Geography
Aomori Prefecture is the northernmost prefecture on Honshū and faces Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait. It borders Akita and Iwate in the south. Oma, at the northwestern tip of the axe-shaped Shimokita Peninsula, is the northernmost point of Honshū. The Shimokita and Tsugaru Peninsulas enclose Mutsu Bay. Between those peninsulas lies the Natsudomari Peninsula, the northern end of the Ōu Mountains. The three peninsulas are prominently visible in the prefecture's symbol, a stylized map.
Lake Towada, a crater lake, straddles Aomori's boundary with Akita. Oirase River flows easterly from Lake Towada. The Shirakami Mountains are located in eastern Aomori and contain the last of the virgin beech tree forest which is home to over 87 species of birds.
As of 1 April 2012, 12% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely Towada-Hachimantai National Park; Shimokita Hantō and Tsugaru Quasi-National Parks; and Akaishi Keiryū Anmon no Taki, Asamushi-Natsudomari, Ashino Chishōgun, Iwaki Kōgen, Kuroishi Onsenkyō, Nakuidake, Ōwani Ikarigaseki Onsenkyō, and Tanesashi Kaigan Hashikamidake Prefectural Natural Parks.
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