who made up about half of all foreign visitors staying in Hakodate in the last fiscal year “When I promote our town in Taiwan as part of our tourism efforts people are more excited to hear about Maso than our tuna,” said the president of the Oma tourism association “We intend to keep advertising the Tempisama parade and maso belief so that Taiwanese tourists will visit repeatedly.” Kyoto’s famed Gion Festival offers premium seating for a fee Special 'nebuta' float created by 14 artisans on display in Aomori China wields ‘peace goddess’ religion as weapon in Taiwan election Lisa’s Wanderings Around Japan/ Shiogama: Thanking the goddess for salt-making skills Lavish floats put sparkle back in Inuyama festival after 4-year gap AOMORI—A tourism official’s attempt to produce an apple-themed version of Rubik’s Cube has led to several red faces Apples are a specialty of Aomori Prefecture and images of six varieties of the fruit are printed on the six sides of the Aomorik Cube version The all-red puzzle is more difficult to solve than a standard Rubik’s Cube The original three-dimensional puzzle exploded on the scene worldwide in the 1980s and has again risen in popularity The idea for the Aomori variety was proposed by Yui Mikami a senior official at Aomori Prefecture’s tourism policy department The Aomorik Cube prototype was shown on the prefectural government’s official social media account in August 2023 One said it “looked difficult,” while another asked the prefecture if it had “any plans to commercialize” the puzzle Aomori Prefecture decided to release the Aomorik Cube on a commercial basis “I considered creating an Aomori-specific version of Rubik’s Cube after learning that 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the birth of the toy cube,” Mikami said Chiyuki and Mutsu apple cultivars appear on the squares of the cube One side of the cube measures 6 centimeters square The packaging box bears catchphrases like “maximum difficulty” and “a challenge from Aomori.” “Although these apple species are all similarly red they can be distinguished by their own unique features dotted skin and color shade,” Mikami explained She noted that next year will mark the 150th anniversary of apple tree planting in Aomori Prefecture “My hope is that the cube will help garner more attention” for the celebratory year The Aomorik Cube is manufactured by MegaHouse Corp. a company based in Tokyo’s Taito Ward that is responsible for Rubik’s Cube business in Japan It reportedly went out of stock within a month of its release at some locations A list of stores handling the Aomorik Cube is available on the prefecture’s website Kanazawa firm’s Rubik’s Cubes glitter like gold for the wealthy Bath buffs in Aomori spread the word through car sticker Mitsubishi robot sets puzzle cube world record at 0.305 second Cardboard cosplay event gains steam in Aomori winters Aomori train makes mark with apple-shaped lanterns Flights to and from Hokkaido and Aomori Prefecture are being canceled one after another on Monday as the Pacific side of northern Japan was hit by strong winds and snowstorms due to a low pressure system that developed east of the Japanese archipelago and moved northeast All Nippon Airways plans to cancel its 31 domestic flights including flights between Haneda-Kushiro as well as Itami-Aomori Japan Airlines canceled its 33 domestic flights as of 10 a.m. including flights between Haneda-Obihiro as well as Haneda-Aomori Japanese version The first snow of the season was observed in Sapporo and some parts of Aomori Prefecture on Sunday morning as temperatures dropped in many areas of northern and eastern Japan According to the Japan Meteorological Agency’s Sapporo Regional Headquarters Sapporo saw its first snow of the season eight days earlier than usual and 22 days earlier than last year observed snowfall 12 days earlier than a usual year and 25 days earlier than last year “There were still lots of greenery when I climbed the mountain last week,” said a woman in her 30s who came from Sapporo to climb it “But I was able to enjoy the red and yellow autumn leaves as well as the snow today.” the first snowfall of the season was also observed on Mt which operates the Tsugaru Iwaki Skyline toll expressway snow was observed 13 days later than last year snow had accumulated on the eighth station of the 1,625-meter-high mountain on Sunday The company said that snow had also built up between the ninth station and the summit the Aomori Local Meteorological Observatory said that it had observed the first snowcap of the season on the Hakkoda Mountains in Aomori Prefecture one day earlier than last year but one day later than in a usual year At the Sukayu Onsen hot spring resort in Aomori City tourists and others were seen admiring the contrast between the snow and autumn leaves According to the Japan Meteorological Agency’s weather advisory office a powerful cold spell brought snow to the mountain peaks An official from the local meteorological office visually confirmed the first snowcap A powerful cold front has brought heavy snowfall along the Sea of Japan coast and to other areas claiming at least four lives and prompting authorities to caution people against nonurgent outings through Friday mountains in Niigata Prefecture are forecast to receive 80 centimeters of snow over 24 hours through 6 a.m and mountains in Toyama and Ishikawa prefectures are set to see 70 cm residents are still recovering from the earthquake a year ago coupled with heavy rain last summer.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); The 24-hour snowfall through early Thursday totaled in various regions included 53 cm in the village of Shirakawa Gifu Prefecture; 49 cm in the city of Uonuma in Niigata Prefecture; and 48 cm in the town of Kaneyama in Fukushima Prefecture Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division.