If you get off Tsugaru’s local railway (Konan Railway Owani Line) before the end of the line, countryside scenery stretches out before you. Apple and chestnut orchards sit next to local homes, elegant warehouses and other fun discoveries await. In the Koguriyama and Ishikawa areas, there are warm and soothing shops and scenery, and many other attractions that have yet to be introduced in guidebooks.

It is said that a chestnut forest used to cover the face of Mt. Koguriyama long ago. When apple production picked up in the region, farmers began to plant apple seeds instead of chestnuts, and the surrounding area was transformed into apple orchards. Despite this, cool and clear marshes, ponds, grassy plains, forests, and other elements of countryside scenery remain even today, and the scent of the wind will make you feel nostalgic.

Perhaps due to the legend above, Koguriyama Shrine’s yomiya festival is held on a different day to the yomiya at the third sister’s Iwakiyama Shrine and the second sister’s shrine. (There are various different theories.) The festival stalls are set up near Koguriyama Noson Koryu Park, which is on the road to the shrine, and not near the torii gate. It takes about 10 minutes to walk from the stalls to the shrine, but the local children chat with their friends on the way, pray at the shrine, and then head off to enjoy the festival stalls.

At first, the owner renovated the traditional Japanese home to be his studio. Then, he started gathering things he liked and “thought were somewhat interesting,” and before long it turned into a shop with a “comfortable atmosphere”. The large shop has tons of retro and tasteful goods for sale, such as stationary, antique furniture and decorations, and lighting fixtures. There is also a wide selection of goods unique to Tsugaru, including kogin-zashi embroidery. The Japanese-style room with a veranda is also rented out for events.

Kominka Sudatsu

Opening Hours: Weekdays 10:00-15:00
Weekends & Holidays 10:00-17:00

Closed: Wednesdays

Tel. 0172-78-1207

137 Komatsugasawa, Koguriyama, Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture
8-minute walk from Koguriyama Station on the Konan Railway Owani Line

According to the owner, the traditional house was far colder than he imagined during his first winter, and there were times when the outside temperature felt considerably warmer. However, now that it is filled with retro goods, the traditional house is bathed in a warm atmosphere. The moment you enter the store, there are numerous goods on display that will tickle the fancy of anyone who has a girlish heart and likes cute things.

The owner has been making the Tanuki Cake (230 yen per slice) for 40 years in order to bring smiles to the faces of local children. Since the cake is handmade, the tanuki (Japanese raccoon dog) all have different facial expressions, and the children who come regularly like to joke about how “today’s tanuki have scary faces”. The store is well ingrained in the local community, even taking part in events at local elementary schools. They sell a selection of treats that would please any hungry child on their way home from school, including dorayaki (100 yen per piece), red bean donuts (80 yen per donut), apple cake (60 yen per piece), and toast (30 yen per slice)!

Daibutsu Park is well-loved by the locals as a great place to rest and enjoy rich greenery and splendid views. As the park looks out over both the Konan Railway Owani Line and the JR Ou Main Line, you often see tourists with their cameras in hand. Furthermore, it is a famous spot for hydrangeas with 2,500 bushes spread throughout the park, and the Daibutsu Park Hydrangea Festival is held here every July. Nowadays, the park is surrounded by tranquil scenery, but long ago this is where Tsugaru Tamenobu took his first step towards uniting Tsugaru. It can also be interesting to imagine the area in the midst of war.

In Daibutsu Park, there are some caves that are just big enough for a person to pass through. Piled up on top of one another, they seem to have been made for some specific purpose. However, no one knows precisely what that purpose is. There are several legends, including that it is a secret path to Hirosaki Castle or the traces of someone digging up treasure. (There are various different theories.) *You cannot enter the caves.

Daibutsu Park

1 Daibutsu Ishikawa, Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture
8-minute walk from Ishikawa Station on the Konan Railway Owani Line
*The park is closed during winter due to snow

You can try Tsugaru’s traditional cuisine at a regular house in Hirosaki’s Ishikawa district. The members of Tsugaru Akatsuki no Kai are predominantly housewives. They serve up simple, yet flavorful, dishes unique to the Tsugaru region using wisdom passed down through generations, such as how to dry and ferment wild vegetables and seafood.
Tsugaru’s traditional cuisine, click here.

Tsugaru Akatsuki no Kai

Tel. 0172-49-7002

44-13 Yagishi Ishikawa, Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture
5-minute walk from Ishikawa Station on the Konan Railway Owani Line

*Active on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12:00-14:00 1 Meal: ~1,500 Must be a group of 4 or larger.
You must make a reservation at least 4 days in advance

When the emperor came to the area on an imperial visit in the 14th year of the Meiji era (1881), he drank tea prepared with water from this spring. To commemorate this, the spring was called Ochanomizu, which means ‘tea water’. Surrounded by a dark green mountainous cedar forest, this spring is often used for drinking water by apple farmers and people who work in the mountains. The spring was also selected as one of the top spring waters of Aomori Prefecture.

An approximately 12.2 km long mountain path stretches from Ishikawa Station to Tsugaru Osawa Station, passing through Daibutsu Park, Mt. Obiraki, and Mt. Dogataira. This route has been designated as a Tohoku Nature Trail called the Famous Water and Ninja Training Trail.
*The Famous Water and Ninja Training Trail is sometimes unclear due to the state of path maintenance. It is necessary to bring equipment suited to hiking, such as hiking boots and appropriate clothing. Also, beware of bears in the area.

Ochanomizu

Hiking Season: May to November

Queries about Tohoku Nature Trails:
Aomori Prefecture Tourism and International Affairs Strategy Bureau, Tourism Planning Division

Tel. 017-734-9387

Nishinosawa, Ishikawa, Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture
1-hour walk from Ishikawa Station on the Konan Railway Owani Line