12 Parks in Aomori worth your time

This national park offers unspoiled views of volcanic landscapes, serene lakes, and ancient spiritual routes.

What it is

• National park in northern Honshu, accessible from Tokyo by Shinkansen.
• Features mountain ranges and expansive lakes.
• Known for unspoiled panoramic views and a frontier-like feel.

What to see

• Mt. Iwate, an immense dormant stratovolcano on a volcanic plateau.
• Yakebashiri lava flow from an 18th-century eruption.
• Religious carvings and statues along the crater summit ridge.
• Volcanic fumes, bubbling mud seeps, and hot spring fountains.
• Lake Towada, a double caldera (volcanic crater) lake.
• Towada Shrine, a welcoming point for ancient pilgrimage routes.

When to go

• Winter for snow sports like skiing and snowboarding.
• Spring for bright green buds in lowlands and then peaks.
• Summer for rich greens and exploring the landscape.
• Autumn for rustic yellows, reds, and browns of foliage.

Official site

www.env.go.jp

Read more about Towada-Hachimantai National Park

Hachinohe Park offers family fun with an amusement park, zoo, and botanical garden.

What it is

• A general park in Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture.
• Opened in 1981, covering 37 hectares.
• Includes a botanical park and Kodomo-no-kuni.

What to see

• Amusement park with about 20 types of rides.
• Botanical garden with a greenhouse and banana trees.
• Zoo, campground, and large lawn.
• Japanese garden and observation deck.
• Jomon dogu object.

When to go

• Hachinohe Park Spring Festival: late April to early May.
• Amusement park is closed during winter.

Official site

www.city.hachinohe.aomori.jp

Read more about Hachinohe Park

Hirosaki Park is a historic site featuring a reconstructed castle and thousands of cherry trees.

What it is

• A historic urban park, opened in 1895.
• Designated a National Historic Site.
• Managed by Hirosaki City since 1902.
• Listed among Japan's Top 100 Urban Parks.

What to see

• Hirosaki Castle, a reconstruction from the Edo period.
• Five castle gates and three corner turrets are Important Cultural Properties.
• Approximately 2,600 cherry trees.
• Hirosaki Castle Botanical Garden.
• Tennis courts.

When to go

• Spring for the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival.

Official site

www.hirosakipark.jp

Read more about Hirosaki Park

A large sports complex with various fields and courts, good for sports enthusiasts.

What it is

• An athletic park in Aomori City.
• Acquired naming rights in April 2019.
• Now called Daishin Kensetsu Sports Hiroba.

What to see

• Three baseball fields with clay pavement.
• One soccer field with grass pavement.
• One rugby field with grass pavement.
• One multi-purpose ground with artificial turf.
• Twelve tennis courts with sand-filled artificial turf.

Getting there

• Three minutes by car from Aomori Chuo Interchange.

Read more about Aomori City Sports Park

A modern sports park in Towada City, offering football facilities and park golf.

What it is

• A city park in Towada City, Aomori Prefecture.
• Developed as Aomori Football Center from 2012.
• Opened a park golf course in 2008.
• Opened a multi-purpose open space in 2009.

What to see

• One artificial turf football ground.
• One natural grass football ground.
• Night lighting facilities.
• Bench seats and grass seats at the natural grass ground.

Getting there

• About 15 minutes by taxi from Towada-shi Station.

Read more about Towada City Takamoriyama General Sports Park

This national park preserves a tsunami-affected coastline and educates visitors about its recovery.

What it is

• A national park covering the Sanriku Coast.
• Renamed in 2013 to Sanriku Fukko National Park.
• Preserves tsunami damage and educates visitors.

What to see

• Large sea cliffs and sandy beaches in the north.
• Ria coast south of Miyako City.
• Many small and medium-sized peninsulas.
• Natural forests of Japanese red pine.
• Japanese serows, black-tailed gulls, and streaked shearwaters.

Official site

www.env.go.jp

Read more about Sanriku Fukko National Park

Aomori's oldest park, Gappo offers bay views, a beach, and sports facilities.

What it is

• Urban park in Aomori City, founded in 1881.
• Oldest park in Aomori Prefecture.
• Completed in 1894, donated to Aomori Town.
• Selected as one of Japan's Top 100 Urban Parks.

What to see

• Aomori City Baseball Stadium.
• Multi-purpose plaza, tennis courts, and playgrounds.
• Swimming beach facing Mutsu Bay.
• 648 cherry trees and 731 pine trees.
• Approximately 30 stone monuments.

Official site

www.city.aomori.aomori.jp

Read more about Gappo Park

This sports park offers diverse facilities for baseball, athletics, and martial arts.

What it is

• A multi-purpose sports complex in Hirosaki City.
• Features facilities for various athletic and ball sports.

What to see

• Baseball field, nicknamed Haruka Yume Ballpark.
• Athletic field with a 400m x 8 lane track.
• Natural grass ground at the athletic field.
• Aomori Prefectural Budokan, a multi-purpose arena.
• Ball game field with artificial turf.

Read more about Hirosaki City Sports Park

Nagane Sports Park is a large urban park with diverse sports facilities.

What it is

• An urban park in Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture.
• Total area of 17.13 hectares.
• Renamed Nagane Park in 2005.

What to see

• Hachinohe City Gymnasium and Hachinohe City Pool.
• Speed skating rink and ice hockey rink.
• Nagane Baseball Field and Nagane Athletic Field.
• Hachinohe City Sumo Arena and Martial Arts Hall.
• Hachinohe City Archery Hall.

Read more about Nagane Sports Park

Aoi Mori Central Park is a large urban park built on a former railyard site.

What it is

• A large urban park in Aomori City.
• Created on part of the former Aomori railyard site.
• Opened on April 25, 2003.
• Total area is 12.8 hectares.

What to see

• 5.2 hectare free exercise area.
• 7.6 hectare multi-purpose lawn area.
• Oyamazakura trees along the Aoimori Railway Line.
• Pedestrian and bicycle crossing under Hakkoda Ohashi bridge.

Read more about Aoi Mori Central Park

Northernmost aquarium on Honshu, featuring a dolphin show and diverse marine life.

What it is

• Northernmost aquarium on Honshu island.
• Opened on July 24, 1983.
• Exhibits about 514 species and 11,000 aquatic animals.

What to see

• A 15-meter-long tunnel tank.
• Dolphin show with bottlenose and Pacific white-sided dolphins.

When to go

• Open from 9:00 to 17:00 daily.

Official site

www.asamushi-aqua.com

Read more about Asamushi Aquarium

Aomori Prefectural General Sports Park combines sports facilities, art, and ancient ruins.

What it is

• A prefectural urban park in Aomori City.
• Managed by Sport Aoi Mori Group.
• Contains sports facilities, an art museum, and ruins.

What to see

• Track and field stadium.
• Swimming pool.
• Aomori Prefectural Baseball Stadium.
• Aomori Museum of Art.
• Sannai-Maruyama Site ruins.

Read more about Aomori Prefectural General Sports Park