Shimokita Peninsula
Discover Shimokita Peninsula
The Shimokita Peninsula (下北半島 Shimokita-hantō) is the remote northeastern cape of the Japanese island of Honshu, stretching out towards Hokkaido. Shaped like an axe pointing west, the peninsula has a thin "axe handle" connecting the mountainous "axe blade" to mainland. The coasts maintain a thin scattering of population but the interior is as remote a region as you can find in Japan. The largest population center is the drab town of Mutsu.
What to Experience in Shimokita Peninsula
Taste of Shimokita Peninsula...
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Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsNo matter how you look at it, Shimokita is a long way from anywhere. The closest airports are in Misawa and Aomori; from there you'll have to take a train or bus. Misawa has direct service to Tokyo and Osaka; Aomori also has direct service to Nagoya and Fukuoka. Tsugaru Kaikyo Ferry offers a service from Hakodate on Hokkaido to Ōma at the northwestern tip of the peninsula. There are between two and four services per day, depending on the season. Drivers and bikers are encouraged to make reservations in advance, especially in high season. The current fare for one foot passenger is ¥2200 one-way. There are no buses or taxi ranks direct from Oma ferry port; either reserve a taxi in advance, or ask the taxi drivers which are waiting for passengers who have reserved. Otherwise, there are bus stops in the town along a route leading up to Cape Oma (Oma-zaki). Buses are infrequent. Mutsu wan Ferry offers service from Wakinosawa to Kanita in Tsugaru Peninsula, crossing Mutsu Bay....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Most tourists in the area either bring or rent cars. Getting around without your own set of wheels is not easy, especially off-season. Intermittent buses do connect the main towns. If you travel by bus, be sure to pick up an Aomori Card (available to passport-showing foreigners only) in either Aomori or Mutsu's tourist office for 50% discounts on travel. The other (often faster) option is hitchhiking. Be prepared for long waits, though, as many roads on the peninsula are very lightly trafficked, even in high season. On the west side of the peninsula, ferries run between Wakinosawa, Sai and several points in between. Shimokitans have their own dialect of Japanese, known as Shimokita-ben (下北弁), which keeps linguists and other visitors scratching their heads at times. Some typical Shimokitan words and phrases include: The local speciality is squid, particular squid ink ramen noodles.
Language & Talk
Shimokitans have their own dialect of Japanese, known as Shimokita-ben (下北弁), which keeps linguists and other visitors scratching their heads at times. Some typical Shimokitan words and phrases include: The local speciality is squid, particular squid ink ramen noodles. Mutsu's tourism office is very helpful to the few foreigners who make it to this neck of the woods, although English ability and material is limited.