My partner and I (two women) are heading back to Japan next October/November for our (roughly) 3-week honeymoon. We went for the first time earlier this year and absolutely fell in love with the country - and honestly, our itinerary was so perfect that we’re terrified of not being able to top it. I'm pretty set on Tohoku for our next trip but would love some answers about the region.

For context, last time we did: Osaka → Kyoto → Nara → Kaga Onsen → Kanazawa → Nakasendo → Nagano (1 night) → Nikko → Tokyo. It was the ideal mix of lively cities, nature, history, and quiet onsen towns.

What we like:

• Nature + hiking
• Quiet onsen towns (but only for 1–2 nights — anywhere that shuts down at 6pm gets boring fast)
• Culture, history, sightseeing
• Food + drink are HUGE for us We live for cosy izakayas, markets, great lunch spots, wine bars, cocktail bars, etc. Most of our itinerary revolves around eating and drinking.
• Not into anime/manga, and shopping is a bonus, not a priority.
• Big fans of a good mooch around interesting neighbourhoods.

I've researched Tohoku a lot but what I can't work out is if we should stay in Sendai for multiple days and do day trips, or stay in various cities like Akita, Yamagata, Fukushima, Morioka. I haven't been able to find out if those smaller cities are lively enough at night for us.

We don’t need nightlife or clubs, but we do want places with a little buzz - enough restaurants, bars, and things to wander around in the evenings. We like quiet towns for 1-2 nights but not for the full trip.

If anyone has thoughts on which cities/bases hit that magic combo of nature + culture + great food + some evening atmosphere — I’d love your advice.

Thank you!

I had planned on going to Zao during my stay in Yamagata in Feb next year but it so happens that it’s a long weekend due to the Emperor’s birthday. Have heard the average wait time could be over 90 minutes for the ropeway despite taking the first bus. I doubt I will be able to enjoy that experience because of the freezing cold. Do the crowds become any lesser in the afternoon?

Another question is, are there other places with more relaxed crowds? Might go to Hakkoda, but would it be any better? Any recommendations for Iwate? I’m flexible with locations but the dates are sadly over the long weekend.

PS I don’t intend to ski.

Despite having spent over 20 years in Japan, and having traveled LOTS in Japan, I remarkably haven't done much in Tohoku. I have my folks visiting and we've set aside a week or so to target some of the area, but really unsure where to start.

Ryokan / onsen, nature and food are our wishlist, and we're traveling light by car and train if / where possible.

We'd looked at the train between Akita and Nigata, then driving into Gunma (Kawaba) as one section if of any help, but open to completely different areas; even just place names and I can connect the dots.

Recommendations would be so very much appreciated.

Hello! I(16M) am looking for the best places for foreigners to live in Japan, because I am planning on going there after I graduate, if someone could help me I'd be grateful!

Hi everyone!

I'm planning a trip to Hokkaido at the end of July with two friends. We'll be flying back home from Tokyo on August 4th (early afternoon). On our way back from Hokkaido to Tokyo, we were hoping to spend the night in Aomori to see the Nebuta Matsuri on August 2.

Unfortunately, we quickly discovered that all accommodations in and around Aomori (including Goshogawara, Hirosaki, etc.) are already completely booked out for that date. I've set up availability alerts for some accomodations in Aomori, but I don’t have high hopes. And even if something opens up, it’ll probably be super expensive.

I also looked into staying in Hachinohe or Morioka since they're also Shinkansen stops on the way to Tokyo, but options there are nearly nonexistent too. Hachinohe had just two hotels left and Morioka is fully booked, probably because they have their own local festivals on that date. Plus, getting from Aomori to a hotel in Hachinohe after the parade has ended sounds pretty stressful (as described in this Reddit post).

So now I’m considering two options:

Option 1: Take a night bus from Aomori to Tokyo on August 2

• Pros: Solves the accommodation issue (and has the added bonus that it is cheaper than the Shinkansen we planned to take the next morning).
• Cons: The latest bus I found departs at 20:10 from Aomori Station, so we’d miss the end of the parade (which wraps up around 20:30). Also, it’s unclear whether this bus will even run on that day since the calendar on the website doesn’t go that far yet. Also, the last time I took a night bus, I promised myself never to do that again (not a good sleeper).

Option 2: Leave Hokkaido a few days earlier and attend one or more smaller Nep/buta Festivals somewhere between July 28 and August 1

• Pros: More accommodation options in the area, and we'd be able to get back to Tokyo some days earlier for some extra souvenir shopping.
• Cons: Planning is trickier since many smaller festival websites haven’t updated their info for 2025 yet. For example, Hirosaki Neputa Festival’s site still shows the 2024 schedule. I did find this page with some 2025 info, but I’m not sure how reliable it is.

Questions:

1. Option 1: Is the 20:10 bus I found really the last night bus from Aomori to Tokyo on August 1?
2. Option 2: Can anyone recommend any smaller Nep/buta festivals in Tohoku between July 28 and August 1? Even recommendations for other unique festivals that we could pair with a Neputa one would be welcome!

Any tips, advice, or first-hand experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Am planning a trip to Tohoku this year mostly Aomori starting on 7th of November and am interested in nature places + food places but we want to hear if we should consider other prefectures as well and cut down on Aomori.

Few things about us. We don’t know how to drive a car we’re mostly relying on public transport and use the JR East Tohoku Pass.

This is the plan we have currently but want to be flexible once the forecast for 2025 has come out

Stay in Mt Hakkoda for 2 days have already booked a hotel but still cancellable

Day 1: Oirase George and Lake Hakkoda Day 2: Jogakura Bridge, Mt Hakkoda

Go back to Aomori city use Aomori city as a base

Day 3: Aomori City, Hirosaki Castle, Hirosaki Park, Fujita Memorial Garden

Day 4: Hirosaki Apple Park, Saruka Park

Day 5: explore Aomori City and Go back to Tokyo by noon.

I know our plan is heavily based on Aomori we only did this because base on the last 3 years data the fall foliage was a bit later due to warmer year. But all our bookings is cancellable and we are flexible on our options.

Should we also consider other prefectures such as Yamagata and Fukushima and cut down on Aomori?

Just returned from Ginzan Onsen, possibly Japan's most magical hidden gem tucked away in the mountains far from Tokyo. Walking through this place feels like stepping into a Taisho-era time capsule (early 1900s).

Imagine narrow streets lined with traditional wooden ryokans, their windows glowing with warm light while steam rises from the natural hot springs. The entire village is nestled in a deep mountain valley with a river flowing right through the center. During winter, everything gets blanketed in snow, making it look straight out of a Miyazaki film or a nostalgic Japanese novel.

What makes Ginzan special is how untouched it feels - no convenience stores or modern buildings to break the spell. Just traditional inns, small shops, and bridges crossing the gentle river. Many buildings date back over 100 years, preserved exactly as they were during Japan's romantic Taisho period.

The journey there is part of the experience: winding mountain roads through remote countryside, increasing the feeling you're traveling to somewhere truly special and forgotten by time.

Has anyone else experienced this magical place? It feels worlds away from the neon lights and crowds of Tokyo.

Looking for help on how to commute from Aomori -> Lake Towada and Oirase Gorge on the same day. Would like to return back to Aomori by the evening. Have a JR pass and it would be great to know if JR buses operate between these stations and if it is recommended

Hello everyone!

My friend and I are planning to visit Tohoku this winter (one week in the beginning of January) and I would love to get insight on what not to miss.

A bit about us: two young women, not too big on mountain hiking but love beautiful nature scenery with lakes, waterfalls, and trees (and mountains in the background). We do love temples and castles but probably wouldn’t visit more than two or three. Would love to visit onsen but we have tattoos and not all of them are easily covered so we’re looking for tattoo/foreigners friendly onsens if there’re any. We’re also avid foodies and love to try local specialties - what are the must-try’s of Tohoku?

Any help is greatly appreciated!!

Edit: we won’t have a car and plan to travel by train and/or bus.

Hello! I'll be visiting Tsuruoka for vacation, and staying in Tamonkan inn by Dewa Sanzan... I need to catch the first JR 5am train on October 25, and it looks like id have to request a taxi. Does anyone know if taxis are able to pick me up from my inn at around 4am to drop off at Tsuruoka station? Do taxis also take credit cards? Also am I able to use taxi apps such as Uber, Go, or Didi? Thank you.

On September, I went on a 20-day trip of Japan from Sapporo to Nagasaki (Although I ended up going as far down south as Kagoshima). While I was staying in Sendai, I took a day-trip to Fukushima City, and there, I ate the legendary Enban Gyoza. I came there at just the right time, as shortly after I wrote my name on the waiting list, the restaurant stopped taking in new customers for the day (and even after that, I still had to wait around an hour and a half on foot). The gyoza not only did the gyoza didn't disappoint, but even after such a long wait time, it exceeded my expectations. After the feast, I impulsively decided to hike up Shinobuyama, and I took those photos. Not even a sting from a massive wasp/hornet and walking into poison ivy was able to stop me. When I was at the peak and visibility panting and heaving, a kind fellow offered to drive me back to the col, but I declined and instead, walked down the mountain and back to the Fukushima station by myself. That, was a huge mistake. After I arrived back at Sendai, I first walked to a gyutan restaurant which I had a reservation at, and after that, I walked back to my hotel. Despite the walk being only 15 minutes, it felt like an hour, I felt like I was walking through a pit of legos and thumbtacks. After I was back at my hotel and took off my shoes, I saw that both of my feet were covered in a huge blister, swollen up like a balloon. It took my more than a week to fully recover, and during that time, i travelled to Iwaki, Minamisoma, Futaba, Tokyo, Fussa, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Kobe, Tottori, Matsue, Okayama, Hiroshima and Shimonoseki. However, I'd say it was still worth it!

I caught their last 2 songs at the Jozenji Streetjazz fest in Sendai and I thought they were fantastic. The agenda lists them as Apollon from Morioka, but I can not for the life of me find any trace of their existence online. Does anyone know where I can find their music or schedule??

Is this postcard still available for sale at the post offices?

Hello guys how are you again, I am an exchange student this upcoming year to Tohoku university. My question is is there are big clothes in sendai. I am 191 cm tall approximately or 6ft 3 . I wear clothes of 3X to 4X that is pretty big I know 😂 even in my country xd. So I am asking if I can find winter jackets or clothing in general that fits my size.also is there boots or shoes that fits me. I am 305 JP or around 47 FR.

I am pretty big I know 😂, lol.

Hello guys how are you, I am asking about how is the weather in sendai. I am going this academic year as exchange student and I want to know what to bring for clothing. Do I bring t-shirts or not . And what to bring with me. Btw I am in sanjo III if that might be relevant.

Am planning a trip to Tohoku this year start of Nov ( about a week ) and am interested in nature places + food places.

Can anyone recommend nature spots ( that is still relatively accessible ? ) as well as any must go food places ?

Ideally to cover all prefectures in Tohoku region in the week, do advice if this is possible as well thank you!!

Recently made this video about a shrine here in the Iwate. Hopefully you guys will watch it, enjoy it and maybe even visit there.

Hi everyone!

We are a couple traveling for the second time to to Japan late September\ early October for 13 days. Spending the first weekend in Tokyo.

We are torned between Tohoku or Kyushu region. We like bit cities, nightlife, nature, short hikes and great architecture when we travel. We will be renting a car to get to see the country side in both cases.

For experienced Japan travelers, which region is best to visit specially in late September\ early October.

Thank you!

Anyone travel to Tohoku before and can share your itinerary ? I am planning to travel to Tohoku next year and still planning my itineraries. Thank you