Rugged

Rugged
coastal trails. Sake-clear rivers flowing past farmhouses
and craft breweries. Blossoming fruit orchards. Lively markets.
Hachinohe is a smorgasbord of Japan’s best bits:
culture, cuisine and community. Oh, and a beautiful coast to
boot.

Tucked into the northeastern Aomori Prefecture, well off the
typical tourist trail, Hachinohe knits together a lively port city,
thriving agricultural towns and the kind of pioneering villages
where green tourism is blossoming. It punches well above weight in
the culinary and cultural stakes. Once a base of the ancient
Nanbu clan, which ruled for more than 700 years
until the mid-19th century, the area continues to use techniques
that originally brought prosperity to the area. These are trades
passed down through generations.

Epicurean travellers, take note. Farmers, low-key restaurants
and thrumming market stalls serve up Hachinohe’s natural larder – a
garlic-centric tasting menu should be near the top of your agenda.
Dip into boutique sake breweries, sample kuraishi beef, gorge on
just-caught seafood, eat sashimi shoulder-to-shoulder with locals
and visit culinary artisans to learn how they honed their crafts at
community-hosted workshops. Enough food? Trace wildflower-flecked
coastal trails, stroll through towns rich in historical artifacts
(and the odd cat mural), explore the Nejo castle remains and try
your hand at age-old crafts.

Easily reachable in under three hours via bullet train from
Tokyo, Hachinohe is a sweet spot that’ll immerse you in Japanese
culture. We’ve consulted locals, trodden coastal trails, scoffed
our way through markets and quaffed a (questionable) amount of
craft sake to bring you the best places to stay and play in
Hachinohe.

For more information and to get planning, visit visithachinohe.com.