[Connected Travelogue #103] My First Late-Night Ferry

Last time, I enjoyed a view at Cape Soya that I will likely never forget for the rest of my life.

And now, I am at Hakodate Station.

There is something that doesn't seem very Hakodate-like sitting here, but this is definitely Hakodate Station.

It is July, and the season for the Nebuta Festival in Aomori is approaching.
That is why something like this is placed here in Hakodate.

Aomori's Nebuta, Hirosaki's Neputa,
and this one at the station is apparently called Goshogawara's Tachineputa.

There are so many types...

Regardless, I should get moving.
The time is 9:00 PM.

Goryokaku Station is where I get off.

Then, I start walking toward a certain place.

Seikan Ferry arrival.

Back in the day, I didn't even really know how to ride a train, but now I have become a person who can even use a ferry. I have evolved quite a bit.

(Though, I still don't really understand buses)

...Now, the question is, why am I using something like a ferry?

After all, the Hokkaido Shinkansen now connects from Hakodate Station to Shin-Aomori.
(To be precise, it involves the Hakodate Liner)

Naturally, the speed is on a different level.
From Hakodate Station to Shin-Aomori, it would probably take about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

On the other hand, the ferry takes 4 hours to get to Aomori.

Why would I go through the trouble of walking to the ferry terminal and use the ferry...?

It is because it is expensive.

Yes, the Shinkansen fare is ridiculously high.
I just checked, and it costs about 8,000 yen one way.

That is an amount I simply cannot afford on my salary.

So, if you ask how much the Seikan Ferry is, it is 2,000 yen.

Sooooo cheap!!!!

If I don't save money steadily like this, I won't be able to recover from the
financial setback of my time as a NEET. (Note: The option to stop traveling does not exist.)

By the way, there are two companies that operate ferries to Aomori: Seikan Ferry and Tsugaru Kaikyo Ferry, but the Seikan Ferry is about 600 yen cheaper.

It is true that you can feel a clear difference in the terminals and ships, but honestly, once you get on the ferry, both are just sleeping on the floor, so I don't think there's much of a difference.

With that, I landed in Aomori.

Even though it was 4 hours, I could lie down in a wide space, so there was no problem at all. I can even take a nap, so maybe I should just use

late-night ferries from now on...?

I walk through Aomori, which is starting to get a little brighter.

It's bright because it's summer, but the time is 4:00 AM.

Isn't it the best to be taking such a pleasant walk from early in the morning...?

I feel like I've seen a new side of Aomori. Maybe choosing the ferry was a good idea after all.

It was precisely because I took the ferry that I was able to see this scenery.

With that, I head to Aomori Station.

Current time: 4:30 AM.

(Is this the kind of trap you get with a ferry...?)

So, I waited for the station to open and arrived in my usual Hirosaki by train.

How many times am I going to come to Hirosaki you might ask, but it can't be helped. It's an addiction.

Now, time to hop on a bus and get moving.

I arrived at Iwakiyama Shrine.

That's right, this time I've come to climb Mount Iwaki.

The elevation of Mount Iwaki is 1625 m. It feels like it's been a while since I've been over 1000m, but my legs and lower back are stronger than they used to be.

The last mountain I climbed was Mount Ishizuchi, and even then, I had to turn back halfway. (
see #51~)

This time, it's a climbing revenge.

I've been looking at Mount Iwaki the whole time I've been sightseeing in Hirosaki. I will definitely make it to the summit...!

I'm off...!!

I'm not sure who I was saying goodbye to, but to be continued...