There is a stretch of northern Honshu where summer never quite reaches the suffocating intensity it achieves in Tokyo or Osaka. In Towada, a small city tucked into the southern edge of Aomori Prefecture, late August brings daytime highs around 25°C, cool breezes off the Hakkoda Mountains, and a landscape so lush it feels more like a temperate rainforest than the Japan most visitors imagine. This is where the Oirase River spills out of Lake Towada and tumbles fourteen kilometers through a gorge so beautiful it has been protected as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and a Natural Monument — a double designation shared by very few sites in Japan.
But Towada is not just about nature. Over the past two decades, this quiet city has reinvented itself as one of Japan's most surprising contemporary art destinations. The result is a place where you can spend the morning contemplating a giant neon flower sculpture on a city sidewalk, the afternoon walking beside waterfalls in primeval forest, and the evening soaking in a mountain onsen while watching mist rise off a volcanic lake.
Towada Art Center: A Museum Without Walls
The Towada Art Center (Towada Gendai Bijutsukan) opened in 2008 along the city's main boulevard, Kanchogai-dori, a wide avenue lined with pine trees that was once home to a row of military stables. The museum was designed by Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA (the firm behind the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa) as a series of white cube galleries connected by glass corridors, each housing a single large-scale installation.
The permanent collection is wildly eclectic. You might encounter Ron Mueck's hyperrealistic Standing Woman — a 4-meter-tall figure so detailed that visitors instinctively whisper in her presence — or step inside a room-sized optical illusion by Leandro Erlich. Outside, the Art Square across the street is a free public space dotted with outdoor works: Yayoi Kusama's polka-dotted pumpkins and mushrooms, a ghostly horse by Suh Do-ho, and Choi Jeong-hwa's enormous flower tree that changes color with the light.
The museum runs special exhibitions that rotate seasonally, so there is often something new even for repeat visitors. The building itself, with its clean geometry and generous windows framing views of the street and sky, is as much an exhibit as anything inside it. Plan at least ninety minutes, though art lovers will want longer.
Oirase Gorge: Walking Through a Living Painting
Fourteen kilometers of trail follow the Oirase River from Yakeyama at the downstream end to Nenokuchi on the shore of Lake Towada. The full walk takes about four and a half hours at a comfortable pace, but there is no obligation to cover the entire route — the most scenic section, from Ishigedo to Kumoi-no-taki waterfall, is roughly five kilometers and takes about ninety minutes.
The gorge is mesmerizing in late summer. The canopy of beech, Japanese oak, and katsura trees filters the sunlight into a soft green glow. The river, fed by snowmelt and spring water, runs cold and impossibly clear over rounded boulders and fallen logs. Dozens of named waterfalls cascade down the gorge walls — Choshi Otaki, a 20-meter curtain of water at the upstream end, is the showpiece, but smaller falls like Kumoi-no-taki and Tamagawa-no-taki have a delicate beauty that rewards lingering.
The trail is flat and well-maintained, running alongside a paved road (Route 102) that sees occasional bus and car traffic. This might sound intrusive, but the road is set back enough that the forest swallows most of the noise. JR Bus Tohoku operates a seasonal shuttle with stops at key trailheads, so you can walk one section and bus the rest. In late August, the crowds thin out compared to the peak autumn foliage season in October, making this one of the best times to visit.
Lake Towada: The Caldera at the Heart of It All
At the upstream end of Oirase Gorge, the trail opens onto Lake Towada, a double caldera lake that fills a volcanic crater in the Hakkoda range. The lake sits at 400 meters above sea level and reaches a depth of 327 meters — the third deepest in Japan. Its surface is a deep, shifting blue that photographers spend entire mornings trying to capture.
The main lakeside settlement, Yasumiya, has a handful of ryokan, souvenir shops, and the Towada Shrine, a small Shinto shrine nestled in the forest at the water's edge. From here you can take a sightseeing boat across the lake to Nakayama Peninsula, where the forest drops straight into the water and the silence is absolute. The famous Maiden of the Lake bronze statue by Kotaro Takamura — a pair of identical standing figures facing each other — stands on the western shore and is one of Tohoku's most photographed landmarks.
Practical Information
Getting there: The most convenient access is from Hachinohe Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen (about 2 hours 45 minutes from Tokyo). From Hachinohe, JR Bus Tohoku runs directly to Oirase Gorge and Lake Towada (about 1.5 to 2 hours depending on the stop). Alternatively, you can reach Towada city center by bus from Shichinohe-Towada Station (also on the Shinkansen) in about 35 minutes, which is closer to the Art Center.
Getting around Oirase: The JR Bus Tohoku runs multiple times daily along Route 102 between Hachinohe/Towada and Lake Towada Yasumiya, stopping at trailheads along the gorge. A two-day pass is available and highly recommended if you want to walk sections at your own pace.
Where to stay: Yasumiya on the lake has traditional ryokan with lake views. Yakeyama at the downstream end of the gorge has the famous Hoshino Resorts Oirase Keiryu Hotel, built right beside the stream. Towada city center is a budget-friendly option with business hotels and easy access to the Art Center.
When to go: Late August through September is ideal — comfortable temperatures, green forest at peak lushness, thinner crowds than the October foliage rush. Early morning is the best time on the gorge trail, when mist hovers over the water and the light is magical.
What to eat: Towada is famous for Towada Barayaki, a B-class gourmet dish of thinly sliced beef and onions seared on a hot iron plate with a sweet-savory soy sauce. It was voted one of Japan's top regional comfort foods and is available at restaurants throughout the city. Along the lake, try grilled himemasu (kokanee salmon), a freshwater fish found only in a handful of Japanese lakes.
Tips: Wear sturdy walking shoes with grip for the gorge trail — the rocks near waterfalls can be slippery. Bring insect repellent. A light rain jacket is wise even on clear days, as the mountain weather shifts quickly. The gorge is beautiful in rain — the waterfalls swell and the moss glows an electric green — so do not let a forecast discourage you.
Image: Oirase Mountain Stream, Towada, Aomori, GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons
