This is a driving video of Owani-onsen and Hirosaki area, less than an hour drive from Shin-Aomori station in Aomori prefecture.
We rented a car from Shin-Aomori station and headed to the hotel at the top of the mountain in Owani Onsen by public road. Unfortunately, the weather was cloudy & rainy, but we were able to enjoy the wonderful local cuisine and the soft, warm and excellent hot spring water at the hotel in Owani Onsen.
Above all, the view from the top of the mountain was of a beautiful forest, and I wondered how such a beautiful mountain view could be found in Japan.
Although we were only able to tour a small part of Hirosaki City, we were able to see the magnificent Mt. Iwaki from Hirosaki Castle Park, famous for its cherry blossoms, and many retro coffee shops and Western-style buildings from the car windows. The Taisho Roman coffee shop offered several varieties of apple pie from a popular store using Aomori’s famous apples.
In Part 2 of the Aomori section, we will show you a video of our drive to Sangayu Onsen, further into the mountains. Enjoy!