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Tohoku rewards travelers with rugged landscapes, hot springs, historic temples, seasonal festivals, small villages, and quieter, authentic rural Japanese experiences.
Tohoku: Undiscovered Japan.
Location
Tohoku refers to the northeastern region of Honshu, consisting of seven prefectures: Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata, Fukushima, & Niigata.
Japan's Tohoku bullet train takes travelers to the far north in just 90 minutes.
Hiking Trails
From the splendid coastal scenery of the Michinoku Trail to the rich history of the Basho Trail, Tohoku is for walkers.
Whether you are looking for stroll for an hour, or a trek for a week, Tokoku has the answer.
Cherry Blossoms
Cherry blossoms in Tohoku typically bloom from mid-April to early May. Key spots include the famous Hirosaki Castle (Aomori), Kakunodate (Akita), and Tsuruga Castle (Fukushima), which feature late-blooming, and often less-crowded, landscapes.
Fall Foliage
Japanese foliage, with its abundance of deciduous broad-leaved trees, mixes red, yellow, orange, golden brown, and the green of evergreen trees, creating a beauty similar to that of a nishiki-e (colored woodblock print).
Rice = Sake
Known as a "rice basket" of Japan, Tohoku is a premier sake-producing region featuring over 300 breweries that use local, high-quality rice and mineral-rich mountain water to create clean, crisp, fruity flavors, with many brands winning international awards.
Snow Monsters
"Snow monster" trees, or juhyo, are evergreen fir trees at Mount Zao, Tohoku that become completely encased in thick, sculptural layers of ice and snow. Created by winds freezing water droplets onto branches, these monster-like shapes create a surreal, crowded landscape.
Festivals
Three great festivals of Tohoku are the Aomori Nebuta Festival, the Akita Kanto Festival and the Sendai Tanabata Festival.
If you happen to visit Japan in summer, these are events that are worth seeing at least once in your life.
Kokeshi Dolls
Kokeshi are traditional Japanese wooden dolls originating from Tohoku in the mid-19th century. Originally crafted as children's toys, these dolls are now popular collector's items symbolizing, friendship, luck, and Japanese craftsmanship
Popular Tohoku Experiences
to add to any itinerary
IWAKI RIVER ADVENTURE TOUR: 4 days / 3 nights
The Iwaki River originates in Shirakami-Sanchi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and empties into the Sea of Japan, after irrigating the apple orchards and rice paddies of the Tsugaru Plain.
On this multi-sport tour, we trace the path of the water by hiking through native forests of Japanese beech, paddling the waters of the gentle river, and cycling through the fields of the Tsugaru Plain. Through this we learn the history and culture of the Tsugaru Plain region.
The tour covers a distance of more than 60 miles over 4 days and 3 nights, during which time you will experience the best of Aomori prefecture.
BASHO HIKING TRAIL: 1 day
Matsuo Bashō, Japan’s most celebrated haiku poet, elevated the form into profound art. His travel journals blend poetry, philosophy, and observation, capturing fleeting natural moments while expressing impermanence, simplicity, and deep spiritual insight that continues to shape Japanese literature and aesthetics today.
Walk in the footsteps of Basho on this full day experience that starts with painting your own Kokeshi Doll, followed by a hike along the same path that Basho took into the "deep north".
The hike ends at the very simple guesthouse where Basho once stayed and where the sleeping quarters and stable were under one roof. His accommodation inspired what is possibly Basho's most humorous haiku: Fleas, lice // The horse pissing // Near my pillow
Discover the sacred mountains of Tohoku on this 4-day immersive Dewa Sanzan pilgrimage program called
“Junrei” or pilgrimage in Japanese. Guided by experienced Yamabushi priests, you will follow in the
footsteps of centuries of ascetic practitioners along the ancient Dewa Sanzan pilgrimage routes. Begin at Mt. Haguro, where centuries-old cedar trees, stone steps, and historic temples set the stage for your spiritual journey. Climb Mt. Gassan and Mt. Yudono, experiencing their mystical landscapes and participating in traditional ascetic practices, including waterfall meditation and fire-crossing rituals. Along the way, visit sacred shrines, explore temples housing sokushinbutsu (self-mummified monks), and enjoy shojin-ryori, the vegetarian cuisine of the Yamabushi. This tour blends rigorous physical activity, deep cultural insight, and spiritual reflection, offering a rare opportunity to engage with Japan’s living mountain ascetic traditions. Uketamo!
Kakunodate is a former castle town which flourished during the Edo period. Known as the “Little Kyoto of Tohoku”, Kakunodate is home to samurai residences and traditional houses.
On this tour, your experienced local guide will take you to both the merchant district and the samurai district of Kakunodate, where you will have the opportunity to see and experience local craftsmanship and explore inside a samurai house.
The full day tour will include a visit to Suzuki Brewery, where you will visit a local sake brewery and try sake with pairings.