Amazing AOMORI

Arts Towada is a project with the concept of transforming the outdoor space of Kanchogai-dori Avenue, along which the Towada Art Center is located, into an art museum, with a variety of artworks adorning the entirety of the avenue. Delightful public art and street furniture are interspersed along the avenue, which is Towada City’s most emblematic street. The appeal of Arts Towada lies in how the artworks are integrated into everyday life, such as sculptures that can be used as benches.

As part of the art project, the exhibition spaces at the art center have wide glass openings. This configuration creates a sense that the artworks are being exhibited to the city outside as well. Artworks are placed not only in the center’s exhibition rooms but also in various locations throughout the premises including the courtyard, rooftop, and stairwells.

The permanent collection of the Towada Art Center contains works by such world-renowned artists as Yayoi Kusama and Ron Mueck. Visitors can also relax and enjoy the artworks in the Art Square located across from it. Since many of the works in the permanent collection are permitted to be photographed, appreciating them through photographs in addition to closely appreciating them in person may provide new means of enjoyment.

The Oirase Gorge is one of the most beautiful river valleys in Japan, with vibrant and fast flowing water. The gorge extends over 14 km from the contrastively calm Lake Towada. The Oirase Gorge shows its beauty in different ways throughout the four seasons. However, the gorge is mostly known for its spectacular autumn foliage in the fall season.
The Oirase Gorge has an enchanting atmosphere with many waterfalls and thick woods. Starting in October, the leaves of the trees begin to change to vibrant red and yellow, adding to the already vivid green of the moss on the rocks, adding colors to a magnificent sight. The autumn colors peak every year around the end of October to the beginning of November. Visitors can hike around the gorge on the hiking trail. The gorge is a National Special Place of Scenic Beauty and National Natural Monument.

Rental Bicycles

Rental Bicycles are available for visitors who prefer cycling to walking.

The Oirase Stream Museum

The Oirase Stream Museum is located conveniently at the mouth of the Oirase Gorge for visitors to enjoy a break with a light meal or shop for souvenirs.

Lake Towada displays a vibrant colorful fall with the yellow leaves of beech trees and the red of Japanese maple trees.
Lake Towada is a well-known spot in Tohoku region for its picturesque scenery.
The magnificent view of the lake colored with the reflection of Mount Towada is an unforgettable sight. In addition to the view from lakeside, the sight of the fall leaves from aboard the excursion boats is also highly recommended. The peak viewing season of Lake Towada’s fall leaves is from the middle to the end of October.

Lake Towada Excursion Boats

Visitors of Lake Towada can enjoy a different view of the lake with the Lake Towada Excursion boat throughout the year. The vibrant scenery that can be only enjoyed aboard the boats is sure to make your trip memorable.

General Ticket Fee Adult ¥1440, Child ¥720
Routes 1)Yasumiya to Yasumiya 2)Nenokuchi to Yasumiya
*The boat service is suspended during the winter season.
(Japanese) http://www.toutetsu.co.jp/ship.html

Towada Visitor Center

In addition to sightseeing information around Lake Towada, visitors can learn about the history of the lake as well as the trees and wild birds of the area. A film “The Four Seasons of Towada” can be seen in high-vision picture. 

A mysterious shrine in the tranquil woods. 

Sukayu is a mountainous hot spring that has been accessible for over 300 years. The facility is a timber building, the oldest in Hakkoda area. The hot spring was the first to be appointed as the People’s Recreation Hot Spring in 1954. The area is surrounded by great wilderness such as Mt. Hakkoda, Suiren Numa Pond, and Jogakura Gorge. In the winter, Sukayu is filled with skiers and snowboarders while in the spring, summer, and fall, the hot spring welcomes trekkers and hikers.

Sukayu features three baths, a co-ed, a female-only, and a male-only bath. The baths are all natural with water flowing directly from the source. The most famous “Senjin Buro”, the bath of a thousand bathers, is a massive co-ed bath with the size of 248㎡ (2669 sq. feet). The guest rooms in the ryokan facility are styled in traditional Japanese with a veranda and tokonoma (an alcove where art or flowers are displayed). The extended-stay facility houses simple rooms in Japanese style as well.

The inn restaurant “Onimenan”, guests can enjoy the local cuisine sukayu soba and ginger miso bamboo oden (Japanese style stewed vegetables and dumplings).

Hot Spring Water Composition / Acidic sulfate spring

Hot Spring Benefits / Rheumatoid, nerve pain, intestinal diseases, female-specific disorders, constipation, asthma

The Beech Bath “Sennin Buro”

“Sennin Buro”, the bath of a thousand bathers, received the name from its great size. The bath is made with beech wood and has charmed bath lovers of all ages. On cold winter days, the bath area fills with white steam, creating the nostalgic feel of an old hot spring. The popular bath has been shown on television and in magazines numerous times. Though it is normally mixed bathing, there is an allotted time during the day for female bathers only.

The Hakkoda Ropeway is located in the Towada-Hachimantai National Park and operates throughout the year. The autumn leaves season and the winter ice season are especially popular.