Don't worry if it rains! Indoor Fun Spots in Hachinohe, Towada & Oirase
The Hachinohe, Towada, and Oirase areas of Aomori Prefecture, led by the art town of Towada, are full of spots where you can play even on rainy days. We have picked up recommended indoor spots, from museums that you can enjoy with your children to experiences that are perfect for making memories.
<Indoor Sightseeing Spots in Hachinohe, Towada, and Oirase
1Towada Museum of Contemporary Art
This is a representative spot of Arts Towada, a project by Towada City to create a town through art. The permanent collection is original artworks created by artists for the museum, and includes 38 works by world-famous artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Yoko Ono, and sculptor Ron Mueck.
The exhibition is an installation style in which a room is created for each work, transforming the entire exhibition space into a work of art. Each exhibition room is connected by a glass-walled corridor, making it like touring an art house.
After visiting, be sure to go to the café inside the museum. You can enjoy limited-time-only sweets inspired by the works in the special exhibitions and coffee served in cups created in collaboration with the artists.
Art spots can also be found in the city.
This museum is a work of art, not only in the courtyard and on the roof, but also in the building itself. In addition, street furniture is scattered along the Kanchogaidori (government office district) and shopping streets that pass in front of the museum.
The "Clouds of the Shopping Street," a bench in the shape of an iridescent cloud, is tall enough to look up at and is full of playful spirit. The sidewalks in the shopping arcade are covered, so visitors can enjoy the shopping arcade without worrying about the weather.
In the art plaza, there are objects with polka dot motifs by "Yayoi Kusama" and other unique artworks. Visitors can actually touch and experience the world of these works, including the "Fat House," which is so unique that even on a rainy day, visitors will want to walk around and look at it.
- Towada Museum of Contemporary Art
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10-9 Nishi Nibancho, Towada City, Aomori Prefecture MAP
From JR Shichinohe-Towada Station, take the Towada Kanko Dentetsu bus bound for Sanbongi Office (approx. 36-43 min.), get off at the Gendai Art Museum-mae stop and walk, or take the same bus (approx. 25-42 min.) and get off at Kanchogaidori stop (approx. 5 min. walk)
9:00-17:00 (Admission and café L.O. until 16:30)
Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a national holiday), Year-end and New Year holidays *Special closures may occur.
General admission: 1,800 yen (1,000 yen during the transitional period of special exhibitions), Free for high school students and younger
0176-20-1127
Free of charge; in addition to the dedicated parking lot, parking is also available in the Nishi-Nibancho Parking Lot (free of charge when using the museum's Property).
2Aomori Prefectural Misawa Aviation Science Museum
This museum is unique to Misawa, a city of aviation. The museum offers Experience-type exhibits that allow visitors to see, touch, and learn in an enjoyable way under the themes of "the sky" and "flight.
The Aviation Zone introduces airplanes associated with Aomori Prefecture and the history of aviation. Visitors can see 13 aircraft, including replicas of the "Miss Beadle," the world's first non-stop flight across the Pacific Ocean, the "Kouken Kikai," which set a world record in prewar circumnavigation flight, and the actual YS-11, the first domestic passenger plane made after the war.
Visitors can also immerse themselves in the dynamic world of flight through a corner where they can hold the control lever in the cockpit, float in a giant cylinder, and experience the air pocket phenomenon.
The Air Corridor, with approximately 750 model airplanes arranged by age, is also worth seeing.
Science zone where you can learn about the mechanics of flight.
The Science Zone is primarily a science exhibit for Experience learning. Visitors can experience what it feels like to be a pilot in a Cessna flight simulator, or simulate the work of an air traffic controller in an air traffic control simulation game.
In addition, the Science Experiment Workshop offers science shows on themes such as "leverage," "light," and "the moon. Craft workshops are also available, with a monthly menu that changes from 70 to 80 items, including jewelry soap, kaleidoscopes, slime, and periscopes. In addition, there are annual events such as stargazing, Tsugaru lacquerware grinding experience, Halloween crafts, and Christmas crafts.
- Aomori Prefectural Misawa Aviation Science Museum
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- 158 Kitayama, Oaza-Misawa, Misawa-shi, Aomori-ken MAP
Approximately 23 minutes from Misawa Station on the Aoimori Railway- From Misawa Station East Exit, take the Misawa Gurutto Bus bound for Misawa Aviation Museum, Terayama Shuji Memorial Museum, or Donan Clan Memorial Tourist Village (about 18 minutes), and get off at Misawa Aviation Museum (see website for details).
- 9:00-17:00 (Admission until 16:30)
Reservations are required on the day of the workshop. 9:00 - registration starts at 9:00.
Check the website for details. - Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a national holiday), December 30 - January 1
- Adults 700 yen, Free for high school students and younger
- 0176-50-7777
- Free of charge
3Oirase Keiryu-kan
The tourist information center is located in the Yakiyama area, the gateway to the Oirase mountain stream. At the "Oirase Moss Ball Workshop," visitors can experience making kokedama, a type of Japanese bead-shaped ball. Kokedama" are made by wrapping the roots of plants such as beech, maple, and ferns in soil and attaching moss to the surface. Visitors can take home the atmosphere of the mossy Oirase Stream as it is, making it a great souvenir of their trip.
Visitors can also make lamps using gourds grown with water from the Oirase River. The lamps are made by drilling holes in the surface of the gourd and decorating it with a moss motif, which looks fantastic when lit. The lamps are not only for your own use, but also make great gifts.
Local sweets are also available, perfect for a break!
The Oirase Keiryu-kan provides information on sightseeing in the area and points for walking along the mountain stream, and also has a café, making it a popular resting spot. The specialty is the Oirase Koke Soft. It is made in the image of the scenery of the Oirase mountain stream and is covered with a generous amount of powdered green tea that resembles moss, and finished with chocolate that resembles fallen trees along the stream. Coffee made with Oirase headwaters is also recommended.
In addition, there are bicycle rentals, a corner introducing the nature of Towada-Hachimantai, and a store, all of Oirase's attractions gathered in a compact space.
- Oirase Keiryu-kan
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- 183 Tochikubo, Okuse-aza, Towada-shi, Aomori MAP
- Approximately 42 minutes from JR Shichinohe-Towada Station and 51 minutes from JR Misawa Station by car.
- From JR Shichinohe-Towada Station, take the Shichinohe-Towada Oirase Shuttle Bus bound for Yakeyama (approx. 58 min.), get off at the last stop, and walk approx. 6 minutes (operated only on weekends and from mid-June to October).
- 9:00～16:30
- No holidays
- Experience making kokedama (Japanese traditional crafts) from 2,000 yen, gourd lamps from 5,000 yen.
- 0176-74-1233
- Free of charge
Reservations required at least one day in advance.
For more information on Experience hours and age groups, please check the official website.
4Ji-Beer Restaurant Oirase Mugishukan
There is a microbrewery next door where visitors can enjoy freshly brewed "Oirase Beer" prepared with Oirase headwaters. There are three types of beer: Pilsner, popular for its hop aroma and bitterness; Dark Lager, characterized by the aroma and richness of black beer; Amber Lager, a unique blend of the two; and Weizen, fruity and suitable for women. Each has won gold medals at international competitions, and each is exceptional in terms of mouthfeel, throatfeel, and aroma. We recommend the "Trial Set 100ml x 4 kinds" to compare the different beers.
Flavored beers are also available for a limited time only.
Original menus using beer are also delicious!
The best way to enjoy beer is with dishes that use local ingredients and beer. The "Towada Garlic Pork Spare Ribs" is made from pork raised on garlic fed from Towada. The meat is marinated in weizen and then braised, so it is tender enough to be loosened with chopsticks and falls apart in the mouth. Other dishes include curry flavored with the same Weizen and "Pana Shellfish Steamed with Oirase Beer" boiled in amber lager.
Oirase Beer is an authentic beer that was brewed by learning how to make Pilsner beer directly from Czech brewmasters (brewing technicians), the home of Pilsner beer. The beer is made in a brewing kettle made in the Czech Republic, and the attraction is that you can see a part of the production line, such as the kettle and storage tanks, inside the store.
- Oirase Beer Restaurant Oirase Mugishukan
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- 39-1 Weirumichi, Okuse-aza, Towada-shi, Aomori MAP
- Approximately 28 minutes by car from JR Shichinohe-Towada Station
36 min. by car from Aomori Railway Misawa Station - 11:00-19:00 (L.O.18:30)
- Tuesdays (around November to mid-December), 12/31 and 1/1
- 0176-72-3231
- Free of charge
5Classic Car Museum Tsukahara Museum
From old-fashioned cars that make you feel as if you have stepped back in time to fantastic masterpieces, there is a collection of classic cars from Japan and abroad. Visitors can see more than 50 cars, mainly American, British, and Japanese-made. Among them are some of the most valuable cars in automotive history, such as the "Renault 35CV," which was very popular in France more than 100 years ago, and the "TOYOTA 2000GT," which appeared as a Bond car in the movie "007 Dies Twice," making them well worth a visit. Moreover, the vivid colors and retro designs are all fashionable. Even those who are not familiar with cars or women can enjoy them.
You can even test drive a racing machine!
The classic cars are carefully restored, not only the bodies, but also the engine parts, down to the single screw. Visitors can watch the restoration process from close by, and in the racing car corner, there are formula cars and GT cars that allow visitors to actually sit in the driver's seat and test the comfort of the ride. In particular, the test car of the "Supra GT," which won the GT500 class of the "All Japan GT Championship," was actually driven at Fuji Speedway and Suzuka Circuit. The body paint has been kept as it was in those days, and the scratches left behind are very realistic. The intense racing atmosphere will make you feel like a racer.
- Classic Car Museum Tsukihara Museum
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- 4-2-57 Kita Inter-Kogyo Danchi, Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture, Japan Techno Craft C & V inside MAP
- 5 min. drive from Mutsu Ichikawa Station of Aoimori Railway, 14 min. drive from Hachinohe Station
- 10:00-17:00 (~16:00 in October)
Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays (late April - late October) - Closed in winter from late October to late April of the following year
- High school students and older: 500 yen, junior high school students and younger: free (admission only when accompanied by an adult)
- 0178-21-1656
- Free of charge
MAP
- <Indoor Sightseeing Spots in Hachinohe, Towada, and Oirase
- Hoshino Resorts facilities nearby
Local Guide who was in charge of this article
- Akari Nakanowatari hahaki gourmet girls
Hoshino Resorts facilities nearby
Misawa, Aomori Prefecture- Aomoriya by Hoshino Resorts
- Hot spring ryokan where you can fully experience Aomori culture such as festivals, hot springs, and local performing arts.
Towada, Aomori Prefecture- Oirase Keiryu Hotel by Hoshino Resorts
- The only resort hotel built on the banks of the Oirase mountain stream. You can enjoy the nature of the national park throughout the year.
Owani Onsen, Aomori Prefecture- Hoshino Resorts KAI Tsugaru
- Hot spring ryokan to enjoy the culture of Tsugaru and its four seasons. You can also enjoy the water garden of Tsugaru's four seasons, which changes its expression with each season.