While I did not write this article as an itinerary, this trip can be completed in one day. However, a car is basically a must have to get to all these places in a timely manner. Luckily, there are car rental spots right near Hachinohe Station, including a Nippon Rent-a-Car outside the East Exit. (Nippon Rent-a-Car offers a 10% discount when booked via Live Japan. See details here.)

Once you get your car, the places in town are easily accessible, and though Kakko no Mori and Momiji-en are a bit outside the city, they are only about 20 minutes from each other. Being in the nature of the countryside, you don’t have to worry about lots of traffic, and navigation is pretty simple as long as you put the destination into something like Google Maps. And if you rent a car that has a satnav, I have also included Mapcodes for each destination for convenience.

So, here are five spots that I think you should visit to enjoy the fall season in Hachinohe.

My first recommendation in Hachinohe is the Tanesashi Coast (種差海岸). Established as a national Place of Scenic Beauty in 1937, it is one of the most iconic landscapes in Hachinohe.

I ventured out here in the early morning on a sunny day, and I highly recommend the morning as one of the best times to head to the coast. If you drive from the main area of the city to Tanesashi, you’ll see a mix of fall leaves, old Japanese-style houses, and a smattering of persimmon trees. It is an area of the city where people have lived for hundreds of years, and you can really experience the feeling of old Japan.

Once you arrive at the coast, there is a visitor’s center and a cafe that serves drinks and light lunch. There is plenty of information on all the different kinds of flora and fauna inside the visitor’s center, much of which is unique to the Tanesashi Coast.

However, the main attraction is the coast itself. It is not a place with many tourists, and when I visited, there were a few locals taking walks with their dogs, or taking pictures as a family. The large green spreads out for acres, and heads right to the rocky shoreline. In autumn, the pampas grass grows tall and sways gently in the sea breeze.

It is a place you could spend hours just walking around, taking in the sights of the ocean and the landscape of Hachinohe. There is also a campground here, and a connection to the Michinoku Coastal Trail, so for those travelers who want to spend more time there, you can absolutely do so.

Heading away from the eastern coast and to the northern coast of Hachinohe, you’ll find the area dotted with ports, ships, and factories. The sea is the lifeblood of Hachinohe and much of its industry, and the Tatehana port is likely the most well known. A weekly morning market is held here on Sundays and is one of the biggest outdoor markets in Japan. It is always full of local vendors and visitors from all around Japan and other countries. It’s a great place to try some local specialties, such as senbei jiru, a comforting hot-pot dish made with baked wheat crackers that soften as they simmer. But just make sure to get there early. They are open from sunrise, and close when everything is sold out!

However, there is a lesser known Tatehana Park (館鼻公園) that sits just off the coast of the Niida River, which runs from the sea through Hachinohe. It offers pretty fall leaves and a five-story lookout tower where you can see the whole city spread out before you. A sign there also shows that the port of Hachinohe has been around since the Edo Period.

As a resident of Hachinohe, this is my favorite little known spot. To get there, you drive through a small street of fish shops and tiny restaurants, and turn off on a street full of houses. If there weren’t signs pointing to the park, you might think you made a wrong turn. However, once you reach the top of the hill, the park sits with a beautiful view of the river and the fall leaves. The lookout offers you great views of the entire city, and you can really begin to understand how the city was built around the ocean and the river.

It is a quiet place, and not one where you need to spend a lot of time to enjoy. Yet, I always find myself not wanting to leave as I watch the boats drift by, and head toward the factories on the coast. There is even a small cafe here as well where you can grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the view.

Hachinohe Park Children's World (八戸公園こどもの国) is the largest park in the city of Hachinohe and one of the best places to view the fall leaves. Depending on the time of year, it also features a beautiful rose garden, Japanese style gardens, a small amusement park, and a small zoo with monkeys.

Visiting the park in fall is ideal since the rose garden is in bloom in October, and the fall leaves really shine in November. The park is large, so you could easily spend an hour or two walking around. It’s beautiful both in the morning and late afternoon, and depending on the weather it could be a good place to bring lunch as well.

There are over 2,000 cherry blossom trees planted here, which makes it a great destination in the spring time. However, in the fall, these trees turn bright shades of yellow and red, and help make Hachinohe Park Children's World a worthwhile stop all year round.

Kakko no Mori (カッコーの森エコーランド) is a sports complex, roadside market, and overnight lodging area all in one. It is in the village of Nango, which is about 30 minutes outside of downtown Hachinohe. Once a village with many whalers, you can still see remnants of that today. Whaling in the Antarctic was a lifeline for postwar Japan, which was suffering from severe food shortages. The market sells whale soup, and there is even an old harpoon cannon for visitors to see.

We arrived in the late afternoon, and the sunset was beautiful. Next to the sports complex and the market, there is a forested area that has small cabins. This area is full of maple leaves and fall colors, and there is even a light up event during certain weekends.

This is a place that few tourists would ever get to, and it was not crowded the afternoon that we went. But it provides great views of the fall leaves and the forest area is scenic. A small river runs through it and there is a Japanese style tea house there as well. It definitely gave the feeling of being deep in the Japanese countryside, and I recommend it to any travelers who want to experience more of that.

I saved the best for last, at least in terms of seeing the fall leaves. Momiji-en (不習岳、紅葉園) is a small park up on the mountain of Narawazudake about 30 minutes outside the city of Hachinohe. The drive to the mountain itself has spectacular views of fall leaves, and while there is a light up at the park, I suggest going during the day time. The drive up the mountain has many winding roads and is easier to navigate in the light.

The park itself sits up on the mountain and is full of maple leaves, giving a truly vibrant fall leaf viewing experience. Just like Kakko no Mori, it’s not a place that is full of tourists, and it’s easy to spend an hour or two in the park. Because of its location deep in the mountains, you’ll get to experience the area like a local and enjoy the great nature that Hachinohe has to offer in the fall season.

The mountain itself is also home to events throughout the year. There is a campground, equipped with a kitchen and pizza oven. There are also pottery making experiences, and outdoor events like tree climbing with ropes. So even though it is deep in the countryside, Narawazudake is a popular place with the locals, and an important place in the community.

After you have seen the sights, the city itself is also great to explore. You can stop by restaurants in town like Tsukiu Shokudo, which has great kaisendon (fish bowls), or head downtown for a night out in places like Mirokuyokucho, which is a tiny street of many different restaurants. It’s a great place to try local food like senbei jiru, and maybe even talk with some locals!

These five nature spots show why Hachinohe deserves more attention during the fall season. For travelers looking to add an extra day to their Aomori itinerary, especially an area that is off the path of most visitors, Hachinohe offers an appealing mix of coastal views, seasonal color, and great local flavor.