Fukaura and Juniko in Aomori: the Blue Pond, Beech Forest and a Port Town on the Sea of Japan

Fukaura, on the Sea of Japan side of Aomori, pairs the lake walks of Juniko with a port that lands about half of the prefecture's bluefin tuna. Behind the lakes stands the beech forest of Shirakami-Sanchi, a primeval wood that has never been logged or developed. In it lies Aoike, the Blue Pond, whose surface looks as if blue ink had been poured into it, and not far away erosion has laid bare a wall of white tuff rock called the Japan Canyon. Down on the coast, the Senjojiki rock shelf reaches out into the sea and can be walked across.

The Blue Pond and Its Wooden Boardwalk

Walk the wooden deck at Aoike and the water below reads as a deep cobalt, as though someone had tipped blue ink into a pool where beech trees grow at the edge. The trunks and leaves around the pond are mirrored on the surface, so the colour of the forest sits on top of the colour of the water. The deck is there for looking, so stand still rather than pass straight through.

The pond holds at nine degrees Celsius throughout the year and never freezes, which is said to keep the water clear and lend it that blue look. Autumn colour differs from lake to lake, with Aoike, Ochiguchi no Ike and Oike each turning in their own way, so a visit at this time of year rewards walking on past the first pond.

The Primeval Beech Forest and a Long, Narrow Pond

The Shirakami-Sanchi beech forest is said to have begun about eight thousand years ago, and it has stood ever since without being logged or developed. The walking course threads past a long, narrow pond that stretches about half a kilometre from east to west.

In season this long pond is a place to see and hear wild birds, kingfishers among them, so it repays a slow pace. If time is short, treat the forest itself rather than any single pond as the reason to walk here.

Kanayama Pond, the Oike Lakes and Their Waterfalls

Go beyond the busier ponds to Kanayama pond, the lake at the back of Juniko, and the tourists thin out until the shore is quiet. The short course to it passes two ponds on the way before reaching Kanayama pond. On the path along its shore a natural hiba cypress forest forms a deep green wood, and the scent of hinokitiol hangs in the air there.

That short course is currently suspended, and some trail restrictions left by heavy rain in the Reiwa era mean the published course plans may change. If it is still suspended when you go, the quiet of Kanayama pond will have to wait, and the path around Oike is the natural place to turn instead.

At Oike, the walking path along the shores of the east lake and the west lake is shaped like a gourd. Two waterfalls stand beside the path, and both are places to stop and listen to the water running. At the one that drops from Ochiguchi no Ike, visitors can get down and play in the water, a stop that suits anyone travelling with children.

The Japan Canyon and the Seasons of Juniko

Visit the Japan Canyon, where erosion and collapse have laid bare a broad face of white tuff rock. An explorer named it in nineteen fifty-three because the scenery called the Grand Canyon to mind.

This is the season to be here: October turns the scenery to strong reds and yellows, and in November the blue surface of the lakes sets off the leaves floating on it. As leaves land on the water, the forest is coloured by beech and autumn leaves, and then it is covered in white snow. The deciduous broadleaf trees, mostly beech, drop their leaves all at once in winter.

Juniko can be visited year-round, and each season has its own draw. In April, once the snow has melted, dogtooth violets and new buds come out, and in July it is the calls of summer birds that you hear.

Senjojiki Coast, Engakuji and the Great Ginkgo of Fukaura

Step onto the rock shelf of the Senjojiki coast, a platform of rock raised by an earthquake in seventeen ninety-two. The shelf juts into the Sea of Japan and can be walked across at will, and going out to the water's edge brings a wide view of the sea. The coast has a place in Dazai Osamu's novel Tsugaru, and there are eateries nearby.

Back in town, Engakuji was founded by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro in the Heian period. Its main image, an eleven-faced Kannon, is said to be the work of Prince Shotoku. That image is shown to the public once every thirty-three years, so on an ordinary visit a guided explanation is the way to get close to the temple.

The great ginkgo of Kitakanegasawa, a national natural monument, turns golden from November into December and is lit up at night, with local businesses running stalls inside the illumination grounds. Because the lighting comes after dark, staying over turns the ginkgo into an evening outing rather than a stop on the way through; see places to stay in Fukaura.

The Fukaura Tuna Steak Bowl and Other Port-Town Food

Order the Fukaura tuna steak bowl and you are eating a local catch, since about half of the bluefin tuna landed in Aomori Prefecture comes in through Fukaura. Because the fishing season here runs longer than at the Tsugaru Strait ports, fresh tuna is on the table through the year, and tuna under twenty kilograms is young bluefin that goes by its own local name. The bowl dates from June of twenty thirteen and is served at six shops, each pairing the tuna with its own sauce, soup, pickles and dessert, so two bowls in two shops are not the same meal. For a short visit, the bowl is the straightforward way to taste the catch that Fukaura lands in such share.

The port's other signature is a fried minced-tuna sandwich: tuna mince coated in coarse fresh breadcrumbs, fried and tucked into bread with sanchu lettuce, with a sauce built on garlic miso on the side. It took the top prize at the first Fukaura tuna dish contest in twenty fourteen. The seasonal soft cream is loaded with Fukaura snow carrot paste and comes out carrot-coloured, which rounds off a port-town lunch.

Getting to Fukaura and Juniko

Leg	How	Time and estimate
Shin-Aomori to Kawabe	JR Ou Main Line	About 35 minutes
Kawabe to Fukaura Station	JR Gono Line	About 2 hours 25 minutes
Hirosaki to Higashi-Noshiro	JR Ou Main Line	About 1 hour 30 minutes
Higashi-Noshiro to Juniko Station	JR Gono Line	About 1 hour 50 minutes
Fukaura Station to Juniko Station	JR Gono Line	About 30 minutes
Juniko Station to Oku-Juniko	Konan Bus route bus	About 15 minutes
Konan Bus route buses	Fares paid after riding	Cash and transport IC cards accepted
Oku-Juniko bus stop to Aoike	On foot	About 10 minutes
Japan Canyon stop to the viewpoint	On foot, up a walking path	About 15 minutes
Juniko Station to Shirakami Juniko Eco Museum	On foot	About 20 minutes
Fukaura Station to Engakuji	On foot	About 20 minutes
Kitakanegasawa Station to the great ginkgo	On foot	About 10 minutes
Noshiro-minami IC (Akita Expressway) to Shirakami Juniko Eco Museum	Car	About 1 hour
Oku-Juniko parking lot	Car	Space for 100 vehicles
Oku-Juniko parking lot, standard car	Fee	500 yen

Fukaura Station and Juniko Station are on the same JR Gono Line, so the port and the lakes combine in one trip.

New to rural buses and one-man trains? See how to ride them, step by step.

Hours and Fees

Place	What	Hours or fee
Shirakami Juniko Eco Museum	Hours	9:00-16:30
Juniko Visitor Center	Hours	9:00-16:00, April 1 to November 30
Wakitsubo and Aoike course	Walking course	2.5 hours
Kanayama pond short course	Walking course; currently suspended	2.5 hr
Kanayama pond and Itobata pond long course	Walking course	5 hr
Engakuji	Hours	8:00-17:00; 8:00-16:00 from December to March
Engakuji	Admission for students	250 yen high school; 100 yen elementary and junior high
Fukaura tuna steak bowl	Price at all shops, tax included	1,500 yen
Fukaura tuna steak bowl	Extra tuna, 40 grams	250 yen
Fukaura tuna steak bowl	Extra rice, small bowl	100 yen
Fukaura tuna steak bowl	Booking	Reserve ahead; from one person
One of the six bowl shops	Hours	11:00-14:00 and 17:00-20:00
Fried minced-tuna sandwich	Price	500 yen
Mono-kan Korobokkuru	Hours	9:00-17:00
Pizza&Bar Kadale	Hours	12:00-23:00
Wespa Tsubaki	Day-trip bath, hours	6:00-22:00; 7:00-21:00 from November to March
Wespa Tsubaki	Day-trip bath, adults	500 yen
Kitakanegasawa great ginkgo	Big Yellow illumination	16:30-20:30