Things to Do in Tohoku, Japan

The rugged, uncrowded northeast: samurai towns, festivals, mountain onsen and deep autumn colour.

91 destinations across 6 prefectures

Festivals in Tohoku

Namahage Sedo Festival

12 to 14 February 2027

Akita · Fire festival

Photo: Rarisan / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

Yokote Kamakura Snow Festival

15 to 16 February 2027

Akita · Snow and ice festival

Hirosaki Sakura Matsuri

16 April 2027 to 5 May 2027

Aomori · Festival

Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri

1 to 7 August 2027

Aomori · Lantern festival

Aomori Nebuta Matsuri

2 to 7 August 2027

Aomori · Lantern festival

Akita Kanto Matsuri

3 to 6 August 2027

Akita · Lantern festival

Yamagata Hanagasa Matsuri

5 to 7 August 2027

Yamagata · Dance festival

Sendai Tanabata Matsuri

6 to 8 August 2027

Miyagi · Lantern festival

Omagari Fireworks

28 August 2027

Akita · Fireworks festival

Suggested Itineraries

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Hitō: Japan's Hidden Hot Springs at the End of the Road

Hitō: Japan's Hidden Hot Springs at the End of the Road Hitō (秘湯) means "hidden hot spring". It is the onsen you reach only after a long mountain road, a forest trail or a boat, and very often i...

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Hikyo: Japan's Secluded, Hard-to-Reach Places and How to Get There

Hikyo: Japan's Secluded, Hard-to-Reach Places and How to Get There Hikyo (秘境) is the Japanese word for a remote, secluded place. The two characters mean something like "hidden region", and in Ja...

When Do Japan's Beaches Open in 2026? Swimming Season Dates by Region

When Do Japan's Beaches Open in 2026? Swimming Season Dates by Region Most Japanese beaches are only open for swimming during a fixed season. A beach holds an "umibiraki" (海開き), the official ope...

Places to Visit in Tohoku

Accommodation

Yamagata

Hotel Lucent Takamiya

Hotel Lucent Takamiya - In Front of the Zao Chuo Ropeway

A resort hotel facing the Zao Chuo Ropeway, with rooms in three wings, every bath fed straight fr...

942 Zao Onsen, Yamagata 990-2301

Prefectures in Tohoku

Akita Aomori Fukushima Iwate Miyagi Yamagata

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