Japan Guide
Northern Honshū
Accommodation
1 Aomori Moya Kōgen Youth Hostel 9-5 Aza Yamabuki ōaza Moya 
017/764-2888 
www.jyh.or.jp . Relaxed youth hostel nestled at the foot of the Moya plateau, a forty-minute bus ride from Aomori train station. You can't beat the clean shared tatami rooms, herbal tea and Guinness, although it gets a little cramped when busy. There's an onsen next door. Take the bus outside the JR Aomori Station going towards Moya Hills or the Hotel Villa City Moya (last bus 7.10pm) and get off at the Moya Kōgen stop; the hostel is one minute's walk down to the right. Opening time: Closed mid-Nov to mid-Dec and mid-Jan to mid-FebPrice: ¥2500–4000
2 Grand Hotel 1-1-23 Shin-machi 0120-23-1011 
34-0505 This smart, old-fashioned hotel on the main street offers a range of comfortable, well-furnished rooms, some with sea views. Price: ¥10000-15000
3 Hotel JAL City 2-4-12 Yasukata 0177/32-2580 0177/35-2584 Popular new hotel with an upmarket feel. Rooms are nicely decorated and well priced, and there's an in-house restaurant. It's about six minutes' walk east from the station. Price: ¥15000-20000
4 Hotel Sunroute 1-9-8 Shin-machi 0177/75-2321 www.sunroute-aomori.com Good-value business hotel with largish, en-suite Western-style rooms with TV and minibar, and a choice of restaurants. Price: ¥10000-15000
5 Tōyoko Inn 1-3-5 Yasukata 0177/35-1045 35-1046 Brand new business hotel in a great spot facing the station. Rooms are clean and bright and have refrigerators and free Internet access (data ports in rooms, wireless in the lobby). A Japanese breakfast is included in the rate. Price: ¥7000-10000
6 Washington Hotel 2-1-26 Honchō 0177/75-7111 www.wh-rsv.com/english/aomori/index.html A member of the Washington chain, on the eastern edge of town. It's a fifteen-minute walk from the station but close to the airport-limousine bus route (get off at Shin-machi 2-chōme). The Western-style rooms are comfortable and relatively spacious. Price: ¥10000-15000