Oirase Gorge, Tohoku, Japan

5Walter O 5:00 PM Sep 15, 2015

Awesome hike with gorgeous photo ops
Hiking the Oirase Stream trail in Aomori Prefecture was an awesome adventure! I went in late-June on a day trip from Aomori City. There is no train service so you have to go by bus (or drive). (Buses do not operate during winter - early Nov to Apr.) It’s a JR bus so you can use your JR Train Pass if you have one. You’ll need to reserve a bus seat even if you’re using a JR pass so get your ticket in advance; go to a Travel Service Center or Reservation Office (Midori-no-madoguchi) or to the bus ticket center at Aomori Station’s bus terminal. There are limited bus runs and it’s a two-hour, one-way ride so I suggest you catch the first bus (7:50 am); board at bus boarding zone #10. Access the schedule on the website by googling "JR bus to Oirase Stream." The scenery along the way is nice and there are two restroom stops. (Before reading further, please refer to the trail map on one of my accompanying photos.) I took the bus to Ishigedo, the most popular starting point for this hike. This is the only bus stop along this stretch of Oirase Stream that stops at a building; the rest are roadside stops. From Ishigedo, it's about a 9 km hike upstream to Nenokuchi, which is where Oirase Stream meets Lake Towada. You could do the hike in reverse but it’s more interesting to walk upstream with the river flowing toward you. Use the restroom at Ishigedo as there is just one other restroom along the trail. You also can get water and snacks here from vending machines. Tour buses drop off tourists at selected spots along the stream for brief sightseeing stops so you may encounter a large tour group at a stop like I did, but other than this, there were few folks on the trail. The scenery was gorgeous, with the green, summer foliage contrasting nicely with the clear flowing water. You’ll see a number of waterfalls on the walls of this narrow valley and a couple of waterfalls on the stream itself. It’s an easy hike with very little gain in elevation and it took me about three hours, with photo-taking stops. When you reach Nenokuchi, turn right at the lakeside road. Just beyond the bridge, you’ll see the ferry terminal to your left and the Nenokuchi bus terminal/souvenir shop to your right. There is a restaurant in the adjacent two-story building that serves good food. I ordered a take-out musubi (rice ball) and fried fish bento that was superb. My trip went well because I researched the trip thoroughly online and because I speak basic Japanese. If you don’t speak the language, I suggest you have someone write out your requests in Japanese (e.g., “I want a bus ticket for tomorrow departing 7:50 am from Aomori Station to Ishigedo and a return trip from Nenokuchi at 3:18 pm to Aomori Station). Google “Oirase Stream hike” and you’ll find helpful information including the Lake Towada ferry cruise that you could take.

5Andrew1234 5:00 PM Jul 6, 2014

Oirase Gorge: An Unforgettably Gorgeous Day Hike
Awesome hike in early July! We drove 5.3 km beyond the hotel at Yakeyama and parked at Ishigedo (but arrive early for a space, as they are in short supply!). From there we walked a total of 8.9 km at a steady but unhurried pace. Anyone in decent physical shape can do it. The only equipment required are a backpack, water bottle, protein bars, and decent walking shoes. Happily, there are occasional comfort stations en route. We reached the far end at Towadako in about 3-1/2 hours. Modest tourist restaurants are available at the lake, and we were hungry enough to partake. Public bus service returned us to Ishigedo in about 20 minutes for a fare of ¥470 per seat. But enough about logistics. The main attraction was the hike: how beautiful and unspoiled! It is no wonder that Oirase Gorge is well known as a famous hike. The walk offered a dazzling assortment of snow melt-powered waterfalls, fierce whitewater and calm flows in beautiful translucent blue-white hues, and an abundance of interesting wildflowers. The trail's proximity to the two-lane road was no matter. Tip: walk upstream towards Towadako, in order to face the river as it flows towards you.