Cape Tappi [竜飛崎]

Cape Tappi is a cape at the north tip of Tsugaru Peninsula.
It is located about 60 km northwest of Aomori city.

Tsugaru Strait expands around the cape.
There is Hokkaido Island about 20 km off, so you can see the island when it is fine.

Strong wind is always blowing.
Much snow doesn't lie on the cape in winter because the wind blows off the snow.

Just under this cape, there is Seikan Undersea Tunnel connecting Aomori and Hokkaido. (The length is about 53.85 km)
The trains of Hokkaido Shinkansen run through the tunnel.

The entrance of the tunnel is located about 15 km southeast of the cape, and the depth at the cape is about 140 meters below the sea.

The tunnel runs toward the Hokkaido.
The section under sea is about 20 km, and it is the part that you can see from the cape.
The deepest point is about 240 meters below the sea. (About 100 meters under the bottom of the sea)

There is a lighthouse and an observatory on the hill located about 100 meters above sea level.
And, around the observatory, there are a few monuments of the song and the novel that use this cape as a theme.

National Road of the stairs (階段国道)

You visit the observatory of this cape by National Route 339.
Of course, you must use bus or car.
And the national road leads to the fishing port at the foot of the hill.

But no car can run the national road from there.
Because, the section about 388 meters long is narrow and steep, and it has the stairs with 362 steps.

It is quite a pedestrian walkway.
But it is unquestionably the National Route 339.
This is the only section in Japan.

Seikan Tunnel Museum (青函トンネル記念館)

Seikan Tunnel Museum is the museum about Seikan Undersea Tunnel.
It is located about 1 km south of the observatory of Cape Tappi.

There had been the concept of the undersea tunnel connecting Honshu Island and Hokkaido Island since the early 20th century.

Then a huge accident of Seikan railway ferry by the typhoon occured in the Tsugaru Strait in 1954, and over 1100 people were killed.
This became the biggest reason to construct the undersea tunnel.

The construction started in 1964.
They overcame a great number of difficulties, and completed in 1988 after 24 years.

Now, the trains of Hokkaido Shinkansen run through this tunnel.

This museum introduce the history and the materials about the construction of the tunnel.

And you can visit the real tunnel for construction by a cable car.
It is at about 140 meters below sea level, and is linked to the main tunnel.

Seikan Tunnel Museum

How to get here

By train of JR Tsugaru Line, about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Aomori station to Minmaya station.
A few trains need to transfer to the other train at Kanita station.
Only four trains go to Minmaya in a day.

From Minmaya station, by town bus, 30 minutes to Seikan Tunnel Museum, 32 minutes to Cape Tappi Lighthouse.

Other Tourist Attractions in Aomori Prefecture

Aomori city San'nai-Maruyama site Asamushi hot spring Hakkoda mountains Sukayu Onsen Lake Towada Oirase stream Osorezan Hotokegaura coast Hirosaki city Mount Iwaki JR Gono Line Shirakami-Sanchi Takayama Inari Shrine

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