Things to Do in Tohoku, Japan
The rugged, uncrowded northeast: samurai towns, festivals, mountain onsen and deep autumn colour.
47 destinations across 6 prefectures
Festivals in Tohoku
Photo: Rarisan / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Yokote Kamakura Snow Festival
15 to 16 February 2027
Akita · Snow and ice festival
© Rosino / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri
1 to 7 August 2027
Aomori · Lantern festival
Aomori Nebuta Matsuri
2 to 7 August 2027
Aomori · Lantern festival
© 秋田市 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Akita Kanto Matsuri
3 to 6 August 2027
Akita · Lantern festival
© 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sendai Tanabata Matsuri
6 to 8 August 2027
Miyagi · Lantern festival
© KANSEI / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Omagari Fireworks
28 August 2027
Akita · Fireworks festival
Suggested Itineraries
Places to Visit in Tohoku
Sannai-Maruyama Archaeological Site
Japan's Largest Jomon Settlement, a UNESCO World Heritage Prehistoric Site
One of Japan's most important archaeological sites and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sannai-Maruy...
Shiogama Shrine
Tohoku's Most Revered Shrine Overlooking Matsushima Bay
One of the most important shrines in the Tohoku region, perched on a hilltop overlooking Matsushi...
Tono
A rural town in the mountains of Iwate known as the birthplace of Japanese folklore studies, wher...
Aomori
Aomori - City of the Blazing Nebuta Festival
Northern Honshu city famous for the spectacular Nebuta Festival, one of Japan's most dramatic sum...
Matsushima Bay
One of Japan's Three Great Views
A bay dotted with over 260 pine-covered islands, celebrated as one of Japan's Three Most Scenic V...
Ginzan Onsen
Gaslit Hot Spring Village
A hot spring town of wooden ryokan from the 1910s and 20s, facing each other across the river gor...
Senshu Park
Senshu Park (Kubota Castle Ruins)
Senshu Park occupies the hilltop ruins of Kubota Castle, the former seat of the Satake clan who r...
Chusonji Temple
Golden Hall of the Northern Fujiwara
A UNESCO World Heritage temple complex featuring the stunning Konjikido, a hall covered entirely ...
Jodogahama Beach
A Heavenly White Beach on the Sanriku Coast
Named for its resemblance to a Buddhist paradise, Jodogahama is a white pebble beach backed by sh...
Aizu-Wakamatsu
A Samurai City Steeped in Edo-Period History
A historic castle town known for its samurai heritage, Tsuruga Castle, traditional Aizu lacquerwa...
Lake Inawashiro
Mirror of Heaven
Japan's fourth-largest lake, nicknamed the Mirror of Heaven for its crystal-clear waters reflecti...
Namahage Museum
A museum dedicated to the Namahage folk tradition of the Oga Peninsula
The Namahage Museum in Oga, Akita showcases the UNESCO-listed Namahage tradition, in which fearso...
Nyuto Onsen
A secluded collection of seven rustic hot spring inns deep in the mountains near Lake Tazawa, Nyu...
Geibikei Gorge
A River Gorge Adventure by Traditional Boat
Geibikei is a spectacular river gorge where visitors glide through two kilometers of towering cli...
Oga Peninsula
The Oga Peninsula juts dramatically into the Sea of Japan, famous as the home of the Namahage, fe...