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Searching for: Aomori Prefecture?
Aomori Prefecture (青森県 Aomoriken or frequently Aomori-ken) is located in the Tohoku region of Japan. The capital is
the city of Aomori.
History
Geography
Aomori Prefecture is the northernmost prefecture on Honshu and faces Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait. It borders Akita and Iwate in the south. Oma, at the northwestern tip of the axe-shaped Shimokita Peninsula, is the northernmost point of Honshu.
Osorezan, the Mountain of Dread, in Mutsu
Cities
Towns and villages
These are the towns and villages in each district.
Mergers
Tsugaru merger
On February 11, 2005 the new city
Tsugaru was formed from the merger of the town Kizukuri and the villages Inagaki, Kashiwa, Morita, and Shariki, all from Nishitsugaru District.
Towada expansion
On January 1, 2005 the town of Towadako merged into the city of Towada.
Economy
Like much of Tohoku, the Aomori region remains dominated by traditional industries
such as farming, forestry, and fishing.
Demographics
Many young people depart Aomori for cities like Tokyo or Sendai looking for excitement or jobs, and Aomori records its population as having peaked in 1983.
Culture
Tourism
Monument to soldiers who perished in Hakkoda Mountains
Aomori is especially famous for its apple orchards.
Lake Towada, a beautiful caldera, lies on the boundary between Akita and
Aomori Prefectures. The Oirase river drains Lake Towada; in the summer it
is refreshing and in the autumn the leaves are breathtaking.
Mount Osore, the Mountain of Dread, is near Mutsu on the Shimokita
Peninsula.
The Hakkoda Mountains in Aomori provide excellent hiking in the warmer seasons. However, the winter proved disastrous to over
200 soldiers who died during a military maneuver in the area in deep snow.
Prefectural symbols
The Aomori prefectural symbol is a stylized map of the prefecture, showing the crown of Honshu: the Tsugaru, Natsudomari and
Shimokita Peninsulas.
Miscellaneous topics
The two major dialects of Japanese spoken in Aomori Prefecture are Tsugaru-ben (津軽弁) and Nambu-ben
(南部弁); the former is prevalent in the area around Aomori City, and the latter is heard in and around the
city of Hachinohe.
External links
- Official
Aomori Prefecture homepage (http://www.pref.aomori.jp/home-e.html)
- Wikitravel: Aomori prefecture (http://wikitravel.org/en/Aomori_%28prefecture%29)
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