Aomori, Day 1

With a 10kg pack throwing off every instinct I had about my own balance, I slid off the rock I was perched on and landed hard on the sandy beach. My shoulder, already frozen and useless, screamed. I remember thinking: I am never doing this again!

That was the summer of 2024, my first time sleeping in a tent, four days into hiking a stretch of the Michinoku Trail from Kuji, Iwate to the Tanesashi Coast in Aomori. I finished the hike. I was proud of myself. But "never again" stuck with me for two years.

Then this summer, apparently having forgotten my own advice, I found myself packing a tent again. This time, we’d return to the same coastline that broke me in and add in three landscapes – the clear and rushing river of Oirase Gorge, still water of Lake Towada and Hakkoda’s beech tree forests. Six days later: 3 nights in a tent, 2 days in a hotel with local cuisine that felt like a reward for surviving the camping food, 3 apple pies and 4 onsen baths.

Camping at Tanesashi Natural Lawn

Our adventure began as we ended our 7 day meditation retreat at Ogawahara Lake Fureai Village. I loved our spacious and comfortable cabin, with one serious drawback - the nearby Misawa US Military Base & Japanese Self-Defence Force had us covering our ears and ducking low during their airforce training!

Our friends drove us to Hachinohe, where I'd booked two nights of camping at Tanesashi Natural Lawn — a steal at 500 yen a tent, though glampers can upgrade if roughing it isn't their style.

Setting up my tent still felt like a chore as a novice camper, but took less time than 2 years ago. Before dinner we decided to get reacquainted with our favorite coastline - it was mesmerizing to hear and watch the crashing waves creating white foams between the jagged rocks and receding quickly back into the ocean, the pull so strong that you can almost physically feel it. We walked to Tanesashi Beach and enjoyed playing with the big waves on the smooth beach.

In the evening, we relied on our Primus gas pot to cook our first modest camping dinner. The weather forecast threatened heavy downpours, but the night view from our campsite was stunning with thunderclouds rolling along the horizon. I could hear the thunderous noise all night long and I wondered whether it was the storm approaching or just the turbulent waves. We were lucky that it turned out to be the latter as it only lightly drizzled during the night.

Practical Tips

Planning to hike the Michinoku Coast Trail? Start here: https://www.michinokutrail.com/ — the most complete resource I found for trail maps, route info, and trip planning.
Want to camp at Tanesashi Natural Lawn? Book directly through the Tanesashi Kaigan Information Center: https://tanesashi.info/ (500 yen/night per tent; glamping also available for those who'd rather skip the tent).

Aomori, Day 2