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JAL Online Trip

We are bringing you a special collaboration between "Online Trip," which allows you to easily enjoy the charm of travel online, and "Digital Flight," which allows you to virtually experience a JAL flight.

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Just before 3 p.m., customers began arriving one after another in the special room set up for the online meeting system "Zoom." The second installment of JAL's popular "Online Travel Service" is the "JAL Haneda-Misawa Digital Flight: A Remote Trip to Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture for Food and Culture."

Choose from 3 courses. The "Mini Travel Experience Box" also includes special tickets.

The idea is to experience the best parts of traveling from the comfort of your own home, from flights to sightseeing, and participants can choose from three courses: 4,500 yen, 8,000 yen, and 8,800 yen (tax included). A "Mini Travel Experience Box" containing a gourmet set and other items will be sent to you in advance. On the day of the event, you will need to install "Zoom" on your smartphone, tablet, or PC in advance to prepare.

Now, the travel guide states that this flight to Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture is scheduled to take off at 15:10.

Before the departure, a 5-minute lecture on how to use Zoom and other important points was given by Iihara, a flight attendant from Aomori Prefecture. Iihara will also be the tour guide for this two-hour tour. Katayama, also a flight attendant, will guide the digital flight.

Katayama: "Hello everyone. Thank you for flying with Japan Airlines, a member of the Oneworld Alliance. This flight is a Japan Airlines digital flight, departing from Tokyo Haneda and bound for Misawa."

A slight twist on the familiar in-flight announcement. The boarding pass I had in front of me had a special design, with the words "REMOTE TRIP FLIGHT ONLY" written on it, and the mysterious words "MELLEMON GAPPA GUTTE."
Katayama: "It's an Aomori dialect word and it means 'eat lots of delicious food.'"

While showing off this idea, we took a commemorative photo of all the passengers holding up their boarding passes. And so, at 3:05 p.m., the curtain finally rose on our flight.

During the flight, you can enjoy the view from the pilot's point of view.

Horie: "Thank you for joining us on the digital flight today. The flight normally takes about an hour, but we will guide you through it in about 20 minutes."

Flight crew members Horie and Ozawa will guide you through the flight. The takeoff scene is very realistic. Flight simulator footage is used, showing the cockpit of a Boeing 737, which is not usually visible from the cabin. After taking off with the crew and passengers shouting "Take off!", the special image of the Skytree on the left side is a refreshing sight. Along the way, there is a quiz related to the Tokyo-Misawa flight, and an introduction to the in-flight service menu is given.

Katayama: "It's now time for our in-flight service. What we've brought to you is 'Udon de Sky.' It's a light meal that's only available in first class on domestic flights, and you can enjoy when you feel a bit hungry."

The two co-pilots gave commentary on the sights to see during the flight, such as Matsushima, Mt. Chokai, and Lake Towada, and the captain also made some announcements, and before we knew it, we had landed at Misawa Airport, right on schedule, at 3:25 p.m.

The first tourist spot, Kabushima Shrine, is a scenic spot where black-tailed gulls gather.

Misawa Airport is the eastern gateway to Aomori. The tour starts at Kabushima Shrine in Hachinohe City, about a 40-minute drive from there. It is known as a scenic spot that enshrines Benzaiten, and is also a major breeding ground for black-tailed gulls, a rare sight in the world. Mina Shikahara (right) of VISIT Hachinohe and Takako Sato (left) of the Same Tourism Association will guide us while watching a video of the black-tailed gulls flying in so close that they fill the sky.

Sato: "It began as a shrine to Benzaiten about 750 years ago. Originally, it was the guardian deity of the fishing industry in the port city of Hachinohe and safety at sea. Black-tailed gulls have been treasured as messengers of Benzaiten. This is because, in the days before fish finders, black-tailed gulls would tell us where there were fish when we saw many of them flying."

Kabushima Shrine was destroyed by fire in 2015, but was rebuilt in March 2020 after about five years of construction. The reason it took so long is that construction was halted during the season when black-tailed gulls raise their young.

Sato-san: "This kind of seagull-first approach is unique to Kabushima. In fact, the shrine itself is the object of worship."

We prayed facing the sacred shrine, bowing twice, clapping twice, and bowing once. We then had the "Umineko Omikuji" fortune slip that was sent to us in advance ready to hand. The fortune slip was hidden inside the belly of an adorable ceramic black-tailed gull, and when we opened it, it was a wonderful, great fortune.

After the tour of the brewery, toast with special sake and apple juice

The tour moves along at a good pace. We head to Hachinohe Sake Brewery, located about a 10-minute drive from Kabushima Shrine. The four sake breweries, which are registered as national tangible cultural properties, are popular for their tours, and the famous guide, Norio Miyamoto, cheerfully guides us around in the local dialect, saying, "Welcome to Hachinohe Sake Brewery, everyone!"

Miyamoto-san: "The most important process of fermenting the koji (malt), the sprinkling and stirring, is all done by hand. It is carried by hand and put into the tanks, and there is still a tradition today of displaying a blue cedar ball on the porch when new sake is made. Incidentally, the god of sake is jealous, and in the past women were not allowed in the area. That is no longer the case."

The 8,000 yen and 8,800 yen sets include the limited edition "Mutsu Hassen Junmai Daiginjo" which can only be purchased at the brewery. It is a very easy-to-drink sake with a very refreshing taste and a deep, rich flavor. You can feel the freshness and lively freshness.

Miyamoto-san: "Totcha katcha, meras, gode, onzu, bikki" (Father and mother, single woman, eldest son, second son, baby). Kakaka, kokoko, kekeke, kuu (please please please, come come come come, kue kue kue, eat)."

The unique explanation in the southern dialect will make your drink flow with pleasure. For customers who do not drink alcohol, the 4,500 yen and 8,800 yen plans include apple juice from Aomori. This is 100% fruit juice and is very sweet, but also refreshing and easy to drink.

Hachinohe soul food: Nanbu rice crackers and fatty boiled canned mackerel

Next, the baton is passed to Satoshi Kimura, director of the Hachinohe Senbei-jiru Research Institute. The long-awaited gourmet moment begins with a simple snack that is unique to Hachinohe. It uses Hachinohe's soul food, Nanbu Senbei, made only from flour and salt, and canned boiled mackerel hand-packed in water.

Kimura: "It's called canned mackerel rice crackers. A generous amount of shredded canned mackerel is placed on the rice crackers along with the soup. As you slowly sip the canned mackerel, the rice crackers will soak up the broth. When it's all gone, you put more canned mackerel on the rice crackers. You can also add soy sauce or cheese and warm it up in the toaster to enjoy."

I gave it a go as I was told, and it was exceptionally delicious. The boiled mackerel had no unpleasant odor, was cooked softly down to the bone, and had just the right amount of saltiness and rich flavor. The rice crackers, which had soaked up the soup well, were soft to the touch, but still had a chewy center, similar to pasta cooked al dente. The clean flavor of the Mutsu Hassen Junmai Daiginjo rice crackers matched well with the rich flavor of the canned mackerel rice crackers, creating an exquisite marriage.

In addition, you can also place a sake cup on top of the rice crackers in the same way as you would a sake cup, and pour in the sake to the brim before drinking. The rice crackers soaked in plenty of sake also have a very special taste.

From pizza to tempura and pancakes: the depth of Nanbu Senbei

Kimura: "Nearly every supermarket in Hachinohe has a section selling Nanbu senbei, and they're so popular that by evening the shelves are emptied. Recently, there are more varieties with a variety of ingredients, such as sesame, peanuts, dried squid, natto, and chocolate crunch. Originally, this region was hit by a cold wind called "Yamase" in the summer, which caused cold damage and made it difficult to harvest rice. For that reason, people grew grains such as wheat, buckwheat, millet, and barnyard millet, which are resistant to cold damage. Of these, Nanbu senbei, made by kneading wheat flour with water and roasting it, is said to have been invented more than 200 years ago."

In addition to the drinking snacks, Kimura also gave a commentary on local gourmet food.

Kimura: "Because of its long history, a very deep food culture has developed. Hachinohe senbei soup has become quite famous, and freshly baked tempo senbei are soft and delicious. Senbei cafes, where you can enjoy coffee and senbei from 5am, are also popular."

Among young people, freshly baked Nanbu Senbei, which has a fluffy texture like a pancake, is eaten in various ways, such as smearing it with honey or cream. At izakayas, they are fried, made like pizza, and even have senbei tempura. I was able to learn about a part of Hachinohe's deep food culture that has evolved in its own unique way.

Visit the Hasshoku Center, where all the delicious food from Hachinohe is gathered

Now, with a hint of a hint of Hachinohe, we move to the Hasshoku Center in the city. Mr. Toshifumi Sasaki (right) and Mr. Shinichi Futako (left) from the Hasshoku Center, along with their mascot character Tabera-kun, will guide us. The Hasshoku Center is known as a gathering place for all the delicious foods of Hachinohe.

Sasaki-san: "The Hasshoku Center has been in business for 40 years. Approximately 2.6 million customers visit it annually, and it is well known as the kitchen of Hachinohe. There are about 60 stores open, so you can casually eat on the spot, and we can also ship fresh ingredients to any location right away."

Among them, the one that is attracting the most attention at the moment is the sea squirt. Due to its uneven shape, it is called the pineapple of the sea and is an irresistible delicacy for alcohol lovers. Mr. Fukuda, the owner of a fresh fish store, explains.

Fukuda-san: "It goes without saying that it's cheap and delicious. Right now, salmon are starting to be lined up. It's a huge market where you can enjoy everything you want to see and eat, so I definitely recommend you come. Ondeyanse!"

Next, we will introduce Shichirin Mura, where you can grill and eat what you purchase in the building on the spot. The admission fee is 400 yen for adults and 150 yen for children, and includes chopsticks, paper plates, a moist towel and a set of condiments. You can also rent tongs. Clams, shrimp, turban shells, oysters and scallops are grilled over charcoal on the spot. You can almost smell the aroma from the video.

Sasaki-san: "We also have a butcher shop and a greengrocer. You can eat on the spot, so please feel free to use them."

At the end, we chatted. A rich travel experience will make you want to go to the place.

All tours ended at 16:40. From here, we moved on to the "Breakout Room" Q&A session. Participants were randomly split into five rooms, where they could freely chat with JAL staff and the people of Hachinohe who cooperated with the tour. At this point, we asked Mr. Sasaki of the Hasshoku Center, "Can we enjoy fresh seafood bowls at the Hasshoku Center?"

Mr. Sasaki: "Yes! Some fishmongers provide rice, so you can bring it to the Hasshoku Center and eat it."

Various questions and comments were asked by other customers. Many families participated, and even small children asked questions to the flight crew. Thus, the intense remote trip of about two hours came to an end in a flash.

By the way, in addition to the gourmet food and drinks introduced above, the "Mini Trip Experience Box" also contains various tourist pamphlets for Hachinohe City and a delicacy called "Nakayoshi." It is made by drying squid, a specialty of Hachinohe Port, and sandwiching cheese between the pieces. It may be easier to understand if you think of it as a squid version of the so-called "Chikama." The fragrant squid and mellow cheese go perfectly together. Thanks to this popular Hachinohe souvenir, I'm sure I'll be able to bask in the afterglow of my trip for a while to come. At the same time, I've been feeling a desire to actually visit the place. It was a very dense travel experience, but if I use this experience as an opportunity to visit, I'm sure I'll be able to enjoy its deeper charms.

The fourth installment of "JAL Online Trip" is the Kagoshima edition

The service will continue to offer the thrill of enjoying travel with all five senses, by allowing customers to see and hear live footage of their destination and taste, smell and touch local specialties delivered to their home. Going forward, the service will take advantage of the strengths of the JAL Group, which has a network throughout Japan, to offer even more diverse travel plans.

The destination of the fourth tour, held on Saturday, December 5, 2020, was Kagoshima Prefecture. Titled "JAL Digital Flight: An online trip to Kagoshima and Sakurajima to experience the blessings of an active volcano," participants enjoyed a tour of Sakurajima, the symbol of Kagoshima, as well as a tour of the feudal gardens of Sengan-en, the villa of the Shimazu clan, the former feudal lord of Satsuma, and a shochu bar experience where the master gave them advice on the best way to drink "honkaku shochu."

We will continue to release information on the fifth and subsequent installments. Please keep an eye out for the various destinations on "JAL Online Trips."

*This article was updated in part on February 9, 2021.