Last Updated: Jan 10, 2024

Hungover in Hachinohe

Boozy Alleyways & the Morning Market

This story was originally published on donnykimball.com and has been syndicated here on Medium

The clock struck 4:00 AM and my alarm went off with a bang. Still quite drunk from the night before, I rolled over to see what the commotion was all about. Through my alcohol induced stupor, I somehow managed to vaguely recall my reasons for coming up here in the first place. Cursing every deity in existence, I miraculously managed to drag my not-yet-hungover behind out from under the covers and into the shower. Turning the water on as cold as it could go in an effort to wake myself up, I quickly washed up and got ready to checkout of my hotel. After all, I had a morning market to go to and the fun was already beginning despite the fact that the sun had yet to poke its head over the horizon…

Welcome back to another one of my area guides. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at the northern city of Hachinohe. Located up in Aomori Prefecture, this region is home to the biggest morning market in all of Japan. Every week, more than 10,000 visitors gather here to peruse the collections of hundreds of vendors. Moreover, Hachinohe also boasts a legendary nightlife scene too. Centered around a collection of alleyways that resemble Shinjuku’s legendary Golden Gai, drinking in Hachinohe is an attraction unto itself. Unfortunately, a night out on the town…