VIDEO: Hunt for Japan’s autumn colors in Shichinohe Town

A 40-minute drive from Misawa Air Base, Shichinohe Town is a superb autumn foliage attraction in Aomori Prefecture. Visit Shichinohe Castle Ruins, known as Kashiwaba Park in town, and you’ll be at a perfect hiking destination full of autumn colors.

“My family and I visited the Shichinohe Castle Ruins to enjoy autumn colors in a more quiet, relaxing atmosphere, as people, in general, flock to more famous sightseeing attractions like Mt. Hakkoda and Oirase Mountain Stream for their autumn color hunting,” said Yoshihito Morita, who works at Misawa Air Base Commissary and recently visited Shichinohe Town.

Built in the 13th century, Shichinohe Castle was a landmark and a symbol of the area’s samurai society until 1873 when it was destroyed by the imperial government during the Meiji Restoration.

Although there are no castle towers nor buildings left, you can enjoy splendid views of gorgeous hues of red, orange, yellow and brown while hiking around in the park, especially around Shichinohe Shinmeigu, a Shinto shrine located where the castle once stood.

Morita visited the park Oct. 23 and saw some foliage had already faded and dropped. “But we still enjoyed extremely refreshing autumn foliage and air during our hike,” he said.

Nearby, Futatsumori Kaizuka (seashell mound) is one of the 17 settlement ruins, stone circles and cemetery scattered in parts of Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate and Akita dating to the Jomon Period (10,000 B.C. – 200 B.C.), which were officially registered as Japan’s newest additions to UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2021.

In the park, you’ll find pit-dwellings, pillared buildings, along with stone tools and other ancient objects.

When Morita visited, the museum was offering several workshops and demonstrations to show visitors how the people from the past used bow and arrows for their hunting and how they made a fire with wooden gears.

If you’re in Misawa, make plans to visit Shichinohe Town before all the gorgeous colors have faded!

Shichinohe Castle ruins
Location: Kainokuchi, Shichinohe Town, Aomori Prefecture
URL
Tel: 0176-62-9702

Futatsumori Kaizuka-kan (museum)
Location: 181-26 Hachimoridaira, Shichinohe Town, Aomori Prefecture
Hours: Tue – Sun, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
URL
Tel: 0176-68-2612