Today was freezing. Literally.  As we cruised into Aomori, Japan the snow-covered Hakkoda Mountains were lovely. Mount Iwaki, a still active volcano that last erupted in 1863, looms dominantly over the horizon. Our northernmost stop on this itinerary, the area is famous for apples, supplying most of the country from their three million trees. We headed about an hour away to Hirosaki, which is considered the cultural center of this area.  As… Read More