Japan Guide
Northern Honshū
Mutsu
A workaday town on the southern edge of Shimokita Hantō, MUTSU is the main base for Osore-zan. The easiest access route is via JR train from Noheji station, on the main Tōhoku line, to Shimokita Station in Mutsu's southern suburbs. Local buses to Osore-zan stop at Shimokita Station on their way to the central Mutsu bus terminal (which is on the main road leading away from the JR bus terminal, across from the Matsukiya department store), so you can go up to the mountain straight off the JR train and simply get off in the centre of Mutsu on the way back down if you plan to stay the night. Alternatively, blue-and-white JR buses (for which rail passes are valid) run from Ōminato Station, the last stop on the local JR line, to the JR bus terminal, which is confusingly called Tanabu Station, on the east side of Mutsu town centre (the bus terminal is next to a disused train station that served a defunct private railway).
One of the nicest places to stay in Mutsu is the Murai Ryokan ( 
0175/22-4755, 
23-4572; ¥7000–15000 with meals, ¥7000-10000 without), just in front of Masakari Plaza. None of the tatami rooms are en suite, but everything's extremely clean and the food is excellent value. A good alternative is the Hotel New Green ( 0175/22-6121, 22-5180; ¥7000–15000), with a choice of Western- or Japanese-style rooms. It's about five minutes' walk from the JR bus terminal; follow the road straight ahead (west) past the private bus terminal and Matsukiya department store, then left at the T-junction.
Though it's the smartest restaurant in town, Nankō (daily 11.30am–9.30pm), is surprisingly affordable. The best deals are their teishoku (from ¥1100), but you can also choose from a picture menu of seafood, steaks and stews for around ¥2000 per head. Alternatively, the second-floor restaurant in the Masakari Plaza (Wed– Mon 11am–3pm) serves a decent range of Japanese-style set meals for around ¥1260, and noodle dishes for as little as ¥420.