Okutsugaru-Imabetsu Station (奥津軽いまべつ駅)
Station Type: Train station
Okutsugaru Mamabetsu Station in Aomori Prefecture is a local train station that existed before the Shinkansen bullet train started service. Around the station, there are sightseeing spots where visitors can experience nature and culture.
A 20-minute drive from the station is Goshogawara City Shimokita Peninsula Tsugaru Kaikyo Park, located at the northern tip of the Tsugaru Peninsula. This park has one of the largest lawn areas in the Tohoku region, a campground, and playground equipment, and offers scenery that changes with the seasons. It also faces the Tsugaru Kaikyo Straits, and when the weather is fine, visitors can enjoy views of the bridges over the straits and the opposite shore.
About an hour’s drive from the station is the Shirakami Mountains, which are registered as a World Natural Heritage site. This mountain range is located on the border of Aomori and Akita prefectures, with mountains over 2,000 meters high and steep valleys. In addition to mountain climbing and trekking, there are many hot spring resorts where visitors can spend a relaxing time while enjoying nature.
There are also places around the station where you can learn about the history and culture of the Tsugaru region. The Tsugaru Museum, a 10-minute walk from the station, has exhibits on the history, culture, and daily life of the Tsugaru region. Also, the Tsugaru Railway Museum, about a 5-minute walk away, exhibits the history and materials of the Tsugaru Railway.
In the area around Okutsugaru Imabetsu Station, visitors can spend a relaxing time while experiencing nature and culture. Although you will only pass through the area by Shinkansen, you may discover something new if you visit the area by local train.
Restaurants, Foods
Some restaurants and food shops around the station.
Roadside Station Imabetsu Hanto Plaza Asukuru (道の駅 いまべつ)
Restaurant Type: Toll road rest stop
Sasabune (ささ舟)
Restaurant Type: Japanese restaurant
Tourist area
Some tourist area – the best views, museums and parks – around the station.
Seikan Tunnel Park (青函トンネル入口広場)
Tourist Area Type: Park
Seikan Tunnel Park (Seikan Tunnel Entrance Plaza) is the mainland entrance to the Seikan Tunnel, which connects the northern island of Hokkaido to the world’s longest undersea tunnel, 53.85 km long. It is an excellent spot to watch the Hokkaido Shinkansen bullet train enter and exit the Seikan Tunnel from a close distance.
The Seikan Tunnel is a railroad tunnel connecting Imabetsu-cho, Higashitsugaru-gun, Aomori Prefecture, Honshu, and Chonai-cho, Kamiiso County, Hokkaido.
It is the fourth longest transportation tunnel in the world and the longest and deepest undersea tunnel and narrow gauge tunnel in the world. It was also the world’s longest transportation tunnel when it opened on March 13, 1988. The tunnel is also a major artery for communication and power transmission, with communication cables and power transmission lines laid through the tunnel.
Roadside Station Imabetsu Hanto Plaza Asukuru (道の駅 いまべつ)
Tourist Area Type: Toll road rest stop
Michi no Eki Imabetsu (Road Station Imabetsu) is a road station on the Imabetsu-Kanida Line, Aomori Prefectural Road No. 14, located in Okawahira, Imabetsu-cho, Higashitsugaru-gun, Aomori Prefecture. Its nickname is Peninsula Plaza Askuru.
It was built on the site of the former station building of Tsugaru Futamata Station on the East Japan Railway (JR East) Tsugaru Line, and is adjacent to the station platform. It is also adjacent to Okutsugaru-Mamabetsu Station on the Hokkaido Shinkansen Line of the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido), making a total of three stations. This is one of the few roadside stations in Japan. The road registered as a road station is Aomori Prefectural Road No. 14 Imabetsu-Kanida Line.
Inside the roadside station building, there is a section with tourist and fishing information, as well as a store and a cafeteria. There is also a train waiting area, but JR tickets are not sold there.
The name “Shi (four) Awase no Eki” is painted on the entrance of the roadside station building, as it has four station names including Tsugaru-Imabetsu Station on the JR Hokkaido Kaikyo Line.
Hotels
There are various hotels around the station.
Hotel Tappi (龍飛崎温泉 ホテル竜飛)
Kawabata INN (民宿川端)
Tappi-INN (龍飛旅館)
Convenience Stores, Grocery Stores
Stores for foods, drinks and others.
Tourist Information Center
Tourist information centers inside/around the station.
Have a nice visit !
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