Aomori

The ultra-modern port city of Aomori, in the far north of Japanﾒs main island of Honshu, stretches around Mutsu Bay and is the gateway to the Aomori prefectureﾒs many stunning natural attractions. Every summer it hosts the colourful Nebuta Festival, one of the countryﾒs most popular events, and a custom that has lasted well over 300 years. A few kilometres from the city centre is the fascinating Sannai Maruyama site, where you can see ruins of one of Japanﾒs oldest settlements. Further afield, Towada-Hachimantai National Park, near the southern border, has hot springs, autumn foliage in Oirase Gorge, skiing at Mount Hakkõda and lava domes around Lake Towada.