Last updated on 2026-05-15
A trip to the Aomori Prefectural Museum of Art using the “Travel on Weekdays! JR East Tabikyun♥️ Early Bird Pass” – 2024
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This is a record of a day trip to Aomori Prefecture on February 14, 2024, the first day of use for the Kyun Pass, to see the Aomori Prefectural Museum of Art’s “Yoshitomo Nara: The Beginning Place — From Here” exhibition.
The Kyun Pass is an unlimited ride pass for weekdays within the JR East network. It was sold by JR East from February 14 to March 14, 2024. The deadline to purchase the pass was February 29, 2024.
As expected, many people wanted to travel far away. Reserved seats on the first Shinkansen train to Shin-Aomori in the morning sold out almost every day, and second Shinkansen trains were often fully booked as well. Akita Prefecture also seemed popular, so nearby destinations might be less crowded. (Updated February 16, 2024.)
The Kyun Pass is planned to be sold again in 2025 and 2026 to increase Shinkansen ridership during the winter off-season. However, be aware that train delays due to snow and public transportation cancellations from major stations are common in winter in the Tohoku region. Weekday public transportation schedules in rural areas are tight, and the number of available options decreases yearly. Also, driving a rental car on snowy roads is dangerous and not recommended for those unfamiliar with driving in snowy conditions. Getting into an accident while traveling can be extremely difficult.
In 2024, I used the Kyun Pass for day trips four times. Day trips take about two hours each way, and early morning trains often sell out. Furthermore, you need to travel to Tokyo Station early in the morning, so it’s not exactly a leisurely trip. This option is best for those who only want to visit one place and don’t want to pay for a round trip.
For details on KyunPass, please refer to the link.
Please note that the information provided may change from day to day, and users are responsible for verifying the final details themselves.
Table of contents
- Usage start date
- JR Central Shinkansen
- Change of KyunPass usage date
- Shinkansen reserved seats
- Aomori Prefectural Museum of Art
- Return transportation (weekdays)
- Shared taxi
- From Shin-Aomori onwards
- Total cost
- 使用機材
- 終わりに
Usage start date
- Reservations must be confirmed up to two weeks before departure. For Shinkansen trains with reserved seats only, advance seat reservations are required.
- While seat reservations don’t necessarily have to be made two weeks in advance, as mentioned in the section on Shinkansen reserved seats, this can be quite a hindrance.
- Standing-room express tickets are treated as reserved tickets and are permitted.JR East – Reference Links （2024.2.16 add）
JR Central Shinkansen
- Because of the inconvenient location of my residence, I took the Tokaido Shinkansen instead of going to Tokyo.
- A basic fare ticket and a limited express ticket are both required to ride the Tokaido Shinkansen. Since the Tokaido Shinkansen tracks are under JR Central’s jurisdiction, the Kyun Pass cannot be used as a basic fare ticket. I was mistaken in thinking that I only needed a limited express ticket.
Change of KyunPass usage date
- When I did it, I could only change the travel date once; from the second time onwards, the only option displayed was a refund with a 660 yen fee.
- Train changes can be made any number of times as long as there are available trains. (Added 2024.02.16)
Shinkansen reserved seats
- You can reserve seats twice, but since they’re for both the outbound and return journeys, you have to choose carefully. However, you can’t afford to miss out on an available seat.
- When I tried to go to Towada on a different day, all the seats were gone by the time I was selecting one.
- Reserved seats on the first Shinkansen for popular travel destinations sell out instantly in the morning.
- This is a description of the second Shinkansen train I took that morning to Shin-Aomori.
- On February 14, 2024, the second train of the morning was almost completely full all the way to Shin-Aomori.
- If you took the next train, which departed at 7:32 a.m. and arrived in Shin-Aomori at 10:52 a.m., the Nebutan-go minibus from Shin-Aomori Station to the Aomori Prefectural Museum of Art also departed at 10:52 a.m. (It seems they had no intention of letting people on. It’s strange that it doesn’t align with the Shinkansen arrival time.
- It’s a minibus service; those familiar with Tokyo will recognize it as similar to a Chiibus. It departs when it’s full, which could leave passengers stranded at the station.
- If you arrive at Shin-Aomori at 10:52 a.m. and want to take the Nebutan-go to the Aomori Prefectural Museum of Art, you’ll need to take the 12:20 p.m. Nebutan-go from Shin-Aomori Station. Missing this would mean wasting over an hour.
- If you’re going directly to the museum from the station, I recommend taking a taxi.
- Incidentally, it takes about 40 minutes on foot.
- If you’re not too shy, suggest sharing a taxi with someone on the Shinkansen who seems to be going to the museum. It could make both of you happy!
- I traveled to Aomori on the Limited Express Tsugaru No. 1, which departed from Shin-Aomori at 11:14 a.m.
- The Limited Express Tsugaru No. 1 is accessible with the Kyun Pass. Missing this train makes getting to Aomori difficult, so it was incredibly crowded on February 14, 2024—even more so than the Yamanote Line. The five-minute ride from Shin-Aomori to Aomori should be bearable.
- After having lunch at Aomori Station, I took the city bus to the Aomori Prefectural Museum of Art. The bus departing from platform 6 is a regular-sized bus that can accommodate quite a few people.
- I only spent 30 minutes at Aomori Station, but it has many facilities, so I’d like to come back and spend more time there.
Aomori Prefectural Museum of Art
- The following exhibitions were viewed on February 14, 2024.
- Yoshitomo Nara: The Beginning Place From Here /Saturday, October 14, 2023 ━ Sunday, February 25, 2024
- The Manifesto of Museum Composting / Saturday, February 10, 2024 ━ Sunday, June 23, 2024
Points to note when visiting the Aomori Prefectural Museum of Art in winter
- The café was always crowded for popular exhibitions, with several people waiting. After 3 p.m., some food items were sold out.
- The shop was crowded, but the wait wasn’t too long around 2 p.m.
- It was better to bring or eat food beforehand.
- The lockers require a 100-yen coin, which is returned after use. I couldn’t find a change machine nearby, but maybe I was just blind.
- Photography was generally allowed in both the special exhibition and the permanent collection, though I did see some “no photography” signs.
- Flash photography and video recording were prohibited.
- Reentry was permitted on the same day for both the special exhibition and the permanent collection.
- When buying the ticket, I mistakenly said, “One ticket for the special exhibition,” so I was only issued a ticket for that exhibition.
- I hadn’t realized that a separate ticket was required for the permanent collection, so I had to go back to the reception area to purchase one. If I hadn’t said anything, I think the ticket issuer would have told me which ticket I needed. I regret my hasty decision. It was my own fault.
- If you plan on seeing the special exhibition, it’s smart to buy tickets for both at the same time.
- The Aomori Museum of Art has many sights outside as well. Since it was the snowy season, I got carried away and ventured into the snow to take pictures. This resulted in my shoes getting soaked and quite messy.
- Yoshitomo Nara: The Beginning Place – Starting Here / October 14, 2023 (Sat) – February 25, 2024 (Sun)
- 美術館堆肥化宣言・The Manifesto of Museum Composting / 2024年2月10日(土) ━ 6月23日(日)
Return transportation (weekdays)
- Buses to Aomori Station run relatively frequently in the afternoon, even on weekdays, at 14:27, 15:26, 16:53, and 18:05. These are large buses and can accommodate many passengers.
- Shin-Aomori Station: Only one bus runs in the afternoon on weekdays during winter, at 15:32.
- The Nebutan-go bus to Shin-Aomori Station is also a minibus. Even if it cannot accommodate everyone, it will depart when it reaches full capacity. There was no announcement regarding the arrival of the next bus.
- The Nebutan-go bus originates at the Sannai-Maruyama Ruins and already carries passengers, so the number of people that can board from the Aomori Prefectural Museum of Art may be limited. Due to the limited number of buses, there is a high possibility of crowding.
- Below is a scan of the transportation information I received at the Aomori Prefectural Museum of Art.
Shared taxi
- I also missed the Nebutan-go train on February 14th. Several other people were equally disappointed, so I suggested we share a taxi, and the four of us shared one to Shin-Aomori.
- The fare to Shin-Aomori was about 1500 yen, which was about the same price as the bus if four people shared.
From Shin-Aomori onwards
- It seems that Shin-Aomori station only has shops inside the station. I didn’t have time to explore outside, but the area in front of the station was deserted.
- In February, the sun sets after 5 pm, so you can’t enjoy the scenery.
- I boarded the 4:48 pm train to Tokyo, and the return journey was also 3 and a half hours.
- As I wrote this article, the train headed towards Tokyo.
In conclusion
- I’ve written this out quickly, so please let me know if there are any parts that are unclear.
- Photos will be added later (Added 2024.2.16)
Total cost
- 総費用：19,250円
- Kyun Pass: 10,000 yen
- Round-trip travel to Tokyo Station: 2,620 yen
- Breakfast: 730 yen
- Lunch: 600 yen
- Snack: 890 yen
- Dinner: 1,300 yen
- Bus: 300 yen
- Shared taxi fare: 300 yen
- Portable drinks: 500 yen (3 bottles)
- Admission fee: 2,010 yen
Reference links
Camera equipment used on the trip
寄付のお願い・Request for donations
Affiliate links
更新
- 2024.02.16：一部更新・ギャラリーに写真を追加
- 2024.02.14：初稿
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