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
Goshikinuma
Goshikinuma (Five Colored Lakes)
A series of volcanic lakes near Mount Bandai, the Five Colored Lakes display hues of cobalt blue,...
Kakunodate
Known as the 'Little Kyoto of Tohoku', this beautifully preserved samurai district features centu...
Ouchi-juku
An Edo-era post town lined with thatched-roof houses, Ouchi-juku is famous for its negi soba -- b...
Sendai
Known as the City of Trees, Sendai is the largest city in the Tohoku region, famous for Date Masa...
Mogami River Boat Ride
A Scenic River Cruise Through a Forested Gorge
A relaxing hour-long boat ride down the Mogami River through a scenic gorge, accompanied by the b...
Sendai Tanabata Festival Area
Japan's Most Spectacular Star Festival Celebration
One of the three great Tohoku festivals, held every August along Sendai's covered shopping arcade...
Oirase Gorge
Oirase Mountain Stream
Pristine mountain stream flowing through ancient beech forest with countless waterfalls and moss-...
Zao Onsen
Snow Monsters and Crater Lake Hot Springs
A mountain hot spring town famous for spectacular snow monster formations in winter and the emera...
Hirosaki Castle
Original Castle with Japan's Finest Cherry Blossoms
One of Japan's twelve original castles, surrounded by 2,600 cherry trees that create a legendary ...
Shirakami-Sanchi
A UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving the largest virgin beech forest in East Asia, Shirakami-S...
Tsuruga Castle
Tsuruga Castle (Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle)
Castle with a distinctive red-tiled roof, Tsuruga Castle is the symbol of Aizu's samurai spirit a...
Akiu Onsen
A Historic Hot Spring Valley Just Outside Sendai
One of Japan's oldest hot spring resorts, set in a scenic river valley just 30 minutes from Senda...
Dewa Sanzan
Dewa Sanzan (Three Sacred Mountains)
The three sacred mountains of Dewa -- Haguro, Gassan, and Yudono -- have been a center for yamabu...
Lake Tazawa
Lake Tazawa is Japan's deepest lake at 423 meters, its waters maintaining a deep cobalt-blue colo...
Miharu Takizakura
A Thousand-Year-Old Weeping Cherry Tree
One of Japan's three great cherry trees, this magnificent weeping cherry is over 1,000 years old ...