Aomori

I initially thought it was just a small stop along the way, a place for lunch and a short rest, but the staff were incredibly helpful. Knowing we were Taiwanese tourists, they provided a comprehensive explanation in both English and Mandarin. Although it was a little stiff and awkward at times, I had to applaud them. The explanations were very thorough, and it was clear they had carefully planned everything for Chinese-speaking tourists. We were a bit pressed for time, so our viewing of the lanterns and exhibits was somewhat rushed, but we were still very impressed by their exquisite craftsmanship, bold use of color, and well-planned route. Even better, the food in the village was delicious and reasonably priced, making it a truly amazing stop along the way!

We were lucky; the weather was great that day. The car was large and clean, and the Japanese driver was incredibly helpful. Besides the planned tourist spots, he also took us to hidden gems and acted as our photographer the whole way. A very responsible driver! 👍

After disembarking and entering the country, you'll see the driver holding up a sign with his name on it. Show him your booking confirmation and you can get in the car. Destination: Hoshino Resorts Oirase Keiryu Hotel. Note: In winter, access to Oirase Keiryu requires a detour, so there will be an extra charge, approximately NT$2500. Travel time: Approximately 2.5 hours (driving will be slower in snowy conditions).

8:30 | Aomori Station Aomori has been under heavy snow warnings for the past few days, and I thought the tour would be canceled, but thankfully it did. There were about four or five buses together, each with one driver and eight passengers, and we departed on time from the west exit plaza of Aomori Station. 9:50 | Arrived at the Hakkoda Mountain Ropeway Due to weather conditions, the ropeway was closed, so we could only browse the shops for about 15 minutes before heading to the next stop. 11:10 | Arrived at the Oirase Keiryukan + Yusuikan This is a relatively large shop (Yusuikan) selling apple pies, desserts, ice cream, and many more souvenirs. The special activity "Making Moss Stones" seems to be here (not sure), but it's not included in the itinerary. We stayed here for about 40 minutes before heading to the next stop. 12:00-13:00 | Chasing waterfalls along the Oirase Stream Along the Oirase Creek towards Lake Towada, the bus stops at locations with views of waterfalls or streams and suitable for taking photos, about five times in total. Each stop lasts about 5-10 minutes for photos. The tour guide is very helpful in taking pictures. 13:20-14:30 | Lunch + Shrine near Lake Towada: The tour guide mentioned that there is only one restaurant nearby (it looked like another restaurant, but since the tour guide mentioned it, we didn't investigate further), so everyone ate there. Unfortunately, we were seated later, and it took some time to order and for the food to be served. The food was good but a bit pricey. Due to time constraints, we didn't have time to visit the shrine after lunch. If this part of the tour is included, we might visit the shrine first (although I don't know what the shrine looks like). 15:10 | Arrived at the last photo spot, a stream viewpoint, the last photo spot before driving back to Aomori Station. The tour guide was still enthusiastic about taking photos. 17:50 | Arrived safely and smoothly at the meeting point at the east exit of Aomori Station, and the tour ended for the day. 👨🏻‍✈️ Tour Guide/Driver | Kanazawa-san: A very responsible and polite tour guide/driver. He enthusiastically guided us throughout the trip and proactively helped with taking photos (I won't ask for much in terms of his skills (⁎⁍̴̛ᴗ⁍̴̛⁎), but he took the group photo). He even cracked jokes and used a translation tool to communicate with us. He repeatedly informed us, apologized, and thanked us even when the departure point was changed from the west exit to the east exit (due to traffic congestion). I give him many stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

1. I bought a standard ticket, and the space was quite large. 2. The ship's Wi-Fi was fairly smooth; I could even watch Netflix. 3. The ship's interior was quiet.

Customer service is available in Chinese via Line, making communication very convenient, and inquiries are answered promptly. Our driver was Mr. Sato, and communication was seamless using translation software. The driver was very friendly; perhaps due to the heavy snow, several restaurants we had initially chosen were closed, so he quickly took us to other places to eat and even offered to take photos for me. I'm grateful to Mr. Sato for his care throughout the journey.

Easy to install, fast internet speed, and incredibly reasonable price. Highly recommended!