30万人規模の都市で世界でもっとも雪が降るのは、青森市。年間の最大降雪量は1263cm（昭和60年）、最大積雪量は209cm（昭和20年）。
Aomori City is the capital of Aomori prefecture. It has the most snowfall in the world as a city with 300,000 people. The maximum annual snowfall was 1263 cm in 1985, and the maximum snow accumulation was 209 cm in 1945.
See the platform of Aomori Station in the winter.
訪れた２月半ばの青森は、とてつもない雪の中。縁のある新潟の豪雪地では、山間部でさえ、居住地につながる道路の雪は、夜を徹して除雪し、アスファルトが現れます。それが除雪の日本標準と思っていましたが、青森では、県庁所在地の青森市内でさえ、駅前通りと国道以外は、路面が白いまま。除雪概念の違いか、財政状況の違いか。スノータイヤでも滑り、たまに空回り。時速20キロでしか進みません。津軽平野に出れば、地吹雪が加わり、時速はさらに落ちます。
町中では、車道と歩道の間に、最大３ｍ近くの雪の壁ができ、除雪をあきらめた歩道は、車道より１ｍ近く高いところもあります。青森より雪が少しはましな弘前では、駅の観光案内所が観光客に雪用の長靴を貸し出し。それぐらいの装備が必要な青森の雪なのです。
吹雪くし、雪は深いし、気温も低い青森の町なのに、Tシャツ１枚に、ジーンズのジャケット、靴はスニーカーといった初夏の格好の若い人が、ちらほらいます。どういうこと？。青森市民は、新陳代謝が活発なのでしょうか。
あっと言う間に通り過ぎ、写真を取り損ねましたが、この日のベストショットになるはずだったのが、屋根に１ｍ以上雪を載せて走っていたミニクーパー。これを無精と見るか、粋と見るか、意見が分かれますが、飛んでもなく見える雪さえも、無精の対象にする何気なさが粋。
I visited Aomori in mid-February with the tremendous snow. Unlike other heavy snowfall areas in Japan, the road surface in Aomori City remained white without removal except for the station road and the national road. Even with snow tires, the car slipped and sometimes ran idle. The traffic wasn't congested, but it only ran at 20km / h. Outside the town, the speed will drop further due to a blizzard.
In the town, a snow wall of about 3m rose between a road and a sidewalk. The sidewalk was about 1m higher than the road. In Hirosaki of the same prefecture, where snow is a little better than Aomori, the tourist information at the station rented snow boots to tourists. The snow in Aomori should have provided such equipment.
Despite a blizzard, the deep snow, and the low temperature, several young people walked about, wearing early summer-like clothing, such as a T-shirt, jeans jacket, and sneakers. Are Aomori citizens active in metabolism?
It happened in a minute. So, I couldn't take the photo, but the best shot of the day was the Mini Cooper, which ran with more than 1m of snow on the roof. Opinions would differ on whether to judge it lazy or cool. But casualness that even the tremendous snow made a target of laziness was cool.
See a sidewalk of Downtwon Aomori. Since the snow isn't removed, a citizen has to walk on a sidewalk that are up and down with snow
See an intersecting street from the intersection of Station Street in Downtown Aomori. Even a busy street in the downtown is not cleared of snow.
A wall of snow more than 3m rises between the sidewalk and the roadway on Station Street passing through the shopping district.
Snow is piled up on the roofs and signboards in the bar street in Downtown Aomori.
Snow is piled up on the sidewalk arcades in Downtown Aomori
Deep snow is piled up on the roads and the roofs of houses in the residential area.
A junior high school student goes home on the sidewalk of a residential area.
Snow is piled up on the roof of buildings in Downtown Aomori.
Due to deep snow. the sidewalks and parking spaces are disappearing.
ご感想はこちらへ / Click here for your impressions
もっと詳しく → 旅行の時間 - 雪の青森（青森、青森、日本）
When you want to know more → Time of Travel - Aomori City in Snow
(Aomori city, Aomori, Japan)
参考文献 / reference
青森の雪（青森市役所）
写真の無断使用、転用はご遠慮下さい。/ Please do not use or upload our photos without permission.
