Things to Do in Tohoku, Japan
The rugged, uncrowded northeast: samurai towns, festivals, mountain onsen and deep autumn colour.
48 destinations across 6 prefectures
Suggested Itineraries
Places to Visit in Tohoku
Aizu-Wakamatsu
A Samurai City Steeped in Edo-Period History
A historic castle town known for its samurai heritage, Tsuruga Castle, traditional Aizu lacquerwa...
Ginzan Onsen
Gaslit Hot Spring Village
A fairytale-like hot spring town with Taisho-era wooden ryokan lining a river gorge, magical when...
Sendai
Known as the City of Trees, Sendai is the largest city in the Tohoku region, famous for Date Masa...
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...
Ouchi-juku
A beautifully preserved Edo-era post town lined with thatched-roof houses, Ouchi-juku is famous f...
Chusonji Temple
Golden Hall of the Northern Fujiwara
A UNESCO World Heritage temple complex featuring the stunning Konjikido, a hall covered entirely ...
Goshikinuma
Goshikinuma (Five Colored Lakes)
A series of volcanic lakes near Mount Bandai, the Five Colored Lakes display hues of cobalt blue,...
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...
Dewa Sanzan
Dewa Sanzan (Three Sacred Mountains)
The three sacred mountains of Dewa -- Haguro, Gassan, and Yudono -- have been a center for yamabu...
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 ...
Lake Tazawa
Lake Tazawa is Japan's deepest lake at 423 meters, its waters maintaining a deep cobalt-blue colo...
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...
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...
Shirakami-Sanchi
A UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving the largest virgin beech forest in East Asia, Shirakami-S...