Tohoku 2015 東北の旅 - Aji no Sapporo Onishi 味の札幌 大西

Visited 15.10.2015 (Thu)



B grade gourmet. After visiting ASPAM (Aomori Prefecture Sightseeing Product Mansion) to capture an overview of the city in the evening, dinner was next on our itinerary. I am always on the look out of B-grade gourmet food when I visit different prefectures and miso curry milk ramen 味噌カレー牛乳ラーメン, which was featured as one of Aomori's specialty, caught my attention the most. From the pictures, the color of the soup looks quite similar to the curries I had back at home; instead of the dark brown color which is typical of Japanese curries. Aji no Sapporo 味の札幌 is a ramen shop which has been around in Aomori city since 1968 and also the creator behind this one of its kind ramen flavour in Japan. While writing this blog post, I discovered a trivia about the origin of miso curry milk ramen online. The creation of this soul food exclusive to Aomori actually stemmed from a random remark made by middle and high school students. I supposed no one would have anticipated that this unique combination of flavours would become so well received by the locals and even rose to the status of B grade gourmet food since its introduction on the menu in 1978.





Mellow. Currently, there are five shops offering miso curry milk ramen in Aomori city - two of them within walking distance from the main train station (Aji no Sapporo Onishi 大西 and Aji no Sapporo Asari 浅利). Came to Aji no Sapporo Onishi, which appeared to be more highly rated and popular one among the two. Apart from its signature miso curry milk ramen [830 yen], diners can also find a variety of toppings (such as char siew, corn and even natto) and soup base (such as shio, shoyu, curry and milk) in its menu.

My bowl of miso curry milk ramen was topped with char siew, wakame (seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), beansprouts and a slice of butter. The orange red colour of the soup was already very appealing and relatable, and I could not wait to take a sip of the piping hot soup. Since Aji no Sapporo's ramen is Hokkaido style (Sapporo is well known for its miso based ramen), I was expecting the soup may be on the saltier side. Addition of curry spices and milk did make the soup more mellow and creamier, but the overall flavour lacked the punch to impress my picky tastebuds. Seeing the word "curry" and looking at the appearance of the soup, I would naturally compare this to the "lemak" (coconut milk) version that I grew up with. Therefore, I was hopping for a stronger curry flavour infused soup. Even though this bowl of miso curry milk ramen did not stand out despite the uncommon combination of flavours, I think it is as good as the usual ones I had savour before in Japan. Still worth a try!





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Aji no Sapporo Onishi 味の札幌 大西

〒030-0862 青森市古川1-15-6 大西クリエイトビル1F

Operating hours: 1100 - 2130 hrs

https://www.oonishi0024.co.jp/oonishi

How to get there? 
(1) By foot. About 10 minutes walk from Aomori JR Station 青森駅.

Tohoku 2015 東北の旅 - ASPAM アスパム

Visited 15.10.2015 (Thu)

A for Aomori. Named ASPAM アスパム, this 15 storey tall building overlooking Aomori bay, is triangular in shape to look like the letter "A" which stands for Aomori and has become one of Aomori’s iconic landmark. ASPAM stands for Aomori Sightseeing Product Mansion and aims to promote industry, sightseeing, products and traditional folk arts exclusive to Aomori Prefecture. Made our way to ASPAM by Nebutan-go bus from Sannai Maruyama Archaeological Site 三内丸山遺跡. The first floor of the building is mainly occupied by shops selling souvenirs, local agricultural products (such as apples, garlic and chinese yam), and both fresh and processed seafood. Here, I was spoilt for choice over a wide variety of sweets and confectionery featuring apples, the pride of Aomori Prefecture. There were various types of apple pies, mochi, kit kat, langue de chat biscuits, jellies and etc to choose from and all of them looked pretty enticing. Apart from food, visitors can also bring back traditional crafts such as kokeshi (hand painted wooden dolls), stationery featuring Tsugaru kogin sashi 津軽こぎん刺し (a type of needlework technique) and Tsugaru kaneyamayaki 津軽金山焼 (pottery) from the shops here. After completing my mission of souvenir shopping, I treated myself to a cup of refreshing apple soft cream (りんごソフトクリーム) with delicious apple chunks filled at the bottom - highly recommended to try when you are at ASPAM.

Observatory. There are two restaurants located within ASPAM. Hanaf はなぁふ is a western style restaurant occupies the 14th floor (the highest) of the building. At Hanaf, diners can enjoy a menu of dishes created from seasonal ingredients produced locally while embracing a scenic view of the city. The observatory, located on the 13th floor, is about 51 m high and offers a 360 degree panoramic view of the surroundings. Apart from an overview of the grid layout of streets, Mustu bay enclosed by the peninsula of Shimokita 下北, Tsugaru 津軽 and Natsudomari 夏泊, Hakkoda mountain range, Aomori Bay Bridge and Hakkoda Maru 八甲田丸 (a ship which was once used to ferry passengers between Hokkaido and Aomori before the opening of Seikan Tunnel, permanently docked at Aomori Port and now serves as a museum) can be identified clearly from here. Made our way to the observatory just before sunset to witness the transformation from a blue and orange coloured skyline to a night view illuminated with lights.

To the West: Aomori Bay Bridge and Hakkoda Maru. 

Night view.

To the East.

To the South: Grid layout of streets and Hakkoda mountain range in the background.

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ASPAM アスパム
〒030-0803 青森県青森市安方一丁目1番40号
Operating hours: 0900 - 1830 hrs
Operating hours for observatory: 0900 - 2000 hrs
Admission fee for observatory = 400 yen
http://www.aomori-kanko.or.jp/web/

How to get there?

(1) By foot. Approx 8 minutes walk from Aomori JR Station.

(2) By Nebutan-go bus ねぶたん号バス.
Nebutan-go bus departs from Aomori Ekimae Bus Terminal Platform #7 and the bus route covers attractions located in Aomori city such as Sannai Maruyama Historical Site 三内丸山遺跡, Aomori Museum of Art 青森県立美術館, ASPAM, Aomori Prefectural Museum 県立郷土館 and Shiko Munakata Memorial Museum 棟方志功記念館.
- Fare per trip = 200 yen
- One day pass = 500 yen
http://www.aomori-kanko-bus.co.jp/topics.html

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Tohoku 2015 東北の旅 - Sannai Maruyama Historical Site 三内丸山遺跡, Sanmaru Museum さんまるミュージアム

Visited 15.10.2015 (Thu)



Backup. Original plan was to visit Aomori Art Museum 青森県立美術館 after arriving in Aomori city on Day 7. To my dismay, I found out from the staff at the tourist information center that the art museum was closed for refurbishment (from end 2015 to early 2016). Had a last minute change of plan and decided to visit Sannai Maruyama Historical Site 三内丸山遺跡, which is situated beside the art museum, instead.

Recreated a pit dwelling village.

Introduction. Sannai Maruyama Historical Site was where a large, long term settlement existed from early to the middle Jomon period, approximately 4,000 to 5,500 years ago. I find it hard to imagine how life was in the B.C. period. However, thanks to a group of archaeologists, the excavated remains provided some insights on how people lived in this settlement at that point of time. Since the start of excavation in 1992, numerous building structures, burial pits, pottery and stone artefacts were discovered and studied extensively. After gathering these valuable information, recreation of dwellings and other building structures were carried out at the same site, to replicate how a village might have looked like during the Jomon period. Apart from being recognised as a special historical site by the government in Nov 2000, Jomon Archaeological Site in Hokkaido and Northern Tohoku, which includes Sannai Maruyama Site, has been identified as a potential UNESCO World Heritage Designation in 2021 by the government panel.







Village. First, we made our way to the outdoor section where the village of Sannai Maruyama was recreated based on archaeological evidences. Pit dwellings were homes to the prehistoric humans, and they were constructed with pillars, a roof and a floor which was dug below ground level. About 550 dwellings have been discovered so far and 15 of them have been reconstructed at the current site.

Longhouse.

A peek inside the longhouse.

The landmark of Sannai Maruyama Historical Site.

Large pit dwellings are more than 10 m long. A longhouse of Middle Jomon Period measuring 32 m in length and the remains of an oval dwelling measuring 18 m long were featured. These dwellings were believed to be used as meeting halls, workshops or communal houses. The most prominent structure in this site is a large pillar supported building, reconstructed on a scale based on estimates derived from excavation research results and the analysis of pressure exerted on the soil at the bottom of the pillar holes. The six pillars holes, each measured about 2 m in both diameter and depth, were situated 4.2 m apart from each other and neatly arranged in two lines of three holes.

Burial jars for children.

This is how a mound looked like.

Another interesting find was burial jars used for children who passed away. The pottery used as coffins might be differentiated from those used for cooing by its broken rim or bottom. In addition, about 500 adult burial pits were also uncovered at the site. Learnt a new word called "mound" which refers to this slightly elevated patch of ground formed by the long term disposal of dirt and waste generated during the construction of pit dwellings, digging of holes as well as disposal of broken potsherds, stone artefacts, burned soil and coal.

Piecing Jomon pottery together.

Sanmaru Museum. Completed the village tour and entered the indoor museum. In Sanmaru Museum さんまるミュージアム, about 1,700 artefacts, in which 500 of them are classified as important cultural property, are put up for display. Was impressed by the effort taken by the archaeologists to put the broken pieces together to recreate Jomon pottery. Pit dwelling and wax figures replicated the scenes that may be observed in a Jomon family. The lives of Jomon people and how they coexisted with nature were inferred from the excavated items and research findings were presented in various media. The display boards are generally easy to comprehend (available in English) and visitors can also participate in the museum guided tour, which is available twice a day (1030 and 1400 hrs). For me, Sannai Maruyama Historical Site was an eye-opener and is truly one excellent place to visit, especially for those who are fascinated about prehistoric age.

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Sannai Maruyama Historical Site 三内丸山遺跡
青森県青森市大字三内字丸山305
Operating hours: 0900 - 1700 hrs; closed on the 4th Monday of every month
Admission fee = 410 yen
http://sannaimaruyama.pref.aomori.jp/

How to get there?

(1) By bus from Aomori Ekimae Bus Terminal.
There are two bus services that depart from the bus terminal in front of Aomori JR Station/Aoimori Railway Station for Sannai Maruyama Historical Site.

Platform #6: For Aomori City Bus 青森市営バス Sannai Maruyama Historical Site line 三内丸山遺跡線, heading for Aomori Museum of Art 青森県立美術館 and Sannai Maruyama Historical Site 三内丸山遺跡.
- Fare from Aomori Ekimae to Aomori Museum of Art = 280 yen
- Fare from Aomori Ekimae to Sannai Maruyama Historical Site = 310 yen
https://www.city.aomori.aomori.jp/koutsu/documents/20151001sannnaimaruyamasenn.pdf

Platform #7: For Nebutan-go Bus ねぶたん号バス, which covers attractions located in Aomori city such as Sannai Maruyama Historical Site 三内丸山遺跡, Aomori Museum of Art 青森県立美術館, ASPAM, Aomori Prefectural Museum 県立郷土館 and Shiko Munakata Memorial Museum 棟方志功記念館.
- Fare per trip = 200 yen
- One day pass = 500 yen
http://www.aomori-kanko-bus.co.jp/topics.html



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Commemorative stamp:

Tohoku 2015 東北の旅 - Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse ねぶたの家 ワラッセ

Visited 15.10.2015 (Thu)



Background. Various Nebuta/Neputa festivals are held throughout Aomori Prefecture during the summer season. The word "Nebuta" is coined from the adjective "neputai" which means sleepy in Aomori dialect and the main objective of the festival was to motivate people to pull through the dog days of summer in the past. Today, though the significance of celebrating this festival may not be the exactly the same anymore, the modern version festival has become an intangible cultural asset of Aomori Prefecture, attracting millions of visitors annually during the festival period. 

Rassera! In Aomori city, Nebuta festival is held between 2 to 7 Aug. Gigantic, elaborately designed and vibrantly coloured lantern floats are constructed from scratch by local artisans. It takes approximately three months to create one such gigantic lantern float. The lanterns, typically depict kabuki, various types of god or characters from folk tales, are created from wire, covered with high quality Japanese paper and illuminated by light bulbs. They are placed on top of two wheel trucks which are loaded with power generators and the entire setup, each weighing as heavy as 4 tons, are pushed manually during the street parade. As the lantern floats are paraded down the street during the festival, participants will dance and exclaim "rassera" along the way. This chant came about during pre WWII days when the lantern floats were illuminated using candles. Children would shout "dase, dase" when asking for more candles to be lit and this phrase was eventually turned into "rasse, rasse" overtime. If you are unable to join the actual Nebuta festival in summer, there is a museum, situated just a stone throw away from Aomori JR Station, for visitors to experience the joyous ambience of Aomori's Nebuta festival all year round.





Impressive. The exterior design of the museum building is especially eye catching and intriguing, and can be easily identified from afar. The two storey tall building is encapsulated by long, vermilion coloured steel plates, which extend from the top to the base of the building. Each steel plate is gently twisted at the center of its length. At the entrances of the museum, the steel plates are designed and oriented to look as if the plates were pried open.





Heritage. The tour of this museum begins on the second floor. First, visitors will pass through a tunnel in the Nebuta Museum where the historical background of Nebuta festival is introduced using interactive media, video clips and pictorial exhibits. Here, the prototypes of these lanterns are displayed, allowing visitors to take a peek at its inner structure. Followed the flow of the exhibits and descended to the first floor where we came up close to the actual, large sized lantern floats. Named Nebuta Hall, five floats from the most recent festival are displayed here. The level of details portrayed in each of the lantern is just mind blowing and left me in awe. This is truly a showcase of the impressive skills that the locals possess to build these extraordinarily beautiful lanterns and most importantly, their undying spirit and commitment to preserve this culture for many future generations to come.

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Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse ねぶたの家 ワラッセ
〒030-0803 青森市安方1-1-1
Operating hours: 0900 - 1900 hrs (May - Aug); 0900 - 1800 hrs (Sep - Apr)
Admission fee = 600 yen
http://www.nebuta.jp/warasse/

How to get there?

(1) By foot from JR / Aoimori Tetsudo Aomori Station 青森駅. About 1 minute walk from the train station.

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Tohoku 2015 東北の旅 - Hotel Route Inn Aomori Ekimae ホテルルートイン青森駅前

Stayed 15.10.2015 (Thu)
Booked thru' Rurubu
- Single room = 5,790 yen (after points redemption)
- Double room = 11,620 yen



2nd time. On most occasions, Toyoko Inn is my top pick for accommodation in more populated/developed cities in Japan as their branches are typically located near train station. In fact, Toyoko Inn (Aomori Eki Shomen Guchi 東横INN青森駅正面口) has a branch situated adjacent to Hotel Route Inn and both hotels are a minute walk away from Aomori JR Station. Price wise, Hotel Route Inn is slightly higher than Toyoko Inn for the same room type. Having said that, Hotel Route Inn has its own merits which Toyoko Inn may be lacking in. The last time I stayed in a Hotel Route Inn was in Abashiri when I visited Hokkaido back in Feb 2013. As I was not able to secure the desired room types in Toyoko Inn Aomori Eki Shomen Guchi on the day of my stay, Hotel Route Inn Aomori Ekimae naturally became the next better and affordable option.

Better. Hotel Route Inn follows the same budget business hotel concept like its competitors. The single room which I was assigned to had adequate walking space and all basic amenities, to ensure a good night rest, were well taken care of by the hotel. Room and toilet were clean and well kept. Two features which set Hotel Route Inn apart from Toyoko Inn are the communal bath facility and breakfast. Similar to the first Hotel Route Inn branch which I stayed previously in Abashiri, there is a communal bathhouse, which is separated by gender, in this particular branch. Here, guests can enjoy a relaxing soak in the hot water pool (artificial hot spring produced with mineral containing stones added to circulating water) after bathing to wear off a day's tiredness. Complimentary breakfast is offered in Hotel Route Inn and they offer a much more sumptuous buffet spread than Toyoko Inn. Guests can choose from a selection of both Japanese and western style breakfast dishes. I usually set off early (~0730 hrs) such that I can cover more places of interest during daytime and the time that breakfast commence in such hotels fit well into my schedule. Therefore, I will take advantage of this convenience and have a hearty breakfast before moving off.

What's nearby?

(1) Aomori JR Station 青森駅, Aoimori Railway Aomori Station 青い森鉄道青森駅 and LOVINA shopping mall, a minute walk from the hotel.

(2) Bus terminal, just in front of the hotel.

(3) Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse ねぶたの家 ワラッセ, less than a minute walk from the hotel.

(4) A Factory, a minute walk from the hotel.

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Hotel Route Inn Aomori Ekimae ホテルルートイン青森駅前
〒030-0801 青森県青森市新町1-1-24
https://www.route-inn.co.jp/hotel_list/aomori/index_hotel_id_65/

How to get there?

(1) By foot. A minute walk from Aomori JR Station 青森駅.

Tohoku 2015 東北の旅 - Aomori JR Station 青森駅, Aoimori Tetsudo Aomori Station 青い森鉄道青森駅, A Factory

Aomori JR Station 青森駅, is a train station on Ou main line, located in the heart of the capital city of Aomori Prefecture. Shin Aomori JR Station 新青森駅 which is a train station away from here, is served by the Tohoku and Hokkaido Shinkansen lines. Apart from JR East operated railway line, Aoimori Testudo 青い森鉄道 took over the operation of a third sector line (owned by both government and private sectors) connecting Aomori to Metoki 目時駅, stopping by Noheji 野辺地駅 and Hachinohe 八戸駅, after the extension of Tohoku Shinkansen to Shin Aomori was completed.







Limited express / sightseeing trains serving this train station include:

(1) Resort Shirakami リゾートしらかみ, a limited express sightseeing train which commutes between Aomori 青森駅 and Akita 秋田駅 via Ou main line 奥羽本線 and Gono line 五能線. A total of three round trips is made per day (on most days) by a fleet of train comprised of three different themes - Buna 橅, Aoike 青池 and Kumagera くまげら.

https://www.jreast.co.jp/railway/joyful/shirakami.html

(2) Limited Express Tsugaru つがる, commutes between Aomori and Akita via Ou main line 奥羽本線, stopping by Shin Aomori 新青森駅, Hirosaki 弘前駅, Owani Onsen 大鰐温泉駅, Odate 大舘駅and Higashi-Noshiro 東能代駅. 

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What’s nearby?

(1) Aomori Tourist Information Center, located just in front of the train station and within the bus terminal ticketing office.



(2) LOVINA, a shopping mall connected seamlessly to the train station. MUJI is located on the 3F of the building.
https://www.jre-abc.com/wp/lovina/index/

(3) Bus terminal, located in front of the train station.

Platform #6: For Aomori City Bus 青森市営バス Sannai Maruyama Historical Site line 三内丸山遺跡線, heading for Aomori Museum of Art 青森県立美術館 and Sannai Maruyama Historical Site 三内丸山遺跡.

- Fare from Aomori Ekimae to Aomori Museum of Art = 280 yen

- Fare from Aomori Ekimae to Sannai Maruyama Historical Site = 310 yen

https://www.city.aomori.aomori.jp/koutsu/documents/20151001sannnaimaruyamasenn.pdf

Platform #7: For Nebutan-go Bus ねぶたん号バス, which covers attractions located in Aomori city such as Sannai Maruyama Historical Site 三内丸山遺跡, Aomori Museum of Art 青森県立美術館, ASPAM, Aomori Prefectural Museum 県立郷土館 and Shiko Munakata Memorial Museum 棟方志功記念館.

- Fare per trip = 200 yen

- One day pass = 500 yen

http://www.aomori-kanko-bus.co.jp/topics.html

Platform #11: 

- For JR Tohoku Bus Mizumi-go みずうみ号 heading for Hakkoda Ropeway 八甲田ロープウェー, Oirase Keiryu 奥入瀬渓流 and Towada-ko 十和田湖. 

https://www.jrbustohoku.co.jp/route/detail.php?r=45&rc=11

- For JR Tohoku Bus to Aomori Airport 青森空港

https://www.jrbustohoku.co.jp/route/detail.php?r=7&rc=1

(4) A Factory, a minute walk from train station. A modern style warehouse look alike building which houses an apple cider factory (A Factory being the brand of the apple cider), Food Marche which sells both fresh and processed food produced from Aomori Prefecture, dessert shop and restaurants. During my stay here, we enjoyed apple pies from SKIPEGG, which utilises high quality fresh eggs from Tokiwa poultry farm to create delicious sweets and confectionery.   

Operating hours: 0900 - 2000 hrs
https://www.jre-abc.com/wp/afactory/index/

(5) Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse ねぶたの家 ワ.ラッセ, a minute walk from train station.
Aomori Nebuta Matsuri 青森ねぶた祭 is a symbolic traditional festival that the locals in Aomori city celebrate from 2 to 7 Aug every year. Fret not even if you are unable to visit Aomori city during the peak festive period as there is a museum dedicated to this iconic festival for visitors to better understand the history and also come close to the gigantic illuminated floats which are carried by the participants during the procession.
http://www.nebuta.jp/warasse/

(6) ASPAM, 8 minutes walk from train station. ASPAM is the acronym for Aomori Sightseeing Product Mansion where a good range and variety of locally produced goods can be found, making it an excellent place to shop for souvenirs exclusive to this prefecture. Do not forget to visit the observatory located on the 13th floor of the building, which offers a 360 degree panoramic view of the city and Mutsu bay.
Operating hours: 0900 - 1830 hrs
http://www.aomori-kanko.or.jp/web/

(7) Aomori Ichiba 青森魚菜センター, 5 minutes walk from train station.
In this wet market, you can order kaisen or seafood rice bowl without a fixed menu. Called Nokke don のっけ丼, visitors get to choose the toppings to appear on top of their rice. First, purchase a set of coupons from the front desk (10 coupons for 1,300 yen or 5 coupons for 650 yen). Next, exchange for a bowl of rice with one coupon from stalls with a red coloured signboards. After that, walk around the market, select from a range of seafood and cooked food (such as tamago-yaki or tsukemono) and exchange them with the coupons. The operating philosophy is actually quite similar to Katte don 勝手丼, another type of seafood rice bowl which I have seen and tasted in Abashiri, Hokkaido.
Operating hours: 0700 - 1600 hrs
https://nokkedon.jp/

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Commemorative stamps: