Aomori

Despite the horrible weather, Aomori may return to its busier heyday since the Hayate Shikansen now stops at JR Shin-Aomori Station, making a day trip from Tokyo and elsewhere on Honshu an easy task. In the land where over 35 feet of snowfall is typical, things tend to be low-key and many shops close early. But year-round, you can enjoy delicious seafood from Aomori Bay, including Oma no Maguro (tuna of Oma), as well as delicious fruits and vegetables (particularly garlic). And come every summer, the town cuts loose to throw the decidedly wild Nebuta Matsuri festival, a frenzied, utterly unaccountable period when normal gets thrown to the wind.