Shirakami Sanchi and Aomori Coast

At the end of August, I went up the coast to the northern part of Akita and stayed overnight just across the border in Aomori.

I've been to Shirakami Sanchi before, but it is beautiful.  It's a World Heritage Sight and it has an inner protected area because the beech forest.  I climbed a mountain called Futatsumori, but most of the train is just driving up with a short 45-minute saunter up to the top.  But the view was incredible.

Amazingly, I only ran into one family at the top for the entire hike, and a couple at the bottom of the hike who were just sitting, enjoying their time in the forest.

Later in the afternoon, I drove up the coast toward Aomori, trying not to crash as I admired the view along the way.  I ended my day in Fukaura, Aomori on a small peninsula that juts out into the sea.

It was a beautiful view along the coast and up the short mountain hike.  I stayed overnight in a camp ground, and I thought I would enjoy a beautiful evening, but the mosquitoes and hornets had a different idea.  So, I was stuck in my tent with a flashlight that didn't work properly and wondered if it wouldn't have been better to just sleep in my car overnight.

The next morning, I went to the coast to an onsen (hot spring) called Koganezakifurofushi Onsen, which has a bath right on the water.  You can sit in the bath, which has a really high iron content and makes everything red, and look out onto the sea.  It more than made up for the rough night.

The hot spring on the sea.  You can see the building there with the baths on the other side of the wall.