Aomori

Of Interest: downtown Aomori, ferry port

Lodging: multiple

Tourist Office: yes

Computer Access: in the tourist office

Int'l ATM: In a post office that is in a building to the right of the station. There is a sign, but you have to really look for it.

Aomori Station is on the edge of downtown. It is also right next to the ferry port which is attractively lit for a couple of hours each evening. The Aomori Prefectural Center for Tourism and Industry also has some pretty lights. The later is an interesting building; from the front it looks like a pyramid. (I don't have any pictures because the the lights turned off around the time that I got organized to take some.)

Aomori is famous for its Nebuta festival, and for a 5,000 year old prehistoric site, the Jomon Jiyukan. The Nebuta festival is within walking distance of the station. The festival is often listed as one of the three best in Japan. Many professional artists are commissioned to create floats for this festival. (I told I friend that I though it was very professionally done (which it is) and they said, "Hmm," like that was disappointing.)

In August there is a loop bus that goes to the Jomon prehistoric site as well as other tourist and cultural sites. Museums, historic buildings, and other things of interest to visitors are scattered throughout the city.

Local and intercity buses leave from the station plaza. JR East runs all the trains here. Aomori Station is the terminus for all lines. One line runs north into Hokkaido, one line runs east to Akita, and one line runs west to Hachinohe.

Aomori was the northern most stop on my July/August 2009 trip. After staying here one night during the Nebuta Festival, I started to head south.

Shimonoseki

Of Interest:international ferry port, Kaikyo Yume Tower

Lodging: multiple
Tourist Information Office: In the ferry port.

Shimonoseki is an industrial ferry port that also hosts passenger ferries to Korea and China. It takes less than ten minutes to walk between the train station and the ferry port. Maps in multiple languages are available in the ferry port and there is large map on the street.

The area around the port and station is gritty and industial, but there is a decent sized park in walking distance. For a view of the surrounding area, go to Kaikyo Yume Tower, the highest observatory in western Japan.