Rice Field Railway (Part 2)

2 Enjoy riding the train and wandering around the station area

Hop on and off the train between Hirosaki and Kuroishi and walk around

Traveling on the Konan Railway Konan Line is not just about enjoying the rice fields! There are a lot of hot springs along the railway line, as well as many long-established shops and restaurants. In addition, you can see stations that were once busy with the shipment of apples as well as the traces of the freight train that once ran through the fields of Tsugaru.

Journey together with Russel-kun

You can purchase a key chain (800 yen) of the Konan Railway’s popular mascot "Russell-kun" at Hirosaki Station on the Konan Line (limited availability). The character is based on the Ki-104 Russell snowplow train that clears the line on heavy snow days. He is designed to look like a sumo wrestler pushing through the snow.
*The Russell train operation schedule is not available to the public for safety reasons.

The train runs through the countryside with Mt. Iwaki in the background

After passing through the city, rice paddies and fields spread out on both sides of the railroad track, and the Konan Line transforms into the "Rice Field Railway". At Nisato Station there is an old steam locomotive on display, and at Tachita Station, you can see the remains of a stone platform from when freight trains stopped at the station, as well as a large historical storehouse.

Get off at Hiraka Station and discover the nostalgic atmosphere

You will find a classic dark red train and a wooden train shed at Hiraka Station. The dark red train is an electric locomotive that came to the Konan Railway from the Kanto region in 1958. At that time, it pulled the freight train, and now, it pulls the Russell snowplow to clear the snow. Before the arrival of the railroad, the paddy fields spread out as far as the eye can see.

Take care of your feet with a footbath between trips

Walk about 15 minutes from Hiraka Station and head towards Minamida Onsen Hotel Apple Land. For foot care, we recommend Bisoku-no-Yu, a free footbath that flows from a weak alkaline spring. If you want to soak your whole body in the hot springs, there is a large public bath with apples floating in the water as well as a private bath available to rent (both have an entrance fee) inside the hotel. It seems that the hot spring was originally excavated due to the founder’s desire to provide a place for the female apple farmers to warm their cold bodies after carrying out winter work such as shipping apples.
*Apples are not floating the footbath

Kannon with an apple in hand

Minamida Onsen Hotel Apple Land: Opening Hours: 9:00 - 21:00
Free
Opening Period: April 23-October 31
TEL. 0172-44-3711
166-3 Machii Minamida, Hirakawa, Aomori Prefecture
About a 15-minute walk from Hiraka Station on the Konan Railway Konan Line
There is a shuttle bus available for hotel guests from Hiraka Station and Hirosaki Station (reservation required)

A simple station that was selected as one of the 100 best stations in Tohoku

With a stone platform and retro Showa-style ticket gate, Tsugaru Onoe Station is a station where you can enjoy the unique atmosphere of a local railway. In 2002, it was selected as one of the 100 best stations in Tohoku.

Tsugaru Onoe Station has hidden charm!

If you walk about 10 minutes from the station, you will find Seibi-en Garden, which was the inspiration for a Ghibli movie, and Saruka Shrine, which boasts a long history. The roof of the station building also imitates that of a shrine.

A sweets shop that you will want to visit near Tsugaru Onoe Station

Confectionery Nishiya’s fluffy peach dorayaki have a very flavorful center made from white bean paste and peach puree.

Confectionery Nishiya: Opening Hours: 8:00 -19:00 / No fixed closing days / TEL. 0172-57-2240; Approximately 5 minutes on foot from Tsugaru Onoe Station on the Konan Railway Konan Line

A hot spring with a retro atmosphere right in front of the station

If you walk for 1 minute from Tsugaru Onoe Station, you will find Yamato Onsen, which is a retro Showa-era beauty spring with an alkaline source. It is popular with the local people because the bath is so hot it is impossible to feel cold. It was founded as a normal public bath in 1938, but in 1977, a hot spring was dug up, and it became a hot spring public bath.

Tourists are warmly welcomed!
A day-trip set is also available

Currently, the 3rd generation owner has taken over, launched the onsen’s website, started utilizing social media, and created branded towels (380 yen). They also put together an “empty-handed bathing set” (bath towel, face towel, shampoo, conditioner, 650 yen including entrance fee) so that tourists can easily use the onsen.

They want you to come in saying "I'm home"

Yamato Onsen aims to be a public bath where customers say "I'm home" as they enter. It is a bathhouse with an old-fashioned "retro relationship" between the owner and customers. After taking a bath, you must have some milk from a glass bottle!

The onsen is fully-equipped with a large communal bath that flows directly from the spring, a lie-down bath, sauna, and free Wi-Fi.

Yamato Onsen: Entrance Fee: 400 yen for adults
Opening Hours: 7: 00-22: 00
Closed: 1st and 15th of every month (if it is a Sunday or a holiday, the onsen is closed the next day.)
TEL. 0172-57-2852
1-2 Nakasado Minamida, Hirakawa, Aomori Prefecture
About a 1-minute walk from Tsugaru Onoe Station on the Konan Railway Konan Line

Inakadate Station is a small museum of contemporary art

Inside the station building, the walls, ceiling, doors, chairs, and even the bins for empty cans are all covered in monochrome drawings. This is an artwork called "ART STATION" by local artist GOMA.

Big eyeballs and wriggling monsters

The artwork was drawn using a black pen on a base of white paint. GOMA draws by moving his hands intuitively without drafts. The work has an appealing texture unique to something hand-drawn, such as places with faint ink or stronger and weaker lines.

The attractive gap between retro and art

Inakadate Station opened in 1950. Looking at the station’s retro exterior, it’s impossible to imagine the world waiting on the inside. There is an anecdote saying that when the station was built, they chose the slightly-remote current location because "building a station in the village center would not be good because young people would go to the town to play" or because "there would be no farmland."

Rent a bicycle in front of Kuroishi Station and enjoy cycling

There are rental bicycles available at Kuroishi Tourist Information Center. Bicycles are convenient for spots that are a little too far away to walk.
*The availability of rental bicycles depends on the weather and season. For more information, please contact the Kuroishi Tourist Information Center in advance.
Fee: 300 yen/day per bicycle
Rental Period: 9:00 to 17:00
1-187 Midoricho, Kuroishi, Aomori Prefecture
Tel. 0172-88-8815

An authentic coffee shop in the countryside

It's a little far from the station, but if you're a "rice field railroad fan", you must check it out. When you open the door, the gentle aroma of coffee comes drifting through the air. It is very refreshing to drink the espresso tonic (480 yen) on the terrace while looking out over the rice fields. The combination of coffee and carbonated water is unique. There are many other drinks on the menu, including cappuccinos and tiramisu lattes. With so many delicious drinks, it is hard to choose one.

A pure desire to serve the most delicious coffee

At Pino Coffee, they check the raw coffee beans one by one, and after removing the defective beans, they carefully wash them with water. Then, they let the beans air dry and select only those that are still good after roasting. It takes two to three days to make delicious coffee. Since this process takes time and effort, they cannot prepare lunch or light meals, so the cafe only serves coffee.

Providing coffee that locals can enjoy!

The owner wanted the café to be somewhere where customers could casually stand around drinking coffee every day like in Italian bar culture. They also offer takeaway drinks and coffee beans. It seems that there are many regular customers among the local farmers.

Pino Coffee Roaster: Opening Hours: 11:00-19:00
Closed: Tuesday, Wednesday, New Year holidays
TEL. 0172-55-7553
27-4 Maeta Tokoji, Inakadate, Minamitsugaru District, Aomori Prefecture
About 15 minutes by bicycle from Kuroishi Station on the Konan Railway Konan Line or roughly 40 minutes on foot. About 20 minutes on foot from Sakaimatsu Station.

Smile Kitchen: the convenience store that supports local eating habits

With the aim of making the local people happier, Smile Kitchen makes rice balls, bento boxes, and everyday dishes in-store using original recipes. The recipes of the first female owner are still used today.

The rice is delicious because it is an area with heavy snowfall

Rice cultivation has been prosperous in the Tsugaru region since long ago. In fact, they even discovered the remnants of paddy fields from the Yayoi period, and it seems that rice has been cultivated in the area for about 2000 years. Nutrient-rich meltwater flows down from the snowy mountains to the paddy fields. In addition, it is said that delicious rice grows in Tsugaru due to the large temperature difference between day and night. Sujiko is a popular ingredient for rice balls in the local area. Aomori Prefecture has the highest consumption of sujiko in Japan. Sujiko onigiri is Aomori's soul food.

The home-grown vegetables and the way products are sold by weight make the store popular

One store clerk said that she starts preparing at around 4 am so that the dishes are lined up in the shop at 6 am. The store’s interior is very colorful, and they sell dishes unique to Tsugaru made using home-grown vegetables as well as sweets such as crepes.

Smile Kitchen: Opening Hours: 6:00-21:00
Open all year round
TEL. 0172-53-6277
81-1 Aoyama, Kuroishi, Aomori Prefecture
About 10 minutes by bicycle or about 30 minutes on foot from Kuroishi Station on the Konan Railway Konan Line