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Well all I have arrived in Goshogawara and successfully got to my hotel.
This is going to be an interesting place to navigate as there is no travel information centre and its got no street names.
Fortunately the ticket guy at the train station was able to point me in the right direction. It seems they don't use street names except in their advertising and business cards. Asked the guy were azamachi dori(street) was and he gave a funny look. Asked with the hotel name and he new were I needed to go straight away.
Its weird, so many parts of their society are so well organise and then others are just a mess!
So I have finnaly figured out how to use the signs at the train stations. Got my first train perfectly right down to being at the right spot for my car. That got me to Hachinohe, I was a little worried about that transfer as there was not much of a window but it worked out. Rail line went along the ocean(umi) for a while which was very nice when we weren't in a tunnel. Got of at Aomori for the last transfer, this station was somewhat smaller and not as well signed so I ended up going to the gate only to find I needed the same platform i got off at. Had half an hour for this transfer so I had a bowl of ramen with fried bean curd for lunch before getting on the train with time to spare. This train was a Diesel and announcements were in Japanese only. Fortunately I have picked up that tsugiwa is next so I just listend carefully for "tsugiwa goshogawara". This Aomori prefecure appears to be the apple isle of Japan. For a good ten minutes or so there was nothing but apple orchards outside the train as far as I could see on both sides. The apples here are huge too, have yet to try one so it might be quantity over quality but thats something I will find out. It appears that today is a local holiday in Goshogawara so there may not be anything tasty for dinner but as always there is a Lawsons down the road so I won't starve.
The second train was bound for Hokkaido(largest northern island) and had a little info thing on the tunnel the train goes through. There is actually a station in the tunnel so maybe next time I am here in a warmer season I will head up to Hokkaido and stop there on the way. These guys are awesome engineers with their carparks and bike racks etc.
It also looks like this might not be such a great spot to get to Aomori and Hirosaki, on the map is only two stops away but the train here changed direction three times and took about 1.5 hours from Aomori.
Better go find some dinner as its a small town so hours probably aren't as long as in Sendai and as I said today might be a holiday. Oh this hotel room is v spacious. I can actually stretch both arms out in the bathroom! Got a great view from my hotel room on the 4th floor so I will take some pics and try to sort the Picasa mess later tonight.
Bye