National Route 339 (Staircase Highway)
National Route 339, which passes through Tappi Misaki, the northernmost point of the Tsugaru Peninsula, is the only “stairway national road” in Japan.
Although it is a national highway, neither cars nor motorcycles can pass through; only pedestrians can. It’s a unique place.
There are 362 steps from the Tappi Fishing Port below the cape to the Tappisaki Lighthouse, with a total length of 388.2 meters and a difference in elevation of about 70 meters. The climb is somewhat tricky, but there are many shady trees, so you will not feel the heat even in summer. Take a break and give it a try.
The view of the Tsugaru Straits below is exceptional, especially during the hydrangea season from mid-July to early August. Please come for a drive along the “Hydrangea Road,” a 15-kilometer stretch of Prefectural Road 281 that runs through Sotogahama-machi, from Minmayaaya Station to the tip of Tappi Misaki, where about 15,000 hydrangeas are in full bloom.