Traditionally a poor rural backwater with a harsh climate, today's Tohoku
offers the traveller some of the best scenery in Japan. In winter, the Snow
Country (Yukiguni) of the western Japan Sea coast racks up some of the
highest snowfall figures in the world, which also means great skiing and
lots of hot springs to warm up in.
TOHOKU REGIONS |
| Tohoku
Tohoku,... |
TOHOKU PREFECTURES |
| Akita Prefecture
Akita Prefecture is along the Sea of Japan Coast in the Tohoku region in the north eastern part of the island of Honshu. The capital city of Akita Prefecture is Akita city. Akita Prefecture ... |
| Aomori Prefecture
Aomori Prefecture lies at the north end of Honshu in the Tohoku region. The capital of Aomori Prefecture is Aomori City, which is major point of interconnection between the island of Honshu ... |
| Fukushima Prefecture
Fukushima Prefecture is in Tohoku Region on the island of Honshu. The capital of Fukushima Prefecture is Fukushima City. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant which was involved in the n... |
| Iwate Prefecture
Iwate Prefecture is in the Tohoku region on Honshu island. Iwate Prefecture faces the Pacific Ocean to the east, and borders Aomori Prefecture on the north. The capital of Iwate Prefecture ... |
 | Miyagi Prefecture
Miyagi Prefecture is along the Pacific Ocean coast line in Tohoku Region on the island of Honshu. The capital of Miyagi Prefecture is Sendai. Miyagi Prefecture is famous for having one of th... |
 | Yamagata Prefecture
Yamagata Prefecture covers the area from the coast of the Sea of Japan in the west to the mountains midway across the island of Honshu in the Tohoku region. Yamagata city is the capital of Y... |
TOHOKU PREFECTURE CAPITAL |
| Akita
Akita is the capital city of Akita Prefecture in the Tohoku the northeastern region of Honshu island. Akita is famous for its Onsen (hot springs) in and around Akita, plus its close proximit... |
| Aomori
Aomori lies at the north end of Honshu. Aomori is the capital of Aomori Prefecture and the site of one side of the Seikan Tunnel which connects the island of Honshu to the island of Hokkaido... |
| Fukushima
Fukushima City is the capital of Fukushima Prefecture and is 63km north west of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and around 250km north of Tokyo.... |
| Morioka
Morioka is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture which is in the Tohoku Region. Morioka is famous for its brewing industry, Nambu Senbei (rice cracker) and noodles. Until 803 the area around ... |
| Sendai
Sendai is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, and the largest city in the Tohoku (northeast) region of Japan. The Sendai is well known by its nickname, the City of Trees.... |
| Yamagata
Yamagata is the capital of Yamagata Prefecture and is in the mountains Tohoku. Yamagata features beautiful mountains and wide rice fields scenery, famous Risshakuji Temple, world class skiin... |
TOHOKU MAIN CITIES and TOWNS |
| Aizu Wakamatsu
Aizu Wakamatsu is a city in the western part of Fukushima Prefecture. During the Boshin War, the then town of Aizu Wakamatsu with its Aizu Wakamatsu Castle were besieged by Imperial forces, ... |
| Hachinohe
Hachinohe is on the coastal area facing the Pacific Ocean in Aomori Prefecture Tohoku Region at the northern end of Honshu Island. The main attractions in Hachinohe are Kabushima Shrine inc... |
| Hiraizumi
Hiraizumi is a town in Iwate Prefecture of Tohoku region, which is famous for the three temples which form the World Heritage Site known as the "Historic Monuments and Sites of Hiraizumi". T... |
| Hirosaki
Hirosaki is in Aomori Prefecture Tohoku Region at the northern end of Honshu Island. The main attractions in Hirosaki are Hirosaki Castle and its surrounding park where 2,600 cherry blossom... |
| Kaminoyama
Kaminoyama is a small city in eastern Yamagata Prefecture. Kaminoyama attractions include the reconstructed Kaminoyama Castle. Kaminoyama is serviced by the Yamagata Shinkansen.... |
 | Matsushima
Matsushima is famous for featuring what is considered to be one of the Three Most Scenic Views of Japan. Matsushima is a coastal area which looks out onto Matsushima Bay which is filled with... |
 | Takahata
Takahata is a town in south eastern Yamagata Prefecture. Takahata attractions include Itsukushima Shrine.... |
 | Zao Onsen
Zao Onsen is one of the most famous and popular onsen (hot spring) resort towns in Japan, where the natural hot springs were discovered in 110AD. Zao Onsen is also a very popular ski and sno... |
TOHOKU ISLANDS |
| Fukuura-jima Island
Fukuura-jima Island is a small island, which has an area of 6 hectares. The island is connected to the main land at Matsushima by a red 252 meters bridge. The island is a lovely hiking spot ... |
TOHOKU CASTLES |
| Aizu Wakamatsu Castle
Aizu Wakamatsu Castle, also known as Tsuruga Castle, is a hilltop style Japanese Castle in the city of Aizu Wakamatsu Fukushima Prefecture. When Aizu Wakamatsu Castle was first constructed i... |
| Funaoka Castle
Funaoka Castle, also known as Shibata Castle, was a hilltop style Japanese Castle in Shibata in Miyagi Prefecture. Funaoka Castle was constructed in 1200 under the orders of Shibata Jiro. To... |
| Hirosaki Castle
Hirosaki Castle is a flatland style Japanese Castle in the central of Hirosaki city, Aomori Prefecture . Hirosaki Castle, also known as Takaoka Castle, was built in 1611, however the current... |
| Iwayado Castle
Iwayado Castle (also known as Shakuchi Castle) was a Japanese Castle in Oshu Iwate Prefecture. Iwayado Castle was a hilltop castle design. Today only ruins remain of Iwayado Castle and Hachi... |
| Kaminoyama Castle
Kaminoyama Castle, also known as Tsukioka Castle, is a hilltop style Japanese Castle in the city of Kaminoyama Yamagata Prefecture . Kaminoyama Castle was constructed by Buei Yoshitada of Mo... |
| Komine Castle
Komine Castle, also known as Shirakawa Castle, is a hilltop style Japanese Castle in the city of Shirakawa Fukushima Prefecture. Chikatomo Yuki ordered the construction of Komine Castle in 1... |
| Morioka Castle
Morioka Castle (also known as Kozukata Castle) was a Japanese Castle in Iwate Park, Morioka Iwate Prefecture. Morioka Castle was built for Nobunao and completed in 1633. Today only the grani... |
| Nihonmatsu Castle
Nihonmatsu Castle, also known as Kasumiga Castle, is a mountain top style Japanese Castle in Nihonmatsu Fukushima Prefecture. Nihonmatsu Castle was built around 1430 and was destroyed by fir... |
| Obama Castle
Obama Castle was a hilltop style Japanese Castle near the city of Nihonmatsu Fukushima Prefecture. Obama Castle was constructed by the Ishibashi clan members in the Muromachi period. In 1568... |
| Sendai Castle
Sendai Castle, also known Aoba Castle, was a mountain top style Japanese Castle in Sendai Miyagi Prefecture. Sendai Castle was built on the orders of Date Masamune on top of Mt Aoba which ov... |
| Shiroishi Castle
Shiroishi Castle is a Japanese Castle in Shiroishi Miyagi Prefecture. There was fort on the site of Shiroishi Castle, prior to construction of Shiroishi Castle in the 1590's. Shiroishi Castl... |
| Tsuruoka Castle
Tsuruoka Castle was a Japanese Castle in Tsuruoka Yamagata Prefecture. Today only ruins remain of Tsuruoka Castle.... |
| Yamagata Castle
Yamagata Castle is a flat land style Japanese Castle in Yamagata. Yamagata Castle was first constructed in 1356 by Shiba Kaneyori (who later changed his name to Mogami. In 1592, under Mogami... |
TOHOKU LANDMARKS |
 | Aoba Dori
Aoba Dori is one of the main streets in Sendai, which goes roughly east west through Sendai Station.... |
| Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (also known as Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant) near Futaba in Fukushima Prefecture is famous for the nuclear incident including explosions and fire whi... |
 | Godaido
Godaido Hall is pretty building perched on a small island on the coast off Matsushima. Godaido Hall enshrines five Nyorai statues.... |
 | Kanran-tei Pavilion
Kanrantei Pavilion is the tea house which provides great views of Matsushima Bay, great tradition Japanese tea and features beautiful paintings on the walls and folding screens which are des... |
| Miharu Takizakura
Miharu Takizakura is a cherry blossom tree that is over 1,000 years old, which is in the town of Miharu in Fukushima Prefecture. Miharu Takizakura is part of a group of waterfall style cherr... |
TOHOKU TEMPLES |
| Chusonji Temple
Chusonji Temple is a Tendai Buddhist temple in Hiraizumi Iwate Prefecture. The Golden Hall (Konjiki-do) is one of the two buildings to survive from the original Chusonji Temple complex. Konj... |
 | Entsuin Temple
Entsuin Temple is a Buddhist temple, which is famous for a painting of a Western-style rose that is said to be the oldest in Japan. Entsuin Temple is in Matsushima and is designated as an Im... |
| Ganjoji Temple
Ganjoji Temple, also known as Shiramizu Amidado, is a Buddhist temple in Iwaki Fukushima Prefecture. The Amidado building of Ganjoji Temple was built in 1160 by Princess Tokuhime of Northern... |
| Kanjizaio-in Temple
Kanjizaio-in Temple is the site of a Buddhist temple in Hiraizumi Iwate Prefecture. Kanjizaio-in Temple was directly across the Frontier Way from the Enryuji and Kashoji temples (now within ... |
| Motsuji Temple
Motsuji Temple is a Tendai Buddhist temple in Hiraizumi Iwate Prefecture. Motsuji Temple complex includes a Jodo (pure land) Japanese garden that contains the ruins of two much older temples... |
| Risshakuji Temple
Risshakuji Temple, in Yamagata, is one of the most amazing Buddhist temple in Japan. Generally known as Yamadera Temple (Mountain Temple), Risshakuji Temple was founded by Monk En-nin (Jikak... |
 | Zuigan-ji Temple
Zuiganji Temple is a Buddhist temple in Matsushima, is considered to be one of the greatest Zen temples in Tohoku area. Zuiganji Temple was completed in 828AD, by craftsmen from many countri... |
TOHOKU SHRINES |
| Osaki Hachiman-gu Shrine
Osaki Hachiman-gu Shrine is a Shinto Shrine in Aoba-ku Sendai. Date Masamune ordered the construction of the main shrine building (shaden), which was completed in 1607 and in 1952 it was des... |
 | Sukawa Onsen Shrine
Sukawa Onsen Shrine is a Shinto Shrine dedicated to the God of Onsen. Sukawa Onsen Shrine, founded in 873AD, is in the famous onsen (hot spring) and ski resort town of Zao Onsen in Yamagata ... |
TOHOKU MUSEUMS and ART GALLERIES |
| Sendai City Museum
Sendai City Museum is the main museum in Sendai and is less than 2km to the west of Sendai Station. Sendai City Museum displays the history of Sendai and in particular the artifacts relating... |
TOHOKU GARDENS and PARKS |
| Ashino Park
Ashino Park, in Goshogawara Aomori Prefecture , is famous for its cherry blossom and is considered one of Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots. Ashino Park, which covers over 80 hectares, in... |
| Bank of Hinokinai River and Kakunodate Samurai Residence
Bank of Hinokinai River and Kakunodate Samurai Residence area of Senboku in Akita Prefecture is famous for its cherry blossom and is considered one of Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots. T... |
| Eboshiyama Park
Eboshiyama Park, in Nanyo Yamagata Prefecture, is famous for its cherry blossom and is considered one of Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots. Eboshiyama Park features around 1,000 cherry bl... |
| Funaoka Castle Grounds
Funaoka Castle Grounds, in Shibata in Miyagi Prefecture, is famous for its cherry blossom and is considered one of Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots. There are around 1,000 cherry blossom... |
| Hirosaki Park
Hirosaki Park, in Hirosaki Aomori Prefecture , is famous for its 5,000 cherry blossom trees which surround Hirosaki Castle, also known as Takaoka Castle. The cherry blossom trees include Som... |
| Kasumiga Castle Park
Kasumiga Castle Park in Nihonmatsu Fukushima Prefecture is famous for its cherry blossom and is considered one of Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots. Kasumiga Castle Park is also the locat... |
| Mato Park
Mato Park, in Yokote Akita Prefecture, is famous for its cherry blossom and is considered one of Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots.... |
| Miharu Shidarezakura
Miharu Shidarezakura is a group of waterfall style cherry blossom trees in the town of Miharu in Fukushima Prefecture. Miharu is one of the few locations where cherry, plum and peach trees a... |
| Senshu Park
Senshu Park, in Akita Akita Prefecture, is the site of ruins of Akita Castle. Senshu Park features many flowering plants: Lotus on the moat (early Summer), Azaleas and cherry blossom in Spri... |
| Shirakami-Sanchi
Shirakami-Sanchi is a forest park in the mountains of northern Honshu which contains a virgin cool-temperate forest of Siebold's beech trees once common in northern Honshu. The forest is hom... |
| Takamatsu Park
Takamatsu Park, in Morioka Iwate Prefecture, is most famous for its cherry blossom and is considered one of Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots.... |
| Tenshochi Park
Tenshochi Park, in Kitakami Iwate Prefecture is famous for its 10,000 cherry blossom trees and is considered one of Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots.... |
| Tsuruga Castle Park
Tsuruga Castle Park, in Aizu Wakamatsu Fukushima Prefecture, is most famous for its cherry blossom being considered one of Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots. Tsuruga Castle Park also feat... |
| Tsuruoka Park
Tsuruoka Park, in Tsuruoka Yamagata Prefecture, is most famous for its cherry blossom being considered one of Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots. Tsuruoka Park also contains the ruins of T... |
TOHOKU ONSEN |
| Dai Roten Buro
Dai Roten Buro (Great Outdoor Spa) is an outdoor public onsen (spa) in the famous onsen village, Zao Onsen in Yamagata Prefecture.... |
 | Kamiyu Onsen
Kamiyu Onsen (means upper hot spring) is an indoor public onsen (spa) in the famous onsen village, Zao Onsen in Yamagata Prefecture.... |
 | Kawarayu Onsen
Kawarayu Onsen (means along the river hot spring) is an indoor public onsen (spa) in the famous onsen village, Zao Onsen in Yamagata Prefecture.... |
 | Shimoyu Onsen
Shimoyu Onsen (means lower hot spring) is an indoor public onsen (spa) in the famous onsen village, Zao Onsen in Yamagata Prefecture.... |
TOHOKU AIRPORTS |
| Sendai Airport
Sendai Airport (IATA: SDJ, ICAO: RJSS) is an international airport, but most traffic using the airport are domestic flights. Sendai Airport is 13km to the south east of central Sendai in Nat... |
TOHOKU TRAIN STATIONS |
 | JR Matsushima Kaigan Station
JR Matsushima Kaigan Station is the main JR station servicing Matsushima on the line connecting to Sendai.... |
 | Sendai Station
Sendai Station is a major station and one of the busiest train stations outside the greater area of Tokyo. Sendai Station, in the center of Sendai city in Miyagi Prefecture, it services both... |
TOHOKU SHOPPING |
 | LoFT Sendai
LoFT Sendai is one in a chain of LoFT shopping centres (malls) found through Japan. LoFT Sendai is in Sendai, opposite Sendai Station.... |
 | PARCO Sendai
PARCO Sendai is one in the chain of PARCO department stores found through Japan. The first PARCO department store opened in Tokyo in 1953. PARCO Sendai is in Sendai, next to Sendai Station.... |
