In July, when the weather was beginning to get quite hot in Tokyo, we decided to escape the heat and crowds by spending a few days in Aomori. We wanted a nice hotel, off the beaten path, while being a place which wasn’t too hard to get to. After looking at what was available in Aomori, we decided to try the Oirase Keiryu hotel, which is located about 7 miles from Towada lake. This area is famous for its forests and natural scenery, its numerous streams, waterfalls, and wildlife. Access to Amori is easy, we took the Tohoku Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo Station to Hachinohe, which takes under 3 hours. From Hachinohe we rented a car from the Times Rental Car which is almost in front of the station. It takes about 90 minutes to get from Hachinohe to the hotel, though the hotel does offer shuttle bus service to the station. We chose to rent a car because there are many things within driving distance to see. The Oriase Keiryu hotel lies in a small valley alongside a river which runs from Towada lake. The drive from the train station to the hotel takes you through farm land and small towns. As there are few shops or stores near the hotel, it is a good idea to stock up on sundries at a convenience store or at the station before you get on the shuttle bus. Our rental car (a Mazda) had a navigation system which could be set to English, but I found my iPhone maps app offered a faster route. However, the route chosen by my phone took me alongside small farm roads, and a couple bridges which were too narrow for two-way traffic. But as there was almost no traffic along the route, this wasn’t an issue. After reaching the hotel, we found free parking near the entrance, and were quickly checked in. One great thing about Japanese hotels is that the service is always first rate, and tipping is not permitted. Our bags were promptly picked up at our car, and taken to our room. The Oriase Keiryu hotel is a combination of buildings with an older wing and a newer wing. The new wing (where we stayed) was a considerable distance from the lobby, but in Japan people are used to walking everywhere, so this was no real issue. The new part of the building is wonderfully decorated, with a couple of beautiful lobbies which offer coffee, tea, books and comfortable places to sit, indoors or outdoors. A good thing about this hotel is the wide variety of rooms, which can be had from less than $100 per night to $1500 per night. One thing I noticed as we were heading to our room was a rather strong smell. To some it might smell like an old building or something else, but I recognized it as the smell of onsen (hot spring) water. The hotel has an onsen baths for men and women, these are located in the newer wing of the hotel. As it happened, my wife had booked the best room in the hotel, which was a 2 bedroom suite. This was literally the most beautiful hotel room we have ever seen, and we have stayed at some wonderful hotels. The room featured two separate bedr
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