Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
The 2446 stone steps through ancient cedars to Haguro-san's summit (419m) have been smoothed by centuries of pilgrims. The climb, taking up to two hours,…
Must-see attractions in Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Accessible from July to September, Gas-san (1984m) is the highest of Dewa Sanzan's sacred mountains. From Hachigōme (八合目; eighth station) the route passes…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Accessible from May to October, Yudono-san (1504m) is the spiritual culmination of the Dewa Sanzan trek. Coming from Gas-san it's a short walk from the…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
The 'Temple of Standing Stones', more commonly known as Yamadera, rests atop a rock-hewn staircase weathered over the centuries by unrelenting elements…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
High in the hills above Kesennuma, this local art museum houses the largest collection of photographs and artefacts in existence relating to the 2011…
Kakunodate Cherry-Bark Craft Center
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Inside this elegant building you'll find exhibits and demonstrations of kabazaiku, the craft of covering household or decorative items in fine strips of…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
The under-visited beach at Shirahama (白浜) is a real find for open-water swimmers and beach bums due to its clear-blue water, shallow entry and…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Jagged, green-fringed cliffs plunge into the deep-blue Pacific Ocean along this 8km stretch of coastline known as the Kitayamazaki coast. Stunning in…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Postcard-perfect Jodogahama ('pure land beach') sits on a sheltered inlet surrounded by jagged white-stone outcrops backed by deep-green pines. Walking…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
This 6km scenic stretch of rocky coastline and picturesque beaches around Ōfunato is home to a number of geological attractions, including Ranboya Gorge,…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Tōhoku’s finest Zen temple, Zuigan-ji was established in AD 828. The present buildings were constructed in 1606 by Date Masamune to serve as a family…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Akita's most famous artwork, Tsuguharu Foujita's Events of Akita, is reputed to be the world's largest canvas painting, measuring 3.65m by 20.5m and…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
The world's largest jellyfish tank – containing 30 to 40 species at any one time – was given a spark by a Nobel Prize–winning scientist who discovered a…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Beyond the giant red torii of this shrine, ancient tradition (and stern-faced priests) forbids disclosure of what you witness. It's forbidden to…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Seven kilometres west of Tsuruoka is this Zen Buddhist temple, complete with five-tier pagoda and large gateway. It dates from the 10th century, when it…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
More than 70,000 pine trees lined the coastline around Rikuzen-takata until 2011, when all but one were destroyed in the tsunami. That tree, known as the…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Locals flock to this lush, leafy oasis on sunny days. The grounds were originally home to Akita's castle, built in 1604, which was destroyed with other…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Date Masamune constructed this small wooden temple in 1604. Although it stands on an island in the bay, connected to the mainland by two short bridges, it…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Legend has it that long ago, a local maiden, Tatsuko, believing that the spring water would make her beauty last forever, drank so much that she turned…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
On the eastern edge of Aizu is Iimori-yama, the mountain where the White Tigers (Byakkotai) samurai killed themselves during the civil war of 1868. You…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
In the 19th century there were dozens of fiery kilns lining the Hazukashi-gawa, turning out beautiful bluish-grey mottled pottery pieces known as nashi…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Rows of Hinamatsuri dolls welcome visitors to this centuries-old brewery overseen by one of the oldest families in Akita Prefecture. Andō makes soy sauce…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
If you can't make it to town for the Kantō Matsuri pole lantern festival, this small museum is the next best thing. The highlight is a large hall with…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
This pavilion was presented to the Date family by the daimyō (domain lord) Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the late 16th century. It served as a genteel venue for…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
This popular manga museum's other-worldly spaceship structure survived the tsunami largely intact, while the collection has since been restored and…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Halfway up Iimori-yama, Sazae-dō is a weird and wonderful hidden gem in a Buddhist temple complex. Built in 1796 the 16.5m-high hexagonal wooden structure…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
The towering 1965 reconstruction of Tsuruga-jō sits in sprawling grounds framed by the original moat and some ruins of the old castle walls. Inside is a…
Miyagi Sant Juan Bautista Museum
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
A full-scale replica of the Spanish-style Japanese-made ship Sant Juan Bautista, commissioned by Date Masamune in 1613 as part of a diplomatic mission to…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
In the hills above Ishinomaki, 56m above sea level, this beautiful park stands on the site of the former Ishinomaki castle. Offering sweeping views over…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Founded in 1950 by the former Lord Shōnai in order to preserve local culture, this museum features Sakai-family artefacts, two Meiji-era buildings, a…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
At the peak of Gas-san is the deeply spiritual Shintō shrine of Gassan-jinja. Before entering you must be 'purifed': bow to receive the priest's…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Built in 1809 as the residence of the Ishiguro family, advisers to the Satake clan, this is one of the oldest buildings in the samurai district…
Historical Obata ('NK Agent') Building
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
This building featured in the 2009 Academy Award–winning Best Foreign Language film, Okuribito (おくりびと; Departures). You can't go in, but you'll see stills…
Yamatogawa Sake Brewing Museum
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Step into the Yamatogawa Sake Brewing Museum to peek inside a kura (mud-walled storehouse) that dates from 1790 and, until 20 years ago, functioned as a…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
The restored Aoyagi family compound is impressive in its own right, but inside each well-maintained structure is a fascinating exhibition of family…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
This is a superb reconstruction of the yashiki (villa) of Saigō Tanomo, the Aizu clan’s chief retainer. Wander through the 38 rooms, which include a…
Minami-Sanriku Crisis Management Centre
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
The steel shell is all that remains of this three-storey building, standing alone in what once was central Minami-Sanriku. It has been preserved by the…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Opposite the city hall, this private home once belonged to a wealthy shipping agent. With a beautiful garden and a fascinating variety of room divisions…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
In the hills above Kamaishi, this enormous (48.5m) statue of the Goddess of Mercy has witnessed much tragedy below, but remains a source of hope for…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Once the opulent headquarters of Akita Bank, this brick structure built in 1912 is now a local history museum. On the top floor you'll find beautiful…
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