|
| |
|
MUTSU |
| |
|
|
| |
A workaday town on the southern edge of Shimokita Tono, MUTSU is the
main base for Osore-zan. The easiest access route is a JR train from
Noheji, on the main Tohoku line, to Shimokita Station in Mutsu's
southern suburbs. To reach the centre, either take a taxi (around ¥1000)
or change to the private Shimokita-kotsu Ohata line to Tanabu Station,
two stops up the line (7min; ¥200), on the east side of Mutsu town
centre.
Mutsu's information desk (daily 10am-6pm; 0175/22-0909) is in the ground-floor
lobby of Masakari Plaza, a modern pink building immediately northwest of
Tanabu Station. Staff can provide English-language maps and bus
timetables and will help with accommodation, though they don't speak
English. You can catch local buses for Osore-zan and Wakinosawa outside
the station: this latter route is served by blue-and-white JR buses, for
which rail passes are valid.
One of the nicest places to stay in Mutsu is the new Murai Ryokan
(0175/22-4755, fax 23-4572; ¥7000-15,000), just in front of Masakari
Plaza. None of the tatami rooms is en suite, but everything's spanking
clean and the food is excellent value, though they do offer rooms
without meals. A good alternative is the Hotel New Green (0175/22-6121,
fax 22-5180; ¥7000-15,000), with a choice of Western- or Japanese-style
rooms about five minutes' walk from the station; follow the road
straight ahead (west) from the station, then left at the T-junction.
Though it's the smartest restaurant in town, prices at Nanko (daily
11.30am-9.30pm), located down the side street on the left just before
the Hotel New Green , are 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 (daily 11.30am-8pm)
serves a decent range of mostly Western-style meals for under ¥1000.
|
| |
|
