6 Mountains in Aomori Prefecture That You Shouldn't Miss

Reviewed By Meh_things - Singapore, Singapore

Nakano Momijiyama is a typical combination of a wheel chair, child and elderly friendly park within a shrine compound located at foothill of a low mountain that is surrounded by a clear stream. Beyond the shrine is the hidden hill that has well worn paths to reach what gave the name momijiyama which literally translate to red leaf mountain. Lets start with getting there. Nakano momijiyama cannot be reached by train. The nearest carpark is located outside the farmer's corporation market, about 3 to 5mins walk away. There is a need to cross the road that seem to lead to a housing cluster but directional signs are marked to lead on to the shrine entrance. Before reaching the shrine entrance, one can already see the Nakano park that is famously surrounded by the stream that surrounds part of the park before cutting through it. Entering the park requires no fees and one would first be greeted by a toji gate and the various stalls that sell local and typical japanese shrine fun fair festive food. Beyond the stalls is a long fleet of stairs with the toilets on one side. At the bottom of the stairs, one would be surrounded by many maple trees. 2 of which are more than 200 years old. In late october or 1st of Nov, these 2 trees will be full of red leaves. When i arrived on the 23rd of Oct, these 2 trees were still green although more than half the park's trees are already in flame colours. Under these two trees are tea pavilions for autumn. One can make reservations to dine there or if they are empty, take off the shoes and enjoy the cool breeze, the serenity of the soft sunlight shaded by the trees and the sound of a waterfall and running stream (see photo). Crossing the bridge located to the left of these 2 trees as seen from the stairs is the park where the maple trees are low and by 23rd Oct, already in flaming colours. On the opposite side of the park is another fleet of stairs and a ramp that leads to the shrine. Listen to the whistles of the wind, climb the stairs and enjoy the atmosphere of autumn. At the shrine, one can see numbers that represent points of interest. This is the hidden gem of nakano momijiyama. There are 2 paths for one to take. The path on the right when facing the shrine is marked with a 2 and requires one to cross a small bridge to start. This path requires decent shoes as its all dirt path with steep up slopes and down slopes. It can be slippery after a night of rain. The other path starts from behind the shrine to the left. This path is the shorter and direct path to the middle plateau of momijiyama where in the last days of October or first 2 days of November, the plateau that is filled with maple trees that turn the canopy into a sea of flaming colours. By 23rd of Oct, i was too early and the leaves were mainly still green. The plateau has plenty of space for picnic and is also pretty breezy. I would believe it would make a lovely place for brunch, especially with apples from the nearby apple farms and other food procurable from the park entrance. Spending 2-4 hours during the day time is normal but also remember to return at night for the night light up that starts around the last week of Oct until the end of the first week of Nov. Nakano Momijiyama is definitely a place to visit during autumn but due to the large variation of maple leaf colour change, a good date to start would be around 26th of Oct with the peak around 29 or 30th Oct and the beyond peak where some trees become bare around 3rd Nov. Hope the review was useful