Aomori, the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island of Honshu, is located in the Tohoku region and bordered by the Pacific Ocean. Known for stunning natural vistas, historic landmarks, and outstanding seafood, this destination is making its way onto many visitors’ must-visit lists.
Dive a little deeper, and you’ll discover the city of Hachinohe, located on the northeast coastline of Aomori Prefecture. Hachinohe is a city where fisheries thrive alongside other flourishing industries — such as agriculture, which produces fresh farm products, and industries like papermaking and shipbuilding — creating a place where nature and industry come together to craft products that travel far beyond the border of Aomori.
Within that world of industry and craftsmanship is Hachinohe Fishing Port, boasting one of the nation's highest catch volumes, making a name for itself over the years as the best place to experience the pinnacle of seafood, including mackerel, flounder, and golden-eye snapper.
Meet the seafood specialties of Aomori
Aomori is blessed with a bounty of seafood, but why? Well, the waters off Hachinohe, where cold and warm currents meet, are rich in plankton. This creates firm, dense fish and a remarkably wide range of seasonal ‘peak freshness’ periods. What’s more is that the short distance from the fishing port to the processing plants nearby ensures that exceptional freshness is preserved, capturing the true deliciousness of each catch.
One such delicacy is pickled mackerel (Shime saba), known for its rich flavor and a gentle acidity from the rice vinegar it’s marinated in. Simply grilling this mackerel as it is allows a savory aroma to fill the air, though it can also be enjoyed raw in pressed sushi or even on a fresh baguette. To allow the flavors to truly shine, pair this with a crisp Junmai Ginjo, a dry sparkling sake, or a dry white wine.
Another local delight is canned mackerel, with the innovative Hachinohe Mackerel Can Bar—which we’ll tell you more about shortly—taking the #1 position. Canned mackerel makes this fish convenient, long-lasting, and a delicious dish to enjoy. It’s also tender right down to the bones, removing one of the main concerns of eating fish, and pairs extremely well with fluffy Japanese rice or easy-to-make pasta dishes. Available in a variety of aromatic flavors, you’ll want to pair your canned mackerel with a stronger profile, such as Yamahai Junmai, craft beer, or a tangy lemon sour.
While you’re in Aomori, you’ll also want to try the local flounder (also known as flatfish), beloved for its simplicity and satisfying bite. With its origins in the clear waters of Hachinohe, it’s delicious as-is, served as sashimi or briefly blanched, though some diners also delight in kombu-cured flounder or a flavorful marinated rice bowl. With its more delicate flavor profile, opt for a gentler pairing, such as Ginjo sake, sparkling sake, or a carbonated water with freshly squeezed citrus.
Finally, appreciate one more delicacy from the depths of Aomori’s coast: golden-eye snapper (kinmedai). With its sweet fat, refined aroma, and rich skin, it takes pride of place in heartier dishes where it can hold its own against other simmered ingredients, such as in a shabu-shabu hot pot. Alternatively, let the snapper linger on your tongue with a seared skin nigiri, giving this unique catch more space to shine. Sip on Junmai sake or Chardonnay-style white wine and discover a new favorite pairing.
Each of these specialties is prepared by Marunushi, using generations of expertise—and contemporary innovations—to share the best catches of Aomori with the world.
Marunushi: Hachinohe’s gateway to Japan
Marunushi helps bring Hachinohe’s high-quality seafood to the rest of Japan and the world, and they work hard every day to fulfill that responsibility. Leveraging its location near the energetic fish market in Hachinohe, the company handles everything, from sourcing fresh fish to processing, storage, and shipping nationwide and overseas, and has been doing so ever since 1952.
Despite this long-standing history, Marunushi isn’t afraid to make waves in the industry with unexpected creations for modern audiences, such as their Hachinohe Mackerel Can Bar. Released in 2018 and designed to be "the ultimate Hachinohe souvenir," this unique product delivers the mouthwatering, fatty meat of mackerel in a can, ready to open and enjoy as-is, or to be added to a larger meal. Right now, this product has five flavors to choose from:
This Hachinohe Mackerel Can Bar won the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award in the new product development category at the “Central Excellent Hometown Food Competition,” launching it to the top spot as a popular souvenir from Aomori Prefecture.
But long before such unique products hit the shelves, Marunushi had already laid a foundation of quality and trust with the people of Hachinohe and beyond. Based only minutes from Hachinohe’s three fish markets, providing fresh catches on a daily basis, you know that Marunushi’s seafood is nothing but the freshest, most premium catches on the market.
Their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) accreditation further proves their commitment to food safety, so you can enjoy each high-quality dish with confidence.
It's with this seal of approval that many head to Marunushi’s online shop, allowing them to bring the tastes of Hachinohe home with them. In particular, most can’t resist another taste of the award-winning Hachinohe Mackerel Can Bars—tempted to try every flavor available, from yuzu pepper to smoky ajillo—or the easy-to-make marinated fish rice bowl kits, featuring local flounder and salmon.
In a world where people lack time to prepare themselves a flavorful home-cooked meal, Marunushi makes marinated fish rice bowls accessible for all. Naturally, they make a perfect gourmet gift for the seafood lovers in your life or for recreating the mouthwatering memories of your time in Aomori.
Discover souvenirs and experiences at Youtree
Located right next to Hachinohe Station, Youtree is a spacious multi-story parking lot with plenty of room for souvenirs, accommodation, traditional craft experiences, and dedicated spaces for meetings, training, and events. On the first floor, the souvenir shop Ondeanse Youtree Souvenir Shop (おんであんせ ユートリーおみやげショップ) offers one of the largest selections in Aomori Prefecture, with around 2,000 specialty products—including one of the city’s most extensive collections of goods from the Hachinohe area.
Seasonal recommendations are introduced throughout the year, letting visitors discover new “tastes of Aomori” each time they visit. Many guests stop by to pick up something for family, friends, or themselves—whether it’s a marinated fish rice bowl mix to recreate local flavors at home with a marinated fish rice bowl mix, or simple regional classics like Nanbu rice crackers and Aomori apple-flavored confectionery.
Need to work off all the delicious meals and snacks you’ve been trying around Aomori? Join one of Youtree’s classes and workshops, getting up close and personal with Japan’s traditional crafts:
- Nanbu senbei: Knead and bake your own rice crackers.
- Nanbu hishizashi: Stitch designs into fabric to create coasters.
- Nanbu sakiori: Transform old fabric into an eye-catching flower vase mat.
For more information on when these classes are being held, head to their official website.
You might be wondering how you’re meant to fit this all into one day… Well, don’t worry! You can stay in one of the charming single or twin hotel rooms on the 6th and 7th floor and make a weekend of it, perfect for exploring the area at your leisure. As an added bonus, breakfast is also included in your stay, energising you for a day of seeing Aomori’s best sights.
Nearby sightseeing spots in Hachinohe
Between the fresh seafood specialties and intriguing history of Hachinohe Fishing Port, make sure you visit a few of the most unique tourist spots in Hachinohe and Aomori.
Hasshoku Center
Hasshoku Center is so large and all-encompassing of Hachinohe’s ingredients and specialties that it’s considered one of the largest “food theme parks” in Japan. In total, it contains around 70 shops, offering a wide selection of freshly caught fish, regional produce, meat, dried foods, sweets, liquor and sundries. It’s easy to wander along its stalls for an entire afternoon, crafting a mouthwatering meal from its different offerings, or gathering the perfect gifts for people back home.
Any of the fresh fish or meat that catches your eye can be bought and taken over to the Shichirin-mura (once registered and checked in), where you can grill them to your liking over a charcoal brazier (for a cost). It’s well worth it if you’re looking to make a proper meal of your time here, as the cost also includes plates, chopsticks, seasonings, and wet hand towels, with rice, roasted rice balls, soup and beverages also available for purchase.
For those final few souvenirs, there’s also a wide selection of local sake on offer, including original sake that’s only available at Hasshoku Center.
You can reach Hasshoku Center by bus from the JR Hachinohe Station—where you’ll arrive if you’re visiting via the Tohoku Shinkansen—taking around 11 minutes. If you’re coming from Hachinohe City Center, it will be about 20 minutes from the Hachinohe Chushingai Terminal.
Kabushima Shrine
If you’re lucky enough to be exploring Hachinohe in spring or summer, you may spot a hill in the distance that’s surrounded by the sea and covered in a blur of white feathers and squawking beaks—that’s Kabushima Shrine, designated a natural monument in 1922 as a breeding ground for black-tailed gulls.
Black-tailed gulls gather here every February, and by the end of March, there can be up to 30,000 of them. From April to May, eggs are laid and hatched, and by the end of July, they’re all ready to leave the nest. By the peak of the summer heat in early August, all the black-tailed gulls have left Kabushima until the next breeding season.
Once you’ve seen this picturesque shrine for yourself, it’s easy to see why they chose this spot. Set 800m above Hachinohe Fishing Port, you’ll have uninterrupted views of this industrious area as it gives way to the Aomori coastline. The shrine itself reveres the goddess Benzaiten—a Japanese goddess of music, eloquence, wisdom, and wealth—and local fishermen and townspeople have been praying here for centuries, asking for support with their businesses, fishing trips, and more.
Dotted around the shrine are statues recognizing the prevalence of gulls and also turnips, since the word “kabu” in Kabushima can mean both “turnip” and “stock” in Japanese. The latter of which sees some visitors also pray for good luck in the stock market.
There are multiple ways to reach Kabushima Shrine from Hachinohe Station:
- By car: 30 minutes via the Prefectural Route 19 and Hachinohe Bridge
- By train: Catch the JR Hachinohe line to Same Station, then walk 15 minutes
- By bus: You can also catch the Umineko Bus from Same Station and get off at the Kabushima Kaihin Koen Bus Stop.
Tanesashi Coast
The Tanesashi Coast is a sight to behold, no matter the exact spot or season you visit. Each season brings something new, from the black-tailed gulls of April to July and the blooming flowers of mid-June to mid-July at the Ashigezaki Scenic Overlook, to the swaying beauty of Tanesashi Natural Grass Area when the natural grass is at peak height along the water’s edge.
Stroll across spacious green lawns, made even more magical during winter when the rolling hills and towering trees are carpeted in fresh snow, breathe in the salty sea breeze while letting your eyes wander over the waves, or listen to the haunting notes of the nakisuna (singing sand) with every step you take along the sandy beaches. Designated as part of Sanriku Fukko National Park and established to contribute to the reconstruction of the Sanriku region after the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, this is the kind of travel that gives you a space to breathe while giving back to the region itself.
Plus, with its proximity to Hachinohe City, it’s extremely convenient for spending the day surrounded by nature, walking, hiking, cycling, swimming, or surfing before returning to the comforts—and regional delicacies—of the city.
From JR Hachinohe Station, it’s about 40 minutes and ¥320 to JR Tanesashi Kaigan Station, a five-minute walk from the splendor of the Tanesashi Coast. Alternatively, hop on the Tanesashi Coast Sightseeing Bus (Umineko-go) from JR Same Station to JR Tanesashi Kaigan Station for only ¥100, giving this bus the well-deserved nickname of “One coin Bus Umineko-go.”
Escape to Japan’s Northern Frontier
When you want to leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind, there’s no place quite like Aomori. Throw in the scenic coastlines, unique shrines, and exceptional seafood of Hachinohe, and you’ll discover an untapped world of lesser-known sights and flavors to explore. Much like the black-tailed gulls of Kabushima Shrine, this region is the perfect spot to rest your wings for a while, coming back each year to find something new.
