Aomori Prefecture | Life in the North Shaped by Harsh Winters and Abundant Harvests

Aomori Prefecture lies at the northernmost tip of Japan’s main island of Honshu.
With its cool climate, expansive forests, and a natural environment bordered by the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan, and Mutsu Bay, it has developed as a region where both agriculture and fisheries play a central role.

Aomori is widely known as one of Japan’s leading apple-producing areas.
The pronounced difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures helps cultivate fruit with a rich, concentrated sweetness.

On the Pacific coast, the city of Hachinohe has a thriving fishing industry: fresh seafood, including squid, lines the ports and morning markets, supporting both daily dining tables and the local economy.

In Aomori, where the severe climate of the north is a defining feature, festivals and customs that celebrate the brief summer remain deeply rooted.
Foremost among them is the Nebuta Festival, designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan.
Enormous illuminated floats, blazing against the night sky, parade through the streets to the beat of drums and flutes, while the shouted refrain of “Rassera!” echoes all around, bringing dancers and spectators together in a single, vibrant celebration of the summer night.

In the snowbound Tsugaru region, cultural traditions born from the need for warmth and everyday ingenuity have been handed down through the generations, such as kogin-zashi embroidery and the powerful sound of the Tsugaru shamisen.
Within the culture and ways of life shaped by this climate, a quiet warmth amid harsh conditions and the resilience of the people continue to live on.