From Morioka a quick trip on the Shinkansen got me about 180km North to Aomori, the capital of the prefecture of the same name. By now it was a nice, warm and sunny Saturday afternoon – so I made my way down towards the harbor for the bayside park and promenade. From here it was on to the Nebuta Museum, to learn about the Nebuta festival and get a view of the festival floats. After checking out the artwork I made my way to a more “tangible” museum, the Seikan Train Ferry Memorial Ship Hakkoda-Mura, one of the last train ferries between Honshu and Hokkaido – made obsolete when the Seikan train tunnel was completed in 1988. The train ferry today serves as a museum of the old days and memorial to the folks who kept this lifeline running and those who perished in a number of accidents over the decades.