Aomori Oirase Stream + Lake Towada One-Day Walking Route

Aomori🚶Oirase Stream + Lake Towada One-Day Walking Route

Many years ago, I was drawn to Aomori because of the Oirase Stream. Walking along the stream was really joyful. Hiking in the morning and then sitting by Lake Towada in the afternoon, just zoning out, made for a relaxing and healing day. Along the way, I even picked up a companion to join me.

Due to hiking time constraints, we didn’t start at Ishigedo but chose to begin at Kumoi Falls. It takes just over 2 hours to reach Konokuchi, then we rested a bit and took a bus to Lake Towada (Shuyō).
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🚌 Transportation
✔ The bus from Aomori Station to Oirase Stream to Lake Towada is fully covered by the JR East Pass; just show the pass to the driver when boarding and alighting.
✔ It’s best to line up at Aomori Station half an hour before the morning bus departure. If there are many people, there will be two buses. We lined up half an hour early and got on the second bus. If you miss the second bus, there’s no other option.
✔ For the return from Lake Towada to Aomori Station, the 3 pm direct bus is recommended. The 4 pm bus transfers at Hachinohe and takes over an hour longer, which is more tiring.
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🚶My Route
1⃣ 8:10-10:25 Aomori Station - Kumoi Falls
Start hiking along the stream, passing several waterfalls. Choshi Otaki is the largest. After Choshi Otaki, Konokuchi is not far. The total time is about 2 hours.

Some people choose to hike from Ishigedo to Kumoi Falls (this section also has many waterfalls), then take a bus to Choshi Otaki, and hike to Konokuchi. The routes are similar. 🗺️ Map is in image 2.

I think the most enjoyable part is hiking along the stream, so I chose the first route. There are many waterfalls, big and small. I didn’t meet the NPC grandpa who paints, but I did meet people sitting down eating lunch. Everyone was leisurely enjoying their holiday, which was wonderful. There are many different kinds of plants, and even the signposts have moss hats.

2⃣ At Konokuchi, you can have lunch and rest. There is also a shop selling souvenirs, yogurt drinks, and snacks.

3⃣ 13:30-13:45 Konokuchi 🚌 Lake Towada (Shuyō)
After getting off the bus, start exploring Lake Towada. Walk along the lakeshore to the Otome Statue and the shrine. This lakeside walk is so comfortable. Lake Towada is beautiful beyond what photos can capture. There are lakeside snack shops, swan boats, and you can also take a sightseeing cruise. We didn’t have time, so we gave it up.

Towada Shrine is a quiet shrine in the mountains, with a cute sign warning about bears. It’s even more beautiful when it snows (I really want to visit Aomori again when it’s snowy).

If you have time, you can browse shops or have a coffee break, then wait about 10 minutes before the return bus.

4⃣ 15:00-17:44 Lake Towada (Shuyō) - Aomori Station