Tohoku is the northern half of Honshu: six prefectures of mountains, hot-spring villages, castle towns and a coastline that most overseas visitors skip. The bullet train reaches Sendai in about 90 minutes from Tokyo, but the quieter corners need a car or a slow local line.
This page lists every Tohoku guide published on this site, so you can see the whole region in one place instead of walking through paginated archives.
All Tohoku travel guides
Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle Travel Guide: Tsuruga Castle and the Castle Town — Aizu-Wakamatsu: Tsuruga Castle’s reconstructed keep, the castle town below it, and the sake and lacquer workshops nearby.
Dewa Sanzan Travel Guide: Haguro, Gassan, and Yudono — Dewa Sanzan: Haguro’s cedar stairway, Gassan’s summer climb, and Yudono — plus the limits that winter puts on all three.
Geibikei Gorge Travel Guide: A Boat Ride in Iwate — Geibikei Gorge in Iwate: a 90-minute poled boat ride between 100-metre limestone cliffs, 2026 fares, the winter kotatsu boat, and access from Ichinoseki.
Ginzan Onsen Travel Guide: Historic Hot-Spring Town in Yamagata — Ginzan Onsen: a riverside street of Taisho-era inns, the evening gaslights, and the bus that reaches the village.
Hachinohe and Tanesashi Coast Travel Guide: Aomori’s Pacific Edge — Hachinohe and the Tanesashi coast: the morning market, the seafood, and a rail line running along the Pacific.
Hiraizumi Travel Guide: UNESCO Temples and Gardens in Iwate — Hiraizumi: Chuson-ji’s golden hall, Motsu-ji’s garden, and the UNESCO sites spread around this small Iwate town.
Hirosaki Travel Guide: Castle Park, Cherry Blossoms, and the Old Town — Hirosaki: the castle park’s cherry trees, the old town around it, and the 1879 inn that still takes guests today.
Kakunodate Travel Guide: Samurai Streets and Weeping Cherries — Kakunodate: six open samurai houses, the weeping cherries of early May, and a 20-minute walk from the station.
Komine Castle Travel Guide: A Reconstructed Turret in Shirakawa — Komine Castle in Shirakawa: the reconstructed turret, the 2023 gate work, and the short walk up from the station.
Lake Towada Travel Guide: Oirase Stream, Autumn Colour and the Calm Side of Aomori — Lake Towada guide: the caldera lake, Yasumiya and Towada Shrine, the 2026 cruise, Oirase Stream, autumn colour, buses and where to stay.
Matsushima Travel Guide: Pine Islands and a Day from Sendai — Matsushima: the pine-covered islands across the bay, one of Japan’s three classic views, with temple walks and a day trip out of Sendai.
Nyuto Onsen Travel Guide: Mountain Baths near Lake Tazawa — Nyuto Onsen in Akita: the seven mountain inns, the milky water, and the bathing pass that links them near Lake Tazawa.
Oirase Gorge Travel Guide: Stream Walks toward Lake Towada — Oirase Gorge: the stream path toward Lake Towada, the seasonal access, and the buses that connect the two ends.
Ouchi-juku Travel Guide: A Thatched Post Town in Fukushima — Ouchi-juku: a 450-metre street of thatched post-town houses in Fukushima, the negi soba, the viewpoint, the snow festival, and how to reach it by train and bus.
Sendai Travel Guide: Gyutan, Jozenji-dori and the Gateway to Tohoku — Sendai in Miyagi: where gyutan came from, the Jozenji-dori zelkova avenue, Aoba Castle and Zuihoden, Tanabata and the winter pageant, plus access from Tokyo and….
Shirakami-Sanchi Travel Guide: Japan’s Primeval Beech Forest — Shirakami-Sanchi guide: the Juniko lakes and Aoike, the Anmon falls in 2026, the Shirakami-dake climb, access from Akita and Aomori, and where to stay.
Yamadera Travel Guide: The Mountain Temple above Yamagata — Yamadera: the stone-step climb to Risshakuji above Yamagata, the hall at the top, and the season to do it in.
Zao Onsen Guide: Snow Monsters, Skiing, and the Ropeway — Zao Onsen in Yamagata: the snow monsters, ropeway fares and hours, the 1,900-year-old sulphur baths, and how to get up the mountain in winter.
Other regions
- Hokkaido travel guides
- Kanto travel guides
- Chubu travel guides
- Kansai travel guides
- Chugoku travel guides
- Shikoku travel guides
- Kyushu travel guides
- Okinawa travel guides
Themed collections
- Japanese gardens — which garden suits which trip, grouped by garden type.
- Japan’s old towns — samurai streets, post towns and canal quarters.
Opening hours, fares and seasonal access change. Each guide lists the official sources used for that destination, with the date they were checked.
Photographs are credited inside each guide.
