Hachinohe City is located in the southeast part of Aomori Prefecture: it is along the Pacific Ocean and also located near the border between Aomori and Iwate.  The city serves as the core city for the northern Tohoku District.
  The city was a castle town of the Hachinohe Nambu clan during the Edo Period (1603-1867) and served as a small commercial center and port for the fishing grounds off "Ezochi" (southeastern Hokkaido).  The town was promoted Hochinohe City on May 1, 1929.  Today, the port still serves the fishing industry as well as a number of international cargo vessels.  It is also famous in northern Tohoku for its industries.  Hachinohe is still in the process of developing its port to be an international base distribution point.
  The current population is 249,321 (August 31, 2006).  The total area is 213.97 sq. km.
  Hachinohe is somewhat sentimentally cut off from other parts of Aomori because it formerly belonged to the Nambu Territory while the other areas belonged to the Tsugaru clan.  As I live in Morioka, the former center of the Morioka Nambu clan now, I feel sympathy with them, although I know it is ridiculous.

IMAGE	IMAGE NO.	DATA
Tomakomai Port		The Higashinihon Ferry is available between Tomakomai City, Hokkaido and Hachinohe: about 8-9 hour trip.  We took an overnight ferry both going and returning.  ...If you take an overnight ferry, the first-class cabin (or the top-grade cabin if you can afford) is definitely better.  You cannot sleep well in the second-class cabin with dozens of other passengers without enough blankets and space for privacy.
	htm2006-001	(Saturday 9 September) Tomakomai Ferry Port, Hokkaido
	htm2006-002	(Sunday 10 September) The Donan Bus (license plate: 111) took us to the Tsuchinotomi Society Tour.
	htm2006-003	(Sunday 10 September) The first-class cabin no.114 for four passengers
	htm2006-004	(Sunday 10 September) Kenji Takahashi, president of the Tsuchinotomi Society, watching TV comfortably.  He poses for this photograph.
On the ferry
	ahc2006-001	(Monday 11 September) Our ferry in the morning
	ahc2006-004	(Monday 11 September) The Pacific Ocean on the way to Hachinohe
	ahc2006-005	(Monday 11 September) The Pacific Ocean on the way to Hachinohe
	ahc2006-006	(Monday 11 September) Group photo of the Tsuchinotomi Society on the lower deck: first-class passengers are raising one finger while second-class passengers (short of sleep and out of humor) raising two fingers.
	ahc2006-007	(Monday 11 September) Some members of the Tsuchinotomi Society on the lower deck
	ahc2006-008	(Monday 11 September) The upper deck
	ahc2006-009	(Monday 11 September) Disembarking from the ferry
	ahc2006-010	(Monday 11 September) Disembarking from the ferry
Hachinohe Port
	ahc2006-011	(Monday 11 September) Hachinohe Ferry Terminal near the mouth of the Mabuchi River (about 20 minute ride from JR Hachinohe Station)
	ahc2006-012	(Monday 11 September) Hachinohe Ferry Terminal near the mouth of the Mabuchi River
Hasshoku Center		Hasshoku Center (八食センター), 22-2 Kansai, Kawaragi, Hachinohe (tel: 0178-28-9311/ fax: 0178-28-9312).
	ahc2006-013	(Monday 11 September) Hasshoku Center, 22-2 Kansai, Kawaragi, Hachinohe
	ahc2006-014	(Monday 11 September) Ichba-tei (seafood restaurant), Hasshoku Center
	ahc2006-015	(Monday 11 September) Group photo of the Tsuchinotomi Society, Ichba-tei (seafood restaurant), Hasshoku Center
	ahc2006-016	(Monday 11 September) A variety of "Kaisen Donburi" (bowl of seafood and rice), Ichba-tei (seafood restaurant), Hasshoku Center
	ahc2006-017	(Monday 11 September) My salmon-donburi, Ichba-tei (seafood restaurant), Hasshoku Center
	ahc2006-018	(Monday 11 September) Row of seafood stores, Hasshoku Center
	ahc2006-019	(Monday 11 September) Row of seafood stores, Hasshoku Center
	ahc2006-020	(Monday 11 September) Row of seafood stores, Hasshoku Center
	ahc2006-021	(Monday 11 September) Row of seafood stores, Hasshoku Center

        

Copyright (c) 2006 Eishiro Ito.  All rights reserved.