What do orchards, a giant dog sculpture and huge paper lantern floats have in common? The answer is that they can all be found in Aomori, the rather chilly city that sits at the northernmost tip of Honshu island. JR East who opened up an extended high-speed train route to Shin-Aomori on Dec. 4, is hoping that the combined charm of these things will be enough to attract Tokyoites, sparking a boom in local tourism.
The “My First Aomori” campaign is now in full swing and centers around a series of TV commercials that depicts a blossoming love affair between a handsome young train station employee who's come from Tokyo to work in Aomori and a beautiful local girl. So far seven episodes have been released, showing the opening of the new Shin-Aomori Station and, most recently, the couple dating while sightseeing around the region.