June 16, 2006 Day 9: Hirosaki & Seikan Tunnel
During the Edo Period, Hirosaki was the political and cultural capital of the Tsugaru Region, the western section of present day Aomori Prefecture. The city remains one of the culturally richest cities in the northern Tohoku Region. Hirosaki developed around its castle. Thousands of cherry trees are planted around the castle grounds, turning them into one of Japan’s most spectacular cherry blossom spots typically from late April to early May. The city is also famous for the Tsugaru-jamisen, a local version of the shamisen. The music instrument can be seen in action at some restaurants that offer live performances.
The Seikan tunnel is a train tunnel that connects the main island of Honshu to Hokkaido to the north, at a depth of 240 meters below sea level. The tunnel is over 53.85 kilometers in length and was a marvel of engineering when it was constructed under the Tsugaru Straits from 1971 to 1988. At the time of my visit, limited tours of the tunnel were available through the Japan Railways office at Aomori Station.
Today, the undersea stations are only used for maintenance stops and for emergencies. You can visit the Seikan Tunnel Museum and Cape Tappizaki via bus or local train service. The cablecar down to the tunnel is still in operation, but only to visit the lower museum exhibits. Tours of the tunnel are no longer available.