Shimokita Peninsula, Oma, and Osorezan are home to tourist attractions such as Osorezan, Entsuji Temple, and Otaki Waterfall, tourist events such as Osorezan Grand Festival, Tanabe Festival, and Kawauchi Hachiman Shrine Annual Festival, and local gourmet foods such as apple pie, Nakayoshi, and French cuisine.
Mutsu City is known for being the first city in Japan to use hiragana in its name, and is located in the Shimokita region of Aomori Prefecture. The Shimokita region is the Shimokita Peninsula, a long and narrow peninsula jutting out into the sea, facing Mutsu Bay and the Tsugaru Straits, making Mutsu City the northernmost city in Honshu.
Mutsu City is known as a sightseeing spot with a unique atmosphere in Aomori Prefecture, and its biggest sightseeing spot is Mount Osorezan, which is known for its itako (stone figures). Along with Hieizan and Koyasan, Mt. Osorezan is one of the three most sacred places in Japan, and has been selected as one of the 100 most unexplored places in Japan. Of course, Mt. Osorezan itself is a tourist attraction, and at the foot of the mountain is the Osorezan Sai-no-gawara, which offers an out-of-this-world atmosphere that cannot be experienced anywhere else.
Mutsu City is also home to Yagen Onsen, famous for its kappa hot springs, and Osorezan Onsen. Lake Uzori, a beautiful emerald green caldera lake, is highly acidic and has a strong sulfur smell, which may not be to everyone's liking.
The night view from the observatory has been selected as one of the 100 best night views in Japan, and the snowy Kamagasan Ski Resort is also crowded with tourists who come for skiing and other activities.
Not far from here is the town of Oma, known for its Oma tuna, which is a well-known and popular gourmet brand. Furthermore, tourism in Oma Town includes the Oma Lighthouse, located in the northernmost part of Honshu, and the Oma Hot Springs, also in the northernmost part of Honshu.
Mutsu City and Oma Town are located on the Shimokita Peninsula, which is geographically located in the northeastern part of Aomori Prefecture, and the entire peninsula is designated as Shimokita Peninsula National Park. Therefore, visiting Mutsu City and Ohma Town for sightseeing is a trip to the Shimokita Peninsula.
In this way, the Shimokita Peninsula, the northernmost point of Honshu, is not a tourist destination where you can enjoy fancy and lively leisure activities, but rather a place where you can feel the mystery of sightseeing.
Osorezan Bodaiji Temple is a historic temple of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism in Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture. Together with Mount Hiei and Mount Koya, Osorezan is traditionally regarded as one of Japan's Three Sacred Sites. According to tradition, the temple was founded in 862, when the Buddhist monk Jikaku Daishi Ennin visited the area and enshrined a statue of Jizo Bodhisattva. Since then, ...»
A Sacred Place Associated with the World of the Dead Osorezan is a sacred mountain in Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture, and is regarded as one of Japan's Three Sacred Places, together with Mount Hiei and Mount Koya. The name Osorezan refers not to a single mountain, but to the volcanic caldera area surrounding Lake Usoriyama, with Mount Kamabuse rising to 878 meters as its highest point. For centur...»
Hotokegaura is one of the most spectacular natural landscapes in northern Japan. Located on the western coast of the Shimokita Peninsula in Sai Village, Aomori Prefecture, this dramatic coastline is famous for its enormous pale green and white rock formations stretching for approximately 2 kilometers. Carved by wind, waves, rain, and the passage of geological time, the rocks rise dramatically alo...»
Omazaki Cape is located at the northernmost tip of the Shimokita Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture and is famous as the northernmost point of Japan’s main island, Honshu. Standing at the edge of the Tsugaru Strait, visitors can look across the sea toward Hokkaido on clear days. The cape is a particularly memorable destination because of its dramatic coastal scenery and its connection with the world-...»
Osorezan Onsen is a unique hot spring located within the grounds of Entsuji Temple at Osorezan in Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture. Surrounded by volcanic landscapes, sulfurous fumes, and the spiritual atmosphere of one of northern Japan's most important sacred sites, the hot spring offers an experience unlike almost any other onsen in Japan. For centuries, Osorezan has been regarded as a place wher...»
Keiran is a traditional local dish from the Shimokita Peninsula in northern Aomori Prefecture. It is known for its charming appearance, with soft white rice cakes shaped like eggs and filled with smooth sweet red bean paste. The delicate sweetness of the bean paste combines beautifully with the savory flavor of a light soy sauce-based broth made from kombu kelp and dried shiitake mushrooms. Simpl...»
Beko-mochi is a traditional Japanese sweet found mainly in northern Japan, particularly in the Shimokita region of Aomori Prefecture and parts of Hokkaido and the Tohoku region. It has traditionally been enjoyed as a special celebratory confection for Tango no Sekku, the Boys' Festival, held in May or, in some northern areas, on June 5 according to the old custom of celebrating the festival one mo...»
Oma Tuna is one of Japan’s most prestigious seafood specialties. Caught in the waters around Oma Town at the northern tip of the Shimokita Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture, Oma’s bluefin tuna is renowned throughout Japan for its exceptional quality and rich flavor. The waters around Oma are rich in squid and Pacific saury, which are important sources of food for tuna. This abundant marine environme...»
Kazamaura Anglerfish is a prized seafood specialty from Kazamaura Village on the northwestern coast of the Shimokita Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture. Facing the Tsugaru Strait, the village has long been known as an important fishing area for anglerfish, a deep-sea fish prized for its rich flavor and unusual texture. Anglerfish are delicate deep-sea fish that can be difficult to handle. Because of ...»
Ika no Sushi is a traditional local dish that has been enjoyed for generations in the Ohata area of the Shimokita Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture. Despite having the word “sushi” in its name, this dish is quite different from the sushi familiar to visitors from around the world. There is no rice or sticky rice inside Ika no Sushi. Instead, a boiled squid body is filled with a colorful mixture of i...»
Spa House Rokkapokka is a day-use hot spring facility in Rokkasho Village, Aomori Prefecture, where visitors can enjoy bathing, dining, relaxation, and entertainment all under one roof. With spacious and comfortable facilities, Rokkapokka is designed for visitors of all ages. In addition to its hot spring baths, the complex features restaurants, relaxation services, children's areas, games, and k...»
Oma Tuna refers to wild bluefin tuna landed in Oma Town, located at the northern tip of the Shimokita Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture. Bluefin tuna is one of the largest and most highly prized species of tuna in the world, with some individuals growing to more than 3 meters in length. Oma is particularly famous for its traditional one-by-one handline fishing. Each tuna is individually caught by a ...»
Oma Tuna Bowl is a luxurious local specialty featuring premium bluefin tuna caught off the coast of Oma Town in Aomori Prefecture, the northernmost point of Japan’s main island of Honshu. Tuna from this area is famous throughout Japan as one of the country’s most prestigious tuna brands. In particular, bluefin tuna caught using traditional single-line fishing methods is known as Oma Tuna. Because...»
Shimokita Wine is a distinctive wine produced from grapes grown on the Shimokita Peninsula, the northernmost part of Japan’s main island of Honshu. The wine is made using fully ripened grapes cultivated with reduced use of agricultural chemicals, resulting in a wine with rich fruit flavors and a distinctive character shaped by the cool northern climate....»
Aomori sea urchin is prized for its smooth, melting texture, distinctive sweetness, and rich aroma of the sea. As soon as it enters the mouth, its creamy flavor spreads gently across the palate, making it one of the most luxurious seafood specialties of Aomori Prefecture. Aomori is one of Japan’s major sea urchin-producing regions, ranking third nationwide in domestic sea urchin catch in 2019. Th...»
Ominato Navy Croquette is a local specialty of Ominato in Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture. It is based on a recipe for croquettes served as military food by the former Imperial Japanese Navy and is said to have originated during the Meiji period, when the former naval forces stationed in Ominato developed nutritious meals to help prevent nutritional deficiencies among their personnel. One of the mo...»
Aomori-grown barnacles are an unusual and highly prized seafood delicacy from northern Japan. In Japanese, they are called fujitsubo, a name that literally refers to the “Fuji-shaped pot” of their shell. Their conical shells resemble miniature Mount Fuji, giving them their distinctive appearance. The species commonly eaten in Aomori is officially known as the minefujitsubo. Although barnacles rem...»
Noheji Haitsuki Kokabu is a distinctive small turnip grown in Noheji, Aomori Prefecture. It is known for its exceptionally high sugar content, juicy texture, and refreshing sweetness that has often been compared to fruit. One of its most remarkable characteristics is that almost the entire plant can be eaten. The skin is very thin, while the stems and leaves are also tender and naturally sweet. B...»
Odzuke Batto is a traditional local dish from the Shimokita Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture. It is a hearty miso-based soup filled with ingredients such as green onions, shiitake mushrooms, burdock root, Chinese cabbage, and pork. What makes the dish particularly distinctive is the addition of warm potato dumplings made from mashed potatoes and potato starch....»
Niaekko is a traditional local dish from the Shimokita region of Aomori Prefecture. It is made by combining finely cut vegetables and wild mountain vegetables with crumbled tofu, then seasoning and simmering the mixture until the moisture has been cooked away. The result is a simple yet flavorful dish that makes the most of ingredients traditionally available in the local area....»
When people think of monkfish in Japan, monkfish hot pot, or ankō nabe, is probably the dish that comes to mind first. In the Shimokita region of Aomori Prefecture, however, monkfish is traditionally enjoyed in a different way: ankō no tomo-ae. This local specialty combines monkfish meat, skin, and other edible parts with its rich liver, often described as the “foie gras of the sea.” The ingredie...»
Sea cucumber is an essential ingredient in traditional New Year's cuisine in Aomori Prefecture. It is found along much of Aomori's coastline and is particularly abundant in Mutsu Bay. Known for its distinctive crunchy, chewy texture, sea cucumber is considered a special delicacy in the region....»
Yokohama Town in Aomori Prefecture is known as a town of beautiful seasonal scenery, including fields of bright yellow rapeseed flowers. Along its coastline, the calm waters of Mutsu Bay meet broad, shallow rocky areas. These coastal conditions have supported a traditional sea cucumber fishery for more than 300 years. Sea cucumber remains one of Yokohama Town's best-known local specialties and ha...»
Osorezan Beer is a unique Japanese craft beer brewed at Bai-kozan Sotokuji Temple, located at the foot of the Osorezan mountain range in Aomori Prefecture. What makes this beer particularly unusual is that it is brewed using natural spring water from the temple grounds. In Europe, beers brewed at monasteries are well known, particularly Trappist beer. Japan also has its own rare tradition of temp...»
Minamiya Mackerel in Water is a popular canned seafood product made with fatty autumn-caught mackerel from Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan. Aomori is one of Japan's major mackerel-producing regions, and mackerel has long been an important part of the area's seafood culture....»
Hotate Fish Sauce is a distinctive Japanese fermented seasoning developed in Yokohama Town, Aomori Prefecture, one of the region's major scallop-producing areas. Made with scallops from Mutsu Bay and apples from Aomori, this unique fish sauce combines the rich umami of scallops with the gentle aroma and freshness of local apples....»
Mutsu City is located in the Shimokita Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture and is the northernmost city on the island of Honshu, Japan’s main island. With a vast municipal area, Mutsu is the largest municipality in Aomori Prefecture by administrative area and serves as a central city for the Shimokita region. Surrounded by mountains, forests, bays, and lakes, Mutsu offers a remarkable combination of n...»
Lake Usori is a mysterious crater lake located in the heart of the Shimokita Peninsula in northern Aomori Prefecture. Surrounded by the mountains of Mount Osore, the lake forms part of the sacred landscape of Osorezan. The entire lake lies within Mutsu City and is included in the Shimokita Peninsula Quasi-National Park. The official name used by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan is Us...»
Mount Kamafuse is a prominent mountain in Mutsu City on the Shimokita Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture. Rising to 878.2 meters, it is the highest peak in the Osorezan mountain range and is known for its distinctive volcanic landscape. Surrounded by the beautiful nature of northern Japan, Mount Kamafuse offers impressive scenery throughout the year. From its observation area, visitors can look acros...»
Kawauchi Dam is located in Fukuurayama, Kawauchi Town, Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture. The dam was constructed on the upper reaches of the Kawauchi River, a Class B river in the Kawauchi River system. It is widely known as the northernmost dam on Honshu, Japan’s main island. The dam plays an important role in flood control and securing a stable water supply for the surrounding region. At the same ...»
Taijima Island is an uninhabited island located approximately 800 meters offshore from Cape Ushinokubi in the Wakinosawa area of Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture. The island lies in Mutsu Bay and is part of the Shimokita Peninsula Quasi-National Park. On December 10, 1975, the waters surrounding the island were also designated as a marine park, formerly known as an underwater park. With its unusual ...»
Yagen Hot Springs Resort is a peaceful hot spring destination along the Ohata River in the Ohata area of Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture. Surrounded by the primeval forests of the Shimokita Peninsula Quasi-National Park, the resort offers visitors a chance to relax while listening to the gentle sound of the river and enjoying the rich greenery of the mountains. The name “Yagen” is said to have orig...»
Yunokawa Hot Spring is a historic hot spring destination in Yunokawa, Kawauchi Town, Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture. Tucked deep within the natural landscapes of the Shimokita Peninsula, the hot spring area lies quietly along the Yunokawa mountain stream. Surrounded by forests and the sound of flowing water, Yunokawa Hot Spring has long provided visitors with a peaceful place to relax and recover ...»
Mutsu Science and Technology Museum is a science museum located next to Sekinehama Port in the northern part of Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture. The museum was opened on Marine Day in 1996 to preserve the history of Mutsu, Japan's first nuclear-powered ship, while providing visitors with opportunities to discover the fascinating world of science and technology. The building itself is designed to re...»
Keiran is a traditional local dish associated particularly with the Shimokita region of Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan. It consists of smooth, white mochi-like dumplings filled with sweet anko, or sweet red bean paste. The dumplings are placed in a bowl and served with a fragrant, soy sauce-based broth made from ingredients such as kelp and shiitake mushrooms. The name “Keiran” is said to co...»
Ominato Nebuta is a traditional summer festival held every year in early August in the Ominato and Jogasawa districts of Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture. With a history spanning more than 130 years, the festival features large illuminated nebuta floats created by local neighborhood associations and community groups. The floats are paraded through the streets accompanied by traditional drums, bamboo ...»
Tanabu Festival, also known as the Tanabu Shrine Annual Festival, is a traditional festival held from August 18 to 20 every year in the Tanabu district of Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture. With a history of more than 370 years, it is one of the largest traditional summer festivals on the Shimokita Peninsula and has been designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Aomori Prefecture. The festiv...»
Omasaki Lighthouse stands on Benten Island, approximately 600 meters offshore from Cape Omazaki, the northernmost point of Japan's main island of Honshu. With its distinctive black-and-white exterior, the medium-sized lighthouse is one of the most recognizable landmarks along the northern coast of the Shimokita Peninsula. Because of its scenic beauty and historical importance, Omasaki Lighthouse ...»
Oma Town, located in Shimokita County, Aomori Prefecture, is famous as the northernmost town on Japan's main island of Honshu. Facing the Tsugaru Strait at the northwestern tip of the Shimokita Peninsula, Oma is surrounded by dramatic coastal scenery, forests, and the waters that have sustained a long-standing fishing culture. The town is particularly famous for Oma Tuna, a premium tuna brand kno...»
Cape Shiriyazaki is located in Higashidori Village, Shimokita County, Aomori Prefecture, and forms the northeastern tip of the Shimokita Peninsula. The cape faces the Tsugaru Strait to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the east, creating a dramatic coastal landscape where different ocean currents meet. The area is particularly famous for the Kandachime, hardy horses that are allowed to graze fre...»
Shimofuro Onsen is a historic hot spring resort in the Shimofuro district of Kazamaura Village, Shimokita County, Aomori Prefecture. Located on the northernmost peninsula of Honshu, the resort faces the Tsugaru Strait, with views toward Hokkaido across the water. Because of its location, Shimofuro Onsen is known as the third-northernmost hot spring resort on Honshu. One of its greatest attraction...»
Shiriyazaki Lighthouse stands at the tip of Cape Shiriyazaki in Higashidori Village, Shimokita County, Aomori Prefecture. Its brilliant white exterior makes it an iconic landmark at the northeastern edge of Honshu, Japan's main island. Designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan and selected as one of the 50 Best Lighthouses in Japan, the lighthouse has considerable historical and cultu...»
A Town Shaped by Japan's Northern Maritime History Ominato, in Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture, has a long history as an important maritime and defense base in northern Japan. Its development as a military port began in 1902, when the former Imperial Japanese Navy Ominato Torpedo Squadron was established here. After the end of World War II, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Ominato District wa...»