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Aomori

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Aomori is a busy capital city in northern Japan.

Aomori City Hall
Aomori City Hall

It sits on the Aomori Plain in the Tōhoku region. To the north, the city faces Aomori Bay. To the south, the Hakkōda and Higashidake Mountains rise up. Two large rivers, the Komagome and the Arakawa, flow through the land. Parts of the southeast area belong to Towada-Hachimantai National Park.

Hakkoda Ropeway
Hakkoda Ropeway

This makes the region a popular place for visitors in every season.

The city is famous for its incredible amount of snow. In 2016, AccuWeather named Aomori City the snowiest city in the world. This happens because certain winds collide around the city. These winds make the air rise and cool down quickly. This creates thick clouds that drop intense snow. The winters are long and very cold. In the summer, a cool wind called Yamase often blows from the east. This wind can make the weather feel much cooler than usual.

People have lived in this area since prehistoric times. Archaeologists found many sites from the Jōmon period here. The most famous is the Sannai-Maruyama Site.

SannaiMaruyama
SannaiMaruyama

This site is located just southwest of the city center. It dates back to between 5500 and 4000 BC. These large settlements changed what we know about ancient civilizations. Later, different groups like the Northern Fujiwara clan and the Emishi people lived in the territory. The name Aomori likely means "green forest."

Aomori grew much larger as a port and a transport hub. In 1624, a port settlement was established under the Hirosaki Domain. The city became the capital of Aomori Prefecture in 1871. Many rail lines were built to connect the city to other places. The Tōhoku Main Line opened in 1891 to connect Aomori to Tokyo. Later, the Seikan Ferry provided a way to reach Hokkaido. Today, the Tōhoku Shinkansen high-speed train stops at Shin-Aomori Station. This helps people travel quickly to many different cities.

Today, Aomori is a major center for business and services. Most of the economy comes from the service sector. The city also has many schools for children and adults. While it has no national university, it has several other colleges. People living here are called Aomorians. The city is also home to beautiful hot springs. You can visit Sukayu Onsen at the foot of the mountains.

Tohoku epco n1
Tohoku epco n1

You might even see colorful floats during local festivals.

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🖼️ Images & Media (8)
File:JP Expressway E4.svg
JP Expressway E4.svg
File:JP Expressway E4A.svg
JP Expressway E4A.svg
File:JP Expressway E64.svg
JP Expressway E64.svg
File:Aomori City Hall.jpg
Aomori City Hall.jpg
File:Hakkoda Ropeway.jpg
Hakkoda Ropeway.jpg
File:SannaiMaruyama.jpg
SannaiMaruyama.jpg
File:Tohoku epco n1.jpg
Tohoku epco n1.jpg
File:HakkodaStatue2.jpg
HakkodaStatue2.jpg
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