Regions
Six Prefectures, One North
Tohoku's six prefectures each carry a distinct character — shaped by geography, history, and centuries of quiet craft. Explore them one by one.
The Edge of the North
Aomori
Japan's northernmost Honshu prefecture: primeval forests, a festival of illuminated giants, and wild coastlines where the Pacific meets the Sea of Japan.
Where Gold and Iron Endure
Iwate
Home to a 900-year-old golden hall and a 400-year tradition of ironwork, Iwate holds some of Japan's deepest cultural history — almost entirely undiscovered.
Gateway to Tohoku
Miyagi
Sendai — Tohoku's principal city — anchors a prefecture that also contains Matsushima Bay, one of Japan's three supreme landscapes, and remarkable coastal fisheries.
Deep Snow, Ancient Sake
Akita
Cold winters and pure snowmelt have made Akita one of Japan's foremost sake prefectures. Inland, a samurai district survives intact beneath weeping cherry trees.
Mountains, Minerals and Mastery
Yamagata
Ginzan Onsen's lantern-lit ryokan, Zao's winter ice monsters, and Yamadera's mountain temple make Yamagata one of Tohoku's most complete destinations.
Resilience and Natural Splendour
Fukushima
The Aizu region preserves one of Japan's finest samurai castle towns, while the Bandai Highlands offer volcanic lakes and an expansive highland plateau.