Sai Voyage Tips and guide

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Sai Village (佐井村) is in Shimokita, Aomori, Japan.

Sai Village is on the northwest coast of Shimokita Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture. It borders the Tsugaru Strait, and is mostly a mountainous region. The areas within Sai include Ushitaki, Fukuura, Chogo and Isoya. It is a quaint, quiet village with breathtaking scenery of both mountains and sea.

The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site.

English is not spoken. You will need some Japanese to get around, or at least a dictionary and some gestures. However, the Tourist Information Center in Mutsu can understand English if spoken slowly and simply. They can be helpful for booking things for you.

Shimokita Peninsula speaks Shimokita dialect which is a mixture of Tsugaru dialect, Nambu dialect, and some local words.

Sai is accessible by car, bus, or ferry.

From the Shimokita JR station in Mutsu, take the Shimokita bus heading to Sai. The bus ride takes about 2 hours and costs about ¥3,000.

Alternatively, you can rent a car. If you plan on exploring the gorgeous scenery, rent a car. Shimokita is not well connected by public transportation and the distances between towns are far. To get to Sai by car, follow the 279 north all the way to Oma where it intersects with the 338. Turn left (south) and follow the 338 into and through Sai. The drive is about an hour and 15 minutes.

Take the Tsugaru Kaikyo Ferry. The ferry makes two runs a day between Hakodate and Ōma. The ride is about 1 hour and 45 minutes. A return trip ticket costs about ¥4000. From Oma to Sai is a ¥2000 to ¥3000 cab ride or about a ¥500 bus ride.

Take the Mutsuwan Ferry. It makes three runs between Kanita and Wakinosawa a day except for winter: late November to mid April. From Wakinosawa, you can catch the Shimokita bus directly to Sai.

Walking is fine for exploring the town, but to see the breathtaking scenery, renting a car or taking a ferry ride are highly recommended. The ferry ride is chartered at Arusas, the community center. The ferry can take you to Hotokegaura and around the sea shore. A car will allow you to view the mountainous beauty that Sai has to offer. Narrow dirt mountain roads beckon the adventurous 4X4 riding traveller.

• 41.311944140.8091671 Hotokegaura, Ushitaki. Hotokegaura is the main attraction to Sai. It is a collection of odd rock formations that have sparked people's imaginations. People claim to see shapes and faces in the rocks that resemble Buddhas. The azure sea reflects off their surface creating a surrealistic atmosphere. One can easily spend an afternoon exploring them and watching the magnificent Japanese sunset. Hotokegaura can be accessed by car or chartered ferry.  
• Gankake. A large boulder overlooking the sea that is known for its view from the top. It is also a popular swimming spot and has changing room facilities available. It can be found on the way to Hotokegaura. 

• Nuidoishiyama is a large mountain in Fukuura. Hiking to the top is a popular activity as the whole village and other mountains can be seen. Be sure to bring the bear bells at the bottom of the mountain to ward off any wildlife.

In the middle of September, Sai puts on a festival. Floats are pulled by the locals and the priests from the shrine bless the houses of the village. The Kagura, an ancient theatrical dance with masks, is also performed.

In November, Sai puts on a culture festival. Different variations of festival songs and Kagura are performed at the community center.

In February, Fukuura village puts on a kabuki show. It features northern styles of kabuki and is performed one day a year.

In June, Sai has a sea urchin roe festival. They sell fresh sea urchin roe on rice and people can eat it while shopping.

As Sai is on the Tsugaru Strait, fishing is the major economic staple. Some of the locally caught seafood include sea urchin roe, sea pineapple, scallops, abalone and squid. Sai also has a shiitake farm that sells to local markets.

There are only a few restaurants in Sai. Most are in Arusasu, the community center. Poppiez, is a lunch restaurant and can be found in Arusasu. They have pizza and pasta Japanese style. Across from that is a restaurant owned by the same person, but offers Japanese fast food like ramen, tonkatsu, and ebi chilli.

There is a ramen and gyoza place open in the evening that can accommodate a couple of people at a time. It's near the bars beside the bridge.

There are several other restaurants that require reservation and are usually for large groups of people. Umaimonya is a restaurant across the street from Arusasu that can provide meals if they have been informed in advance. Isokawa, Miyano, Manjaya and Hotokegaura Drive-in in Fukuura are other Japanese restaurants available for large groups.

If you are staying at a cabin, the only grocery stores are in Oma, so be sure to stock up before coming to Sai.

Other than restaurants, there are only two bars in Sai. Inaka (seating capacity of up to 5 people at a time) and Sta. Both places have karaoke. They are across the street from Arusasu. Inaka is in the 5 floor building and Sta is across from it.

The Gankake cabins is the main place to stay. There are other bed and breakfast type places in Sai and Fukuura.

Mutsu's tourist office (Masakari Plaza, tel. 0175-22-0909), near the Mutsu bus terminal, is helpful and can provide basic information in English, not just for Mutsu but the entire peninsula. They will also book accommodation for you.

• Oma town is a 15-minute (¥2000-3000) cab ride away. Oma is famous for its Maguro Matsuri. In October, they catch a large tuna fish and butcher it for auction. The best slices of sashimi have been known to sell for ¥50,000. Omazaki is the northernmost tip of Honshu and on a clear day, Hokkaido is visible from it. Oma is also the gateway between Hakodate and Shimokita. The ferry takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes. It is convenient to come to Shimokita through Hakodate airport.

• Mutsu - The Ohata area is a 30-minute drive away or an hour bus ride. Ohata is notable for its outdoor public hot springs, Yagen. In the spring, sakura trees line the road through Ohata. Around 5:00 you can catch a squid race in town. Squids are raced and bet on like horses.

• Higashidori is a farming town about an hour's drive away. Notable for Shiriyazaki, the cape on the west side of Shimokita Peninsula. Wild horses roam free through the fields and you can walk pretty close to them without frightening them.

• Kazamaura
• Yokohama
• Rokkasho
• Noheji
• Hiranai