I’ve been seeing the phrase "Mahoroba of the North" here and there in Aomori. "Mahoroba" is an archaic Japanese word meaning "a wonderful, abundant place" or "a good place to live." It is famous for appearing in a poem by Yamato Takeru, in which he laments for his home in Nara in his final years.
It was Ryotaro Shiba who applied this term to Aomori as the "Mahoroba of the North." He wrote about the existence of an abundant, hunter-gatherer-centric world in this region during the Jomon period in the Aomori volume of his *Kaido wo Yuku* (Traveling the Highways) series, which was published in the same year that the remains of a massive settlement were discovered at the Sannai-Maruyama site.
The discovery of a large-scale settlement site during the Early to Middle Jomon period—a time previously imagined as having a primitive lifestyle—was a discovery that greatly overturned conventional wisdom.
Following the Yayoi period, as rice cultivation spread across Japan and the central government began governing based on rice yield, the Tsugaru Plain, which was unsuitable for rice farming due to frequent cool summers, was relegated to a "provincial region," what Osamu Dazai self-deprecatingly called a "sad country."
Even in the modern day, the gap between urban and rural areas remains significant, but I’ve had several friends move to Aomori over the past few years, and they’ve shared so much of its charm with me. I wanted to rethink the Jomon-style abundance that Ryotaro Shiba wrote about—a way of living that is perfectly suited to the land.
And then, there is the Nebuta Festival in Aomori.
Originally a festival held on July 7th of the lunar calendar, a variation of Tanabata, it is completely different from the Tanabata I know.
Growing up in the Kansai region, anything east of Tokyo feels further away than the actual distance suggests, and the culture and language might as well be foreign. I had previously visited Minamisanriku as a disaster relief volunteer, but this was my first time venturing further into that region to fulfill a life goal: to see festivals across the country. I did it using an FDA flight and my bicycle.
Heading to Aomori by Plane and Bike
At 3:00 PM, after finishing the shipping at SimWorks, I hopped on my pre-packed bike and departed from Matsubara. It was about 14km to Nagoya Airport.
I got a little apprehensive as I passed under the elevated tracks of the Nagoya Expressway Route 1, recalling the hellish transit from Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, but it wasn’t nearly that bad. Still, as the main artery connecting the seaport to the airport has heavy traffic and many traffic lights, it’s best to give yourself plenty of time. Soaking in sweat in temperatures nearing 40°C, I arrived at the airport in about 45 minutes.
FDA Lends Out Bike Transport Boxes
I checked in at the FDA counter and borrowed a bike transport box I had reserved in advance.
I removed the front and rear wheels and the dry bag from my Mr. Fusion MINI, flipped the frame upside down, and tried putting it into the box. Since the chainring protruded slightly from the box, I took it out again, removed the saddle, and tried once more; it fit without any issues. I tossed my helmet and other gear into the box, and the packing was finished in about 10 minutes. Compared to my previous flying experiences with a bike, this was overwhelmingly easier and more comfortable.
Since one of my goals this time was to test this FDA bike transport system, I’d like to report on it in more detail later.
A Tight Connection
Shortly after takeoff, the plane banked, crossed over the Northern Alps, and flew out over the Sea of Japan. About an hour and 20 minutes later, I arrived at Aomori Airport as dusk was approaching.
Due to time constraints, I took a bus from the airport to Hirosaki. The departure is set to match the flight arrival time, but the connection is quite tight. My flight was about 10 minutes late, so I was panicking, but the airport ground staff checked my bus travel plans and held the bus for me. Thank you!
By the way, they said the bus only accepts bikes on the airport route. I covered it in a bike transport bag, but bus transport is the method most likely to damage a bike, so I think riding it yourself is ultimately the best way. It’s about 15km to Aomori city and about 30km to Hirosaki city.
Into the Tsugaru Culture
The bus headed into Hirosaki city as I watched the silhouette of Mt. Iwaki floating in the evening twilight out the window.
The Neputa parade had already begun, and I could see it a little from the bus, which got me excited. At the bus terminal, I immediately assembled my bike and headed to the viewing point on Dotemachi where my friends were waiting.
I met up with Suzu-chan, who handles letterpress printing and design under the name Sunday Seaside, and her husband, Waka-sama, who runs the select shop slow poke.
slow poke is a select shop that has been stocking bags like ZO BAGs since the very beginning of the messenger culture landing in Japan. The fact that such a wild shop exists here, crossing the boundaries between global and local without having to go through Tokyo, gives me a lot of hope. I wonder if the "pisto kids" buying beat-up old ZO BAGs and FREIGHT BAGGAGE for high prices on Yahoo Auctions know that such a shop is in Hirosaki?
Then, we were joined by the owner of Championship Bikes, a former Cy-Q messenger in Tokyo who returned home to start his own bike shop. Since his shop was closed, he apparently rode about 200km to get here.
Hirosaki Neputa
Accompanied by the unique chant of "Ya-ya-do," the fife and drum corps, children carrying small lanterns, and giant fan-shaped Neputa floats passed before our eyes one after another. While spinning and raising/lowering the floats, they navigated the narrow streets unique to castle towns, skillfully avoiding traffic lights and power lines, all while responding to the cheers of the crowd.
Since the fan-shaped Neputa are two-dimensional, the artwork is incredibly detailed. The front depicts warrior paintings, while the back features paintings of beautiful women; some even feature ghost paintings, which is interesting.
The roadside also had a relaxed, charming atmosphere with many locals watching casually.
Rice Paddy Art in Inakadate Village
After having a blast in Hirosaki until late at night, I moved a little closer for the following day’s Hakkoda ride and camped at the Inakadate roadside station. There were 3-4 other campers under the eaves of the cafeteria, and many tourists sleeping in their cars in the parking lot. The temperature was around 20°C, and I was able to sleep comfortably with my bivy and sheet.
The next morning at 7:00, I went to see the Rice Paddy Art next to the roadside station. Earthworks created using rice plants of different colors, including ancient rice, began here in Inakadate in 1993, became a huge success, and have since spread across the country. I heard it even won a gold medal at Cannes Lions, a world-class advertising award.
Since it was early in the morning, the observation deck wasn’t open yet, so I held my camera up high to take a photo.
I put my camping set back on my bike and went to the nearby Takara Onsen, which opens at 5:00 AM.
The water quality is slick and very good, and there’s even a sauna. Bathing is 300 yen, and a simple overnight stay is 4,200 yen.
Hakkoda Hill Climb
After freshening up, I rode through an approach of apple orchards toward the Hakkoda area.
National Route 394, which climbs toward Hakkoda from the Kuroishi side, gradually gained altitude through a beautiful beech forest. With their white bark and lower density, the woods were bright and clear compared to the dense, dark forests I usually ride in.
They might not be virgin forests, but riding through these glittering, dazzling green groves, I felt like I could get a sense of the abundance of the hunter-gatherer era.
I saved Sukayu Onsen for next time and headed toward Hakkoda Sanso, where Nori-chan works. She used to be a messenger colleague of mine, moved to Hirosaki, and now works at this mountain lodge.
Saying she still had to clean rooms, she went back to work, looking very happy.
Hakkoda Sanso was also a venue for the Hike Life Community of Mountain-to-Road.
Hakkoda is famous for its winter backcountry skiing. It’s said to be laid back in the summer, but there are canoe tours on the Oirase River and mountaineers, and license plates from all over Japan are lined up in the parking lot.
I was treated to lunch at a cafeteria in a place called Houkiba, and they took me to a beautiful marsh nearby because they said it was there.
Contrary to its jarring name "Gudari-numa," the spring-fed pond—where Hakkoda’s snow has been filtered over many long years and bubbles up constantly—was so transparent and beautiful that it really felt like it wasn’t of this world. Even in summer, I scooped up the cold spring water with my hands and drank it.
Hakkoda Downhill
Bidding farewell to Nori-chan and the others, I enjoyed a pleasant downhill toward Aomori. The scenery along the way was also spectacular. I passed several groups of road bikes and touring riders. After descending for about an hour, the city and Aomori Bay came into view in the distance.
Aomori Museum of Art
Before entering the city, I changed course to the west, first heading to the Aomori Museum of Art. It is a masterpiece by architect Jun Aoki, who drew inspiration from the neighboring Sannai-Maruyama site. The ground is deeply excavated with white cubes placed inside, and the gaps between the earth walls and white walls are set as pathways. It somewhat reminded me of the rock-hewn churches of Ethiopia.
At the museum, they were holding a special exhibition, "Art Exhibition Traveling with Glasses," which Mr. Sawa is involved in, so I walked around to see it.
Sannai-Maruyama Site
Then, on to the adjacent Sannai-Maruyama site.
As I followed the small path from the entrance, the reconstructed large settlement came into view. A tower with six huge pillars and a large pit-dwelling building as big as a small gymnasium right next to it. Although 15 pit-dwellings have been reconstructed, over 550 have been found, and it seems they grew and harvested plants in the surrounding area. More than 5,000 years ago, at the same time King Khufu was building the pyramids in Egypt, a large community that could be called a Jomon city existed here.
Sannai Onsen
Still buzzing with excitement, I headed to the nearby Sannai Onsen that I was told about at Hakkoda Sanso—but this place was intense. The strong smell of sulfur, the cloudy water, and the walls and floors that were literally melting away were even more impactful than the water. And the water was incredibly hot. But the quality is the best, and it’s an onsen loved by the locals. Some old guys talked to me, but their accent was so thick I only understood about half of it.
Aomori Nebuta
I rode about 15 minutes into Aomori city, ate the "Miso Curry Milk Ramen," a local B-grade gourmet dish I learned about from the old guys at the onsen, and headed to the Nebuta area.
I was told that since it was the first day, there wouldn’t be many large ones, so I thought, "Is this it?" after seeing the first small one that came by, but then the huge *kuminebuta* (assembled float) came one after another. The fife and drum sound system following behind was also loud, and the number of dancers and the level of excitement were incredible. The contrast with Hirosaki, like stillness versus motion, was also great.
Summer Camping Area
Large festivals like Nebuta are sustained not only by locals but also by participants from all over the country. It seems many people travel here by bike or motorcycle during this period every year to participate as dancers. To support them, a vacant lot a bit away from the venue is opened as a free camping space.
Meanwhile, there are also many tourists who come to watch on luxury cruise ships. I felt once again that creating an environment where all kinds of people can visit regardless of their status is necessary to grow a culture. The total number of spectators this year was 2.82 million.
Riding to Aomori Airport
I got up early to head to the airport for my flight back to Nagoya. It’s about 15km from Aomori city, but Google Maps pushed me onto a route with intense elevation changes, which was tough. On the bright side, I discovered some unusual shimenawa (sacred straw ropes) unique to Aomori.
I borrowed a bike transport box at the FDA counter at the airport again, packed up quickly, and checked in. This system really is the best.
Getting from Nagoya to Aomori
I arrived back in Nagoya on Friday morning. I rode from the airport to work, and this bike-and-train (or plane) trip came to a safe conclusion. Compared to the hassle of bikes on trains and Shinkansen, flying via Nagoya Airport allows you to travel further with more ease and seems like a method that will expand new worlds of riding.
I compared the FDA service I used this time with other methods of getting to Aomori (one-way).
Shinkansen (Nagoya - Shin-Aomori)
5 hours 48 minutes, 25,390 yen
Conventional Lines (Nagoya - Aomori / 13 transfers)
34 hours 50 minutes, 13,500 yen
FDA (Nagoya - Aomori Airport)
1 hour 20 minutes, 22,100 yen
Both Dream Discount Type C and e-Discount Type A are about 45% OFF
(Regular fare is 38,000 yen)
FDA isn’t as cheap as an LCC, but it’s not as expensive as mega-carriers like JAL or ANA. If you book more than 45 days in advance, the price becomes quite cheap, with trips to Aomori starting as low as around 13,100 yen. They fly to local airports all over the country, so I definitely want to use them again.
This was a whirlwind trip making use of my days off, so other than meeting people I wanted to see and watching the festival I wanted to see, I didn’t have the luxury of enjoying the city or its surroundings. For me, Aomori is also the country of Shuji Terayama and Chikuzan Takahashi, in addition to its heroic festival and beautiful Hakkoda. I’m also interested in the Nanbu side of the region. I want to go back and ride leisurely again.
TODAY’S RIDER
Monjya【SimWorks】
-BIKE SPECS-
| Frame | LITESPEED | Classic |
| Wheel | CHRIS KING & Velocity | Classic hub & A23 |
| Tire | Panaracer | GRAVELKING 26c |
| Saddle Bag | Porcelain Rocket | Mr.Fusion MINI |
| Frame Bag | Porcelain Rocket | Custom FrameBag |
| Handle Bag | Porcelain Rocket | Nigel&Mini Slinger |
-CAMPING SPECS-
| Tent | OUTDOOR RESEARCH | Helium Bivy |
| Sleeping Bag | COCOON | Travel Sheet Cotton |
| Sunglasses | RAL | Former activite |
| Bike Bag | FAIRWEATHER | bike carry bag |
| Others | Tool set, tripod, battery, cables, wallet, camera, hand towel, change of clothes, sandals |
TEXT & PHOTO by Monjya