Day 7: Journey to Aomori
Day 7: Journey to Aomori
23 October 2018
Ambled down to breakfast at our own pace this morning and consumed approximately half our own body weight in coffee and the (slightly overwhelming) choices at the buffet. I’ve made things like tamagoyaki a few times for breakfast but not sure I can be bothered to make steamed dumplings that early. But after this, perhaps once in a while I might be persuaded…
Rolled, slightly weeble-like, back up to the room to finish off the last of the packing and then checked out in plenty of time for the shuttle bus. As when we arrived, slightly nervous that there wouldn’t be room and we’d have to get a taxi but once it arrived there were no issues – plenty of seats aboard - and a few minutes later we were waved and bowed off by the front of house staff.
Half an hour later we were back to Morioka Eki and had a bit of hanging around to do before the 10:32 Hayabusa. We’d booked tickets for this leg of the journey which was just as well since the whole train was reserved seating only. (Note: this did seem to be much more prevalent on the legs between Sendai and Hakodate so you might as well book tickets just in case). Time to find a quick drink - I wonder if there’s a vending machine. Oh look, about ten of them; that’s a surprise! And for the first time we went for the hot coffee option too. Not sure why we’d never gone for this before but hey-ho – always a first time for everything. Just for the record, whoever thought to put coffee in a can and then worked out how to make a vending machine that can serve both hot and cold canned drinks is a genius on the level of Einstein. Bloody good coffee too. Tully’s is always a good bet but never heard of Beans and Roasters before. Have now though! If they fancy selling in the UK I’m happy to be their sales rep J
Even more jacked up caffeine than usual we buzzed about the platform for a bit and then (amazingly – not) dead on time we were off to Aomori. To be accurate, Shin-Aomori. That’ll be relevant relatively soon.
For the next 50 minutes it was the usual pleasant pastime of watching the countryside slip by and then we were decanted out again into the world.
Right – next job. How do we get to our hotel in the center of Aomori. Because unlike all the other “Shin” stations (ones which take Shinkansen trains) we’d been to before, Shin-Aomori isn’t in Aomori town – it’s quite a way outside. Hmm. Bugger. Didn’t see that one coming did you, you Scottish gonk? Ok, can’t be that hard – it’s a train station; there must be a train into town. Let’s have a look around.
10 minutes later and going in and out of the station it still wasn’t obvious. And dragging the cases around while we looked wasn’t helping. Solution? Coin-lockers! We know how to use those – we’re experts!
Five minutes later the “experts” were standing next the bank of lockers and staring slightly cross-eyed at the instructions wondering why the locker into which our first case had been placed wouldn’t lock. Changing the screen instructions from Japanese to English and back again a few times didn’t help much either. Come on, we must be able to do this – it’s not exactly decoding the Enigma!
Eventually, after quite a bit of mumbled swearing we got it figured out. In our defence, the sequence wasn’t immediately obvious even with the help of pictorial instructions. Look at the photo; you can tell when a system needs a bit of simplifying when there are laminates stuck the side of a high-tech machine by staff who have been asked the same stupid question just once too often.
Anyway, 2 x ¥700 lockers later (about £10 altogether) we were a bit of a better position to scope out the area. The plan was to leave the cases in the lockers, get into Aomori and come back later to pick them up. This, it transpired fairly quickly, was a stupid plan.
We spent the next 20-odd minutes staring at Google Maps, trudging about, retracing our steps, re-retracing our steps, going in and out of the station again and again trying to work out how the hell we got into town by train. After this and hardly even a minor divorce, we gave up and went to the ticket office to ask. I talked to a very helpful member of staff about where we were going and what hotel we were in and asked him how we got there by train.
“You don’t – you get a taxi”
“Really?”
“Yes, you should get a taxi.”
“Oh. Thank you”
(in hopefully polite Japanese – I was determined not to cop out into English when asking directions on this trip. It didn’t always pan out that way – see Hakodate!)
Now, I’m going to jump ahead a bit here. We found out later that you actually can get a train into town. In fact it’s ridiculously easy when you know what you’re looking for. However, although there was quite a bit of chuntering at the time on discovering this, in fairness to the member of staff it is a bit of a hike (1.3km – about 15 minutes) from the station in town to the hotel we’d booked. If I was giving advice to tourists, I think I’d have advised them to get a taxi rather than be faced with what could easily have been an unacceptably long walk, especially with suitcases. We didn’t actually have a problem with it when we did walk it, but I wouldn’t have taken a risk if there was a chance that two red-faced angry foreign tourists would appear later and take issue with my advice.
Anyway, given this advice we had no option but to retrieve our suitcases since a return journey by taxi later didn’t seem sensible. So we basically paid £10 to store our cases for half an hour whilst never actually going anywhere; seems like good value eh? Oh well, it’s only money - all part of life’s rich pageant. Which, being Scottish, he said through rather gritted teeth.
Actually we had to laugh at ourselves after being such numpties. And the situation was lightened considerably when we got back to lockers to find a Japanese couple struggling with the whole operation. Enter stage left ‘Captain Locker-Man!’ who offered to help and sorted it out for them like a boss. They were very impressed, more about the locker than the abysmal Japanese that flowed from the Gaelic Caped Crusader. I didn’t tell them that we’d had no clue either less than an hour ago. As Scotty from Star Trek once famously said “How else do I maintain my reputation as a miracle worker?” Our superhero and his faithful sidekick “Locker Receipt Girl” then waited judiciously for a few minutes until they had disappeared before sheepishly extricating their own luggage which was still, figuratively, warm.
Back outside to the taxi rank (at least we could find that without hurting ourselves) and we were soon speeding into town via, as it turned out, a surprisingly cheap taxi ride. ¥1500 for a 15 minute, 5km taxi journey vs ¥1400 for half an hour’s locker rental – bargain!
The Richmond Hotel starts on the fifth floor of a block above shops and so a quick jaunt up the elevator to reception to be checked in by the senior clerk. I assume he was the senior clerk because he basically stepped right in front of the girl we’d initially approached so he could do it. Ok – be careful what you wish for because here comes a series of words which, with several removed, the remainder placed in the correct order and supplemented with more appropriate terms, is going to be almost, if not quite entirely, unlike Japanese. He did look slightly bemused but we did end up getting a room key or two and offered a free choice from the basket of toiletries he suddenly produced. Er..ok…Tracey will have a facemask then thank you very much.
As it was our first time in a Richmond Hotel so we were a bit concerned that this offer was in place of anything like shampoo in the room itself. But not at all – it was very well supplied. Just a little extra then – much appreciated thanks. Very impressed with the room by the way - bigger than an APA hotel and they supply a free mobile phone with unlimited calls and data. Nice one!
Got our gear stowed away in the room and then out for a look around Aomori.
According to Google Maps we weren’t too far from the port area so that was the first destination. And well worth the walk it was too, especially since the weather was good so the sea was doing its best picture-postcard impersonation. We even fancied we could see Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Straight (looked that up later); not sure if that’s actually physically possible but we were at least looking in the right direction…
We had an hour or so of poking about the port, Seitoku Park (managed to read that without help – woohoo!) and the bay area which includes the imposing Bladerunner-eque ASPAM Building; I was just waiting for a robot owl to take flight. It’s actually a tourist/cultural/community centre with a viewing platform at the top. Ok – one for later then. And I’m going to refer to it from now on as Aomori Tower since ASPAM sounds like it stores tinned meat (Has SPAM) to a Brit!
Like a pair of fascinated kids we watched a dredger in the process of (we think) preparing for new deck support pilings for a bit. Every time the claws dumped the rocks it made a noise like the gates of hell slamming shut, amplified by the echoes off the Aomori Bay Bridge deck. Difficult not to watch even if you’re not a five year old child.
After a bit of this, and with still ears ringing, we headed back towards town, in the process walking past a massive and very impressive red steel covered building. What on earth? Must be something pretty important to bother doing all that work. Turns out (we looked it all up later on and added it to the “definitely check this out later” list) that it’s the Nebuta Museum “Warase” where they store some of last year’s floats from the famous festival. Good work people – that’s one very nice looking building you have there.
Just round the corner from the Nebuta Museum we found Aomori Eki and the tourist information center so in we went and a few minutes (and some appalling Japanese from yours truly) later we were out again, armed with an…armful...of maps and brochures about the local area. Told you there would be more “winging it” this trip!
Since we were now right at the far end of the Shin Machi which we’d walked past on the way to the port earlier (didn’t I mention that?..well we had) heading back down it towards the hotel seemed to be a good idea – so we did. It does say “shopping street” and it definitely delivers – a really long street with lots and lots of shops and restaurants.
And while we were there, it came complete with periodic* drive-bys by loudspeaker vans loudly** extoling the virtues of various politicians ahead of the forthcoming elections.
They were everywhere in Aomori over the next few days. All I could think of was the scene in the Blues Brothers where Jake and Elwood are cruising around advertising their show.
“You on the motorcycle... You two girls... tell your friends.”
“Free parking…two dollar cover charge only folks.”
“And it’s Ladies Night, tonight, at the Palace Hotel Ball Room”
Childish? Yep. But it kept us (well, me) amused while our ears bled occasionally.
Not as amused as the sign for “Living Cloth Underwear” did though; it did sound rather uncomfortable. We spent most of the rest of the day randomly bringing that one up and peeing ourselves laughing. We figured it was a great name for a band too so it quickly degenerated into:
“Tonight at the Palace Hotel Ballroom, Living Cloth Underwear’s Rhythm and Blues Review!”
Puerile as all hell. Sorry***
After a quick coffee and sandwich in DouTor (this was not the last time we ate here when in Aomori!) and a couple of hours intensive exploration of the (relatively) immediate area and its back streets, parks and stores, our feet were starting to cane a bit so we tracked back to the hotel for a spot of unpacking, device charging, showering and generally plotting out what to go and see over the next couple of days. In addition to Aomori Tower and the Nebuta Museum, two things did stand out: The Shōwa Daibutsu (massive statue of Buddha) and Hirosaki Castle, so they were immediately added to the itinerary.
By the time we’d sorted all this out it was time for our nightly round of “Where the hell are we eating tonight then?” – a fun family game for two players, suitable for ages 51-52, no batteries required.
Tonight’s round went on a bit longer than we’d initially expected. Just across the road from the start of Shin Machi was a big yakiniku (grill it yourself) restaurant called Nikudoki Hall which we’d decided earlier looked like a good bet. And maybe it would have been a bit later, but it was almost empty when we rocked up. Also, on closer inspection, the set meals looked like they were aimed at bigger groups and the individual items were a tad pricey, so we relegated it to a “maybe”. Then we checked out a nearby heavily decorated place round the corner on called Tsugaru Jyoppari Isariya Sakaba that looked interesting but Tracey didn’t fancy fish, so we binned that direction and walked back along Shin Machi as there were so many restaurants there.
Despite the fact however that Shin Machi must have a restaurant for every single possible cuisine on the planet and we walked the entire length of it plus the side streets, we didn’t spot anything we fancied. Well, apart from one place down a side street with suitable menu but that was completely empty and another that had a sign saying “Fully Booked Tonight”. And it had that same sign, in English only, in exactly the same place, every night we were there. Either it is insanely popular or there’s a strong hint in there somewhere…
Stomachs grumbling quite a bit by now and after having a really almost insignificant divorce, we decided that Nikudoki Hall might actually be our best bet after all so we trudged all the way back to the beginning again, much in the manner of The Walking Dead searching for “Brainssss!”
And decided against it again once we got there. This, it transpired, was not a game we were winning any time soon tonight.
Right, there must be more to this than just two restaurants and Shin Machi. Lets properly walk in the other direction this time and if we don’t find anything in 15 minutes we are going back to Nikudoki Hall and we are eating there this time because otherwise the divorce might progress to an actual decree nisi.
Italics intentional.
Did we find anywhere? Well, we came back from Japan still married, so yes. But it was a close run thing.
We walked up the right side of the road for quite a way and didn’t find anything that we could agree on, so we crossed over and walked back towards Nikudoki Hall in a bit of a mood because we were running out of both options and blood sugar. Honestly I’m sure it’s a fine restaurant but neither of us really fancied it as it still hadn’t been that busy 10 minutes ago. Luckily, approximately 14.75 minutes after this last Hail-Mary attempt had started, we spotted the four greatest Japanese characters in existence:
お好み焼
This time there was zero argument – we nearly tore the door off its hinges on the way in.
And Shokusai BariBari was worth all the footwork and a narrowly-avoided divorce. The staff were helpful and friendly, the atmosphere was warm, the food was amazing and they even had God’s Second Greatest Soft Drink: Melon Soda!
I had been looking for Irn Bru’s Japanese nuclear green cousin in every shop and restaurant we’d been in and every vending machine we’d passed and not a single solitary sniff of it. But here it was, on tap! Needless to say, one glass of this and the blood sugar situation was well and truly fixed.
Once the ingredients for the meal turned up we grilled the guy who was making it for us (get it - okonomiyaki - we grilled him! Ok, I'll get my coat..) on the best technique. I'd been making it at home quite a bit since last year and it was ok but it wasn't quite right. Top tips - don't make it too big and sandwich the ingredients in the middle. Duly noted.
A little over and hour and a half later, tummies full and thoroughly happy and we were back in the hotel. Ten minutes later, and despite the after effects of hyperglycaemic shock in my case, we were fast asleep.
So we closed out another great day.
Tomorrow we go and see the Big Buddha - Hurrah!
* Literally every five minutes
**At ear splitting volume
***That’s a lie.
Overview
Hotel
Food
- Hotel Breakfast
- Vending Machine Canned Coffee
- Okonomiyaki
- Beer and Melon Soda!
Overview
Food
- Hotel Breakfast
- Vending Machine Canned Coffee
- Okonomiyaki
- Beer and Melon Soda!