Oirase Stream by Car?

Hi,

I am planning to visit Oirase Stream in Aomori on 5-6th November (Sat and Sun). To plan my journey, kindly request you to answer following questions I have

I am considering two possibilies for accessing Lake Towada and Oirase Stream - one from Hachinohe and other from Aomori.

1. Is it possible to drive (using rental car) from both the places (i.e. Aomori and Hachinohe) to Lake Towada/ Oirase Stream?
2. It is mentioned that during peak season the roads may be closed to private cars - is it still correct?
3. With the car can I stop at different places along the stream and take photos?
4. I might stay overnight around Lake Towada - do you think they will have parking facilities?

If car is not an option then can I book the JR tohoku bus tickets from Aomori/ Hachinohe to Towadako from JR Lines ticket counter in Nagoya station? Or for bus there are different counters in Nagoya station?

Thanking you in advance

Is it possible to drive (using rental car) from both the places (i.e. Aomori and Hachinohe) to Lake Towada/ Oirase Stream?

Yes. This year, the road will be closed to private traffic only on October 29 and 30 during daytime:
http://www.eco-oirase.com/regulation/ditail.html

With the car can I stop at different places along the stream and take photos?

There aren't a lot of parking possibilities. And considering that you visit on weekend, I am afraid it could be quite crowded and difficult to park, although I remember a lot of people stopping illegaly along the road, causing disruption to traffic. On the other hand, your visit's timing is quite late during the season, which might reduce the crowds.

I might stay overnight around Lake Towada - do you think they will have parking facilities?

Yes, all hotels offer parking - usually free. From there you can access the Oirase stream by bus and/or boat. That is what I am always doing. For example, take the bus from Towadako's Yasumiya area (where most hotels are located) to somewhere down along the stream (e.g. Ishigedo), walk up the stream to Nenokuchi and then take the sightseeing boat (or bus) back to Yasumiya.

If car is not an option then can I book the JR tohoku bus tickets from Aomori/ Hachinohe to Towadako from JR Lines ticket counter in Nagoya station?

Yes. It is the same counter where you would also book train tickets.

I drove up the gorge to the lake about 20 times back in the 80s. There are a few places along the road where you can park and take photos, but the road is quite narrow for western standards and when a bus is coming down the other way, it can be quite intimidating.But in the end, it's all worth it.... The stream is gorgeous and all the waterfalls make it an awesome place to go. Enjoy!

Uji-san, many thanks for your detailed response. John, thanks as well for additional information. I have one more question. You mentioned that visiting Oirase on 4th/5th November will be quite late in the season. Do you think I would be able to see the extent of color that Oirase stream is famous for? or by 4th/5th most of the leaves would have lost their beauty? I think 29-30th seems to be a peak season - given that it is closed to car on those days - but its difficult for me to visit it during the weekend of 29-30th.
Thanks in advance

You mentioned that visiting Oirase on 4th/5th November will be quite late in the season.

In other places around Japan, the colors were delayed by around a week compared to the average year. So, I am pretty sure there will still be lots of colors around November 4/5, but I cannot guarantee it. Right now the colors seem to be around the 50% mark, and japan-guide.com is scheduled to publish an Oirase report on the 27th:
http://www.japan-guide.com/blog/koyo11/

You can monitor the situation by checking the following site. The latest forecast is that full colour will start after Oct 26.

http://weathernews.jp/koyo/cgi/search_result.fcgi?id=23107