Tohoku 2016 東北の旅 - Towada Art Center 十和田市現代美術館, Towada Art Square アート広場

Visited 21.05.2016 (Sat)

Visited two art museums in Aomori Prefecture - Aomori Museum of Art 青森県立美術館 and Towada Art Center 十和田市現代美術館 on my second trip to Tohoku region. After a memorable experience with Aomori Museum of Art (on Day 4), I was definitely looking forward to visit this contemporary art museum situated in Towada city. Opened in 2008, Towada Art Center was created as part of Arts Towada Project to revitalise Towada city, by adding a variety of artworks into the townscape and providing platforms for artists, citizens and visitors to promote and exchange ideas. Currently, Towada Art Center houses a permanent collection of 38 artworks all created exclusively for this art museum by both local and international artists.





Affinity to art. There is a lot of novelties injected into the design of Towada Art Center. Each artwork is housed in an independent exhibition room and these rooms are interspersed throughout the facility and connected to one another by glass corridors. The art museum is made up of a mixture of small and large buildings in order to create a sense of continuity with Kanchodai-dori 官庁街通り, which is also lined with small and tall buildings. The design of the art museum enabled the placement of outdoor exhibition spaces, thus allowing visitors to admire both indoor and outdoor art concurrently. Some of the exhibition rooms have wide glass openings making it possible for the artworks to be viewed from the outside by passerby too, thus bringing art closer to public. I enjoyed myself thoroughly, exploring the magnificent art works inside and outside of Towada Art Center for the entire afternoon. One other noteworthy point is that the 1.1 km long Kanchodai-dori is also lined with 156 cherry blossom trees on both sides of the road, making it a popular hanami spot during spring between mid April to early May. Found another good reason to return to this city one day!



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Highlights: 

Vibrancy. The very first eye-catching artwork is this gigantic 5.5 m tall, vibrant flower horse (Flower Horse by Choi Jeonghwa) that stands gallantly near the entrance of the museum. Horse is closely linked to Towada city because it was the site of a war horse supply center for the Imperial Japanese Ministry of War until the end of WWII. Apart from this art installation in Towada Art Center which highlighted the historical relationship between the city and horse, I also spotted another horse statues and horseshoes embedded into the pedestrian pavements along Kanchodai-dori.

Mind blowing. Similar to most museums, photography is not allowed inside the facility. In fact, the main website of Towada Art Center has published comprehensive write up for each of the permanent exhibit showcased in the museum, and it has helped me better understand the messages that respective artist was trying to convey through their installations. I like how each exhibit is given its dedicated space, allowing visitors to appreciate the artwork from various angles. It excites me to move from one room to another, and be overwhelmed over and over again by these intriguing and mind blowing artworks. My favourite installation was Ron Mueck's "Standing Woman", the first artwork that I encountered at the start of the museum tour. Felt so puny instantaneously while standing in front of this stunning looking, 4 m tall statue of a woman. I was extremely amazed by how "real" the statue looked like - the melancholic facial expression, the rough skin texture, the wrinkles and even the grey strands of hair were recreated, nearing perfection.



Art is everywhere! Opposite to Towada Art Center, there are more artworks awaiting to be uncovered in the Art Square. The most prominent of them all is Yayoi Kusama's "Love Forever, Singing in Towada" which serves as a playground for children as well. This bright and colourful installation is made up of eight sculptures, which include the familiar yellow pumpkin, a girl, a dog and multiple mushrooms, and they are all donned in Yayoi Kusama's signature polka dots pattern. Not forgetting the very "talkative" Fat House, with a Fat Car sitting beside it. Created by Erwin Wurm, the odd shaped house and car amuses its audience by applying the term "fat", which is usually used on living things, onto non living things.

Designer furniture. Keep a lookout for several other artworks, known as Street Furniture, decorated along Kanchodai-dori. Don't be surprised if you walk into a gigantic green pillow sculpture with an indentation lying on the street - this is an artwork part of Street Furniture series for pedestrians to take a rest on. If you are unsure where these "designer furniture" are situated, there are map display boards found along the street, indicating the exact locations of these artworks.



Break. Had a late lunch in the cafe housed in a giant white cube, situated at the east side of Towada Art Center. Art can be experienced even in this cafe as the floor is covered by a beautiful collage of floral patterns inspired by Nambu Weaving, a traditional craft of Towada, a masterpiece by Micheal Lin. Here, I had a beef jerky and egg sandwich accompanied by a cup of hot honey milk to fill up my empty stomach.

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Towada Art Center 十和田市現代美術館

〒034-0082 青森県十和田市西二番町10-9

Opening hours:
- Museum: 0900 - 1700 hrs (last entry at 1630 hrs)
- Cafe: 0900 - 1630 hrs
- Shop: 0900 - 1700 hrs
Closed on Mondays
Admission fee = 1,200 yen

http://towadaartcenter.com/

How to get there?

(1) By bus.

- From Hachinohe JR Station East Exit 八戸駅東口 Platform 5, board Towada Kanko Tetsudo Bus 十和田観光電鉄バス (Hachinohe~Towada line 八戸~十和田線) and alight at Kancho machi-dori 官庁街通. 5 mins walk from the bus stop.
Bus schedule: http://www.toutetsu.co.jp/jikoku/towada-hachinohe.html

- From Hachinohe JR Station West Exit 八戸駅西口, board JR Bus Tohoku Oirase-go おいらせ号 and alight at Towada Art Center 十和田市現代美術館.

- From Yakeyama 焼山 (bus stop nearest to Oirase Keiryu Hotel, opposite to Cosmo petrol kiosk), board Towada Kanko Tetsudo Bus 十和田観光電鉄バス (Yakeyama~Towada Onsenkyo~Towada-shi line 焼山～十和田湖温泉郷～十和田市線) and alight at Towada Art Center 十和田市現代美術館.

Tohoku 2016 東北の旅 - Towada-ko / Lake Towada 十和田湖, Otome no zo 乙女の像

Visited 21.05.2016 (Sat)



Sequel. After sighting of Lake Towada from an elevation at Kankodai 瞰湖台, I decided to go for the alternative option of lake viewing at grade level (especially after the positive experience gained from Tazawa-ko a few days ago). Boarded the JR Bus Tohoku from Shimoutarube and alighted at Towada-ko Station 十和田湖駅, the last stop of the bus route. I had about 20 minutes to spare before hopping onto the next bus to return to Oirase Keiryu Hotel. Due to limited time, my original plan was to just to make my way to the water side and take a peek at the lake. However, after checking Google map, I decided to take some risk to venture slightly further in search of the statue of Otome (Otome no zo 乙女の像 or maiden statue), commonly referred to as the symbol of Lake Towada.

Otome no zo. Lake Towada is a crater lake which measures about 46 km in circumference and 327 m in depth, making it the third deepest lake in Japan and also the largest lake on Honshu island of Japan. Referred to as the symbol of Lake Towada, Otome no zo is a bronze statue built in 1953 by Kotaro Takamura 高村光太郎 (1883 - 1956), a sculptor and poet. This statue, which is his last completed masterpiece before his demise, depicts two nude women facing each other and almost holding on/touching each other's left hand. Different from Tatsuko-zo which is erected within Lake Tazawa iteslf, the statue of Otome is located inland.







Clear. Along the way to see the statue, I could not help but to slow down my pace every now and then to admire and capture photographs of the beautiful lake scenery. The lake is enclosed by mountain ranges that are covered with dense vegetation, and the water is so clear that I could make out the bed of the lake. Alternatively, visitors can also choose to hop onto a excursion boat here to embark on a lake cruise - either from here to Nenokuchi 子ノ口 or a round trip. Having tried both ways of admiring Lake Towada - at an elevation from Kankodai 瞰湖台 and at grade level, I concluded that the view seen from a higher altitude was way more scenic and breathtaking.



Missed the bus! Upon reaching the statue, I realised that it was only 8 minutes away from my bus departure timing! Immediately, I set off for the bus station hopping that I could still catch the bus. Unfortunately, I arrived at the bus station 2 minutes late and the bus had already departed (punctually as usual). While trying to catch my breath from the run I did to catch the bus, I recollected my thoughts to decide on the pathforward. I could wait for the next bus departing an hour later but I would not be able to catch the connecting bus to Towada Art Center from Oirase Keiryu Hotel (Yakeyama bus stop). Wanted very much to visit Towada Art Center and I decided to take a taxi back to the hotel to catch up on time (so happened that I spotted one right in front of me). Eventually, my itinerary was back in shape as I managed to return to Oirase Keiryu Hotel to collect my luggage and board the desired bus heading for Towada Art Center timely. In return for that, I had to pay a hefty price for the mistake made as the entire taxi fare amount to about 6,000 yen (75 SGD) for the journey from Lake Towada to Oirase Keiryu Hotel! Nevertheless, such hiccups are inevitable and I try to perceive them as valuable lessons learnt during a trip.


Bought a melon flavoured soft serve to cool down.

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Towada-ko / Lake Towada 十和田湖, Otome no zo 乙女の像
http://towadako.or.jp/rekishi-densetsu/otomenozou/
Lake Towada excursion boat: http://www.toutetsu.co.jp/ship.html



How to get there? 

(1) By JR Bus Tohoku and walk.
- From Aomori Ekimae Bus Terminal Bus Stop 11 or Shin Aomori JR Station East Exit Bus Stop 1, board JR Bus Tohoku Mizumi-go みずうみ号 heading for Hakkoda Ropeway, Oirase Keiryu and Towada-ko.
- From Hachinohe JR Station Bus Stop, board JR Bus Tohoku Oirase-go おいらせ号 heading for Towada-ko.
- From Yakeyama bus stop 焼山 (nearest to Oirase Keiryu Hotel), board either JR Bus Tohoku Oirase-go おいらせ号 or Mizumi-go みずうみ号 heading for Towada-ko.
Alight at the last stop, Towada-ko Station 十和田湖駅. Otome no zo is about 800 m away from the bus station.
Bus schedule: https://www.jrbustohoku.co.jp/route/detail.php?r=45&rc=11

Tohoku 2016 東北の旅 - Towada-ko / Lake Towada Kankodai Observation Deck 十和田湖 瞰湖台

Visited 21.05.2016 (Sat)






Ground level vs altitude. There are two ways to admire Towada-ko (Lake Towada) either on ground level or an elevation, and each has its own pros and cons. I managed to view Towada-ko from both perspectives. Personally I prefer to view such natural landform from an elevation in order to capture a better overview of the lake and its surroundings, and at times even able to make out its shape at sufficiently high altitudes. One of the best spot to embrace a panoramic view of Towada-ko in Kankodai 瞰湖台. However, in order to gain access to such breathtaking scenery, one will have to scale some heights via various means. The most convenient and least physically taxing method is by ropeway or cable car, if it is available. Unfortunately, such mode of transportation is not offered for this particular observation deck for Towada-ko. There are no buses that stop by Kankodai and the nearest bus stop (Shimoutarube 下宇樽部) is situated at the foot of the observation deck, separated by a 2 km distance. After checking the bus schedule and some pondering, I decided to pay this place a visit when I am visiting Oirase Keiryu.



Embarkation. Boarded JR Bus Tohoku heading for Towada-ko as per plan at Yakeyama 焼山 (the bus stop nearest to Oirase Keiryu Hotel 奥入瀬渓流ホテル which I stayed overnight at) on the morning of Day 10. About half an hour later, I arrived at Shimoutarube 下宇樽部. Just before I alighted the bus, I confirmed with the driver whether this was the nearest bus stop for Kankodai. He nodded and at the same time warned me that it would be a long walk and whether I was okay with that. I reassured him that I was aware of the arduous climb that lies ahead. Spotted the directional sign pointing to the road that led to Kankodai and began my journey on foot.

Lone. There is no dedicated pedestrian walkway on either side of the road, therefore I had to walk along the road shoulder. Terrain was pretty flat at the start and my legs could feel the gradual increase in gradient along the way. The surrounding dense vegetation provided shade from the sun and the cooling weather made walking less painful and more bearable. Throughout the entire journey, I was the sole traveller making my way up by foot, while every now and then, I would see cars driving past me heading for the same destination. About 40 minutes later, an observation deck finally came into my line of sight and I made the last push. When I finally stepped foot onto Kankodai and saw the scenery of Towada-ko at an altitude of 583 m high, I could only exclaim that the journey to here was extremely worthwhile.





Speechless. Weather was exceptionally good on the day of my visit. The calm and peaceful lake became a natural piece of mirror for the clear sky and it was difficult to make out whether the deep blue water was a result of mirror effect or its original colour. Towada-ko is the largest crater lake on the Honshu island of Japan and it has a unique outline which looked like the letter M from a bird's eye view. The lake spans across the borders of Aomori Prefecture and Akita Prefecture and is drained by Oirase-gawa (Oirase river), another well known scenic nature spot in Aomori Prefecture. Love the contrast between the blue lake and green vegetation cover on its circumference and I could imagine how picturesque it would be if the lake is decorated by mesmerising shades of autumn foliage in October. Spent about 20 minutes here to admire the panoramic view and enjoy the occasional breeze, before embarking on the descend to catch my bus.

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Towada-ko Kankodai 十和田湖 瞰湖台
http://towadako.or.jp/sansaku-map/utarube/

How to get there? 

(1) By JR Bus Tohoku and walk.

- From Aomori Ekimae Bus Terminal Bus Stop 11 or Shin Aomori JR Station East Exit Bus Stop 1, board JR Bus Tohoku Mizumi-go みずうみ号 heading for Hakkoda Ropeway, Oirase Keiryu and Towada-ko.
- From Hachinohe JR Station Bus Stop, board JR Bus Tohoku Oirase-go おいらせ号 heading for Towada-ko.
- From Yakeyama bus stop 焼山 (nearest to Oirase Keiryu Hotel), board either JR Bus Tohoku Oirase-go おいらせ号 or Mizumi-go みずうみ号 heading for Towada-ko.

Alight at Shimoutarube下宇樽部. It takes another 40 minutes walk to arrive at the observation deck. Do be mindful that there are some up slope on the road to Kankodai.





JR Bus Tohoku: https://www.jrbustohoku.co.jp/route/detail.php?r=45&rc=11
* Note that the bus fare is covered by nationwide JR pass and JR East rail passes.

Tohoku Solo Trip 2016 東北一人の旅 - Day 10 Itinerary: Oirase Keiryu 奥入瀬渓流, Towada 十和田

Day 10: 21.05.2016 (Sat)

Hotel (0600 hrs) > Ishigedo 石ヶ戸 (0611 hrs)
by hotel free shuttle bus.

Walked from Ishigedo 石ヶ戸 to Sanmidare no nagare 三乱の流れ.

Sanmidare no nagare 三乱の流れ (0637 hrs) > Hotel (0645 hrs)
by hotel free shuttle bus.

Breakfast: Oirase Keiryu Hotel 奥入瀬渓流ホテル

Yakeyama 焼山(0835 hrs) > Shimoutarube 下宇樽部 (0911 hrs)
by JR Bus Tohoku.

Walked to Kankodai (Lake Towada Observation Deck) 瞰湖台.
http://towadako.or.jp/sansaku-map/utarube/

Shimoutarube 下宇樽部 (1049 hrs) > Towada-ko 十和田湖 休屋 (1058 hrs)
by JR Bus Tohoku.

Visited Otome no zo / Maiden Statue 乙女の像.

Towada-ko 十和田湖 休屋 > Oirase Keiryu Hotel 奥入瀬渓流ホテル
by taxi. [6,150 yen]

Yakeyama 焼山(1236 hrs) > Towada Art Center 十和田現代美術館 (1325 hrs)
by Towada Kanko Tetsudo Bus. [1,020 yen]
http://www.toutetsu.co.jp/jikoku/towada-yakeyama.htm

Visited Towada Art Center 十和田現代美術館. [510 yen]
http://towadaartcenter.com/web/towadaartcenter.html

Lunch: Cafe & Shop at Towada Art Center

Visited Art Station Towada アートステーショントワダ.
http://www.artstowada.com/data.cgi?id=140531042222

Towada Art Center 十和田現代美術館 (1647 hrs) > Hachinohe JR 八戸駅 (1735 hrs)
by JR Bus Tohoku.

Hachinohe JR 八戸駅 (1812 hrs) > Sendai JR 仙台駅 (1929 hrs)
by Hayabusa はやぶさ 32.

Sendai JR 仙台駅 (2000 hrs) > Fukushima JR福島駅 (2022 hrs)
by Yamabiko やまびこ 56.

Check in: Toyoko Inn Fukushima Eki Higashi Guchi 1 東横イン福島駅東口１
http://www.toyoko-inn.com/e_hotel/00070/

Dinner: Gyoza at Hanashibe はなしべ

- End of Day 10 -

Tohoku 2015, 2016 東北の旅 - Oirase Keiryu Hotel 奥入瀬渓流ホテル

Stayed 14.10.2015 (Wed)
Booked through hotel's website.
One night stay with half board = 28,500 yen/pax + 150 yen/pax bathing tax
- Half board: Kaiseki course for dinner and buffet for breakfast

Stayed 20.05.2016 (Fri)
Booked through hotel's website.
One night stay with half board = 19,000 yen
- Half board: Buffet for both dinner and breakfast





Visited Oirase Keiryu 奥入瀬渓流 on both trips to Tohoku region (with family in Oct 2015 and went solo on May 2016) and stayed at Oirase Keiryu Hotel 奥入瀬渓流ホテル on both occasions because of its proximity to this nature reserve. Oirase Keiryu Hotel is part of Hoshino Resort Group, which manages the luxurious Hoshinoya (星のや) brand, which has establishments outside of Japan such as Taiwan (Gu Guan) and Bali, and Kai (界) brand, which comprises of hot spring ryokan. Overall, I rate Oirase Keiryu Hotel excellent in all aspects that I can think of and will highly recommend this hotel to those who plan to stay over at Oirase Keiryu.

Board the Yu Yu Keiryu Shuttle Bus at the entrance of west building.

Convenient. There is a 14 km long nature trail, that runs alongside Oirase Keiryu, from the hotel to Lake Towada, and it takes approximately 5 hours to just complete one way. Found out that Oirase Keiryu Hotel operates a regular complimentary shuttle bus service (Yu Yu Keiryu Shuttle 悠遊渓流シャトル), which starts as early as 6.00 am, ferrying guests between the hotel and Kumoi no taki 雲井の滝 (Kumoi Waterfall), which is located around the halfway mark of the nature trail. On my second visit, I explored Oirase Keiryu with the help of this convenient bus service as well as JR Bus Tohoku, since the bus fees were covered by the nationwide Japan Rail Pass (I purchased a 14 day pass for my trip).

Sharing below my itinerary which combined the usage of both bus services:
- Hotel > Kumoi no taki, by Yu Yu Keiryu Shuttle
- Kumoi no taki > Choshi otaki 銚子大滝, by walking (~2 hours)
- Choshi otaki > Kumoi no taki, by JR Bus Tohoku Oirase-go おいらせ号 / Mizumi-go みずうみ号
- Kumoi no taki > Sanmidare no nagare 三乱の流れ, by walking (~1.5 hours)
- Sanmidare no nagare > hotel, by Yu Yu Keiryu shuttle

[Oct 2015] Hotel decorated by autumn foliage backdrop.  

[Oct 2015] Come up close to Oirase Keiryu at Keiryu Terrace.

[May 2016] Same spot at Keiryu Terrace, but different season.

More activities. The hotel also has an activity center which organises a variety of activities. Differing from season to season, the activities include guided tour of Oirase Keiryu, discovering the miniature world of mosses along walking trail between Kumoi no taki and Shirogane no nagare (Moses Trail 苔さんぽ) with a magnifying glass, or enjoying a cup of coffee just beside one of the rapids, Shirogane no nagare 白銀の流れ, early in the morning (Keiryu Morning Cafe 渓流モーニングカフェ). Do take note that some of these activities come with additional fee. During my first trip here with my parents, we signed up for a autumn trekking course in which the guide brought us to two recommended viewing spots to admire Hakkoda mountain range 八甲田山 as well as two out of Tsuta seven swamps 蔦七沼 (Kagaminuma 鏡沼 and Tsutanuma 蔦沼). Some of these activities can be really popular (for example, Keiryu Morning Cafe, which was free-of-charge, was over-subscribed during both of my stays with the hotel), therefore it is advisable to book your desired activities as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

[Oct 2015] Visited the lounge twice. First time was to savour their exquisite apple desserts and French press coffee in the afternoon after checking into the hotel. Second time was to drink a cup of hot chocolate before turning in for the night.  

Room and facilities. The hotel is made up east and west buildings. The main entrance and lobby is located on the second floor of the east building, while the activity desk is located on the second floor of the west building, and both blocks are connected by a passageway on the same floor. There is a shop just beside the lobby, making it convenient for guests to purchase local souvenirs such as food and handicrafts to bring back home with. On my previous visits, the lounge in the east building was a cafe serving apple inspired desserts in the day and a bar at night. Coincidentally, I was assigned to a room located in the east building on both occasions. When I stayed at the hotel with my parents in Oct 2015, we had the modern room (44 m2), which came with two single beds and a sofa bed. On the second occasion in May 2016, I slept in a twin room (28 m2) as the hotel did not have rooms with only one single bed. There is a spa corner located in the east building. On my second stay with the hotel, I indulged in a 30 minutes foot message for the very first time in Japan, to soothe the muscle ache from the hiking carried out in the day.

Forest Myth (Mori no Shinwa 森の神話)

River God (Kashin 河神)

Art. The hotel has dedicated spaces for art work displays. There are two large fireplaces, one in each of the buildings. The chimneys of both fireplaces were masterpieces of the late Taro Okamoto 岡本太郎, a Japanese artist known for his abstract and avant-garde paintings and sculptures. The 8.5 m tall bronze chimney in the east building is named Forest Myth (Mori no Shinwa 森の神話) and was completed in April 1991, while the 10 m tall aluminium alloy chimney in the west building is named River God (Kashin 河神) and was completed in April 1996. Both chimneys were inspired by Oirase Keiryu and the latter was a posthumous work of Taro Okamoto (1911 - 1996). The hotel also collaborates with Towada Arts Center 十和田市現代美術館 to put up contemporary artworks in Oirase Art Cube, an art exhibition space located at the ground floor of the east building.

Art Cube.

Hot spring. Previously, there were two communal bathhouses equipped with hot spring pools, one in each building. The hotel has undergone renewal works over the last couple of years and the hot spring facilities have been revamped. There are indoor and outdoor pools in the communal bathhouses which is separated by gender. Guests will be treated to a panoramic view of Oirase Keiryu and the seasonal decoration of the surrounding vegetation, while soaking in the rotenburo (open air bath). In addition to the in-house facilities, the hotel has another open air bath located about 2 km away. Named Yaekokonoe no yu 八重九重の湯, this secluded open air bath overlooks Kokonoe no taki 九重の滝 (Kokonoe Waterfall) and makes one feel close to nature, while soaking in the slightly white hot spring waters that originates from Hakkoda mountain. As this is a mixed gender bath, guests are allowed to use bathing suits that the hotel provides. There are also stipulated time frames blocked out for respective gender (there are more females only sessions as compared to males), so do check out the schedule before hopping onto the shuttle bus, which operates between the hotel and Yaekokonoe no yu, at entrance of the west building. Visited this remote outdoor hot spring during my second stay with the hotel. Missed the only blocked out period catered for males (at 1700 hrs) and had to settle for the mixed gender session at night. Not embarrassing since all of us (there were a few couples and myself at that point of time) wore bathing suits, just like what we would do in swimming pools. Would have preferred to visit it in the daytime to better make out the surrounding scenery that encapsulates this beautiful hot spring spot.

[Oct 2015] The former Restaurant Oirase. 

[Oct 2015] Dinner splendor.

Meals. There are two restaurants in the hotel, one in each building. When I visited the hotel in Oct 2015, I had a kaiseki style dinner in Restaurant Oirase (west building) and buffet breakfast in Restaurant Akayama 紅山 (east building). On my subsequent stay in May 2016, Restaurant Akayama was transformed into Aomori Ringo Kitchen 青森りんごキッチン but remained as buffet style. In recent years, Restaurant Oirase was converted into a full fledged French cuisine restaurant named Sonore ソノール. Personally I am not a big fan of buffet but I am say I was very impressed by the extensive buffet menu offered by Aomori Ringo Kitchen. As the name of the restaurant suggests, many of the dishes incorporate apples, which is the pride of Aomori, as one of their ingredients. For dinner, I had apple tempura, beef steak drizzled with apple sauce, grilled pork served with apple slices, hot from the oven apple pie and apple sherbet. On the following day, I had a couple of glasses of freshly pressed apple juice, fluffy omelette, apple toast, etc for breakfast.

[May 2016] The revamped Aomori Ringo Kitchen where I had both my meals at.

[May 2016] Fully utilising apples in the buffet menu. Top right: Beef steak with apple sauce; Bottom right: Apple pie; Top left: Apple tempura; Bottom left: Grilled pork with apple slices.

[May 2016] Sumptuous breakfast.

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Oirase Keiryu Hotel 奥入瀬渓流ホテル
〒034-0398 青森県十和田市大字奥瀬字栃久保231
+81-176-51-1117
https://www.oirase-keiryuu.jp/

How to get there?

(1) By hotel complimentary pick up service from the following places:
- Hachinohe Station West Exit (1350 hrs) > Oirase Keiryu Hotel (1500 hrs)
- Shin Aomori Station East Exit (1415 hrs) > Oirase Keiryu Hotel (1600 hrs)
- Aomori Station Bus Terminal (1430 hrs) > Oirase Keiryu Hotel (1600 hrs)
- Aomori Airport (1500 hrs) > Oirase Keiryu Hotel (1620 hrs)
Reservation, either via hotel website or by phone call, is required (at least 3 days in advance of check-in date) to utilise this complimentary pick up service.
https://www.oirase-keiryuu.jp/access/

(2) By JR Bus Tohoku and walk.
- From Aomori Station Bus Terminal Bus Stop 11 or Shin Aomori Station East Exit Bus Stop 1, board JR Bus Tohoku Mizumi-go みずうみ号 heading for Hakkoda Ropeway, Oirase Keiryu and Towada-ko. Alight at Yakeyama 焼山 and walk for another 2 minutes to reach the hotel.
- From Hachinohe Station West Exit, board JR Bus Tohoku Oirase-go おいらせ号 heading for Towada-ko. Alight at Yakeyama 焼山 and walk for another 2 minutes to reach the hotel.
Bus schedule: https://www.jrbustohoku.co.jp/route/detail.php?r=80&rc=11