Yumoto is a town that have developed as a stage town, and the name means “hot is gushing”. Iwaki Yumoto onsen is one of the oldest onsens in Japan. There are many ryokans, Japanese traditional hotels, and Spa resort Hawaiians near the station. Yumoto is situated in Iwaki, a designated “core city”. Iwaki is also one of the growing number of hiragana cities in Japan. Iwaki is well-known as one of the most comfortable areas in Japan because it is situated in a temperate climate zone and has a moderate climate.

The hot spring in Yumoto is a tourist attraction that is known for their natural surroundings and nature induced hot springs. This is why every Ryokan in that area comes with a hot spring facility - accommodation in Yumoto is not a problem at all. The lake is a picturesque view out of a water painting. Up on the northern tip of the lake, the water is naturally warm. And as the lake flows, it falls down a steep cliff of 70 meters high called the Yudaki waterfall. Yudaki means hot waterfall but neither the waterfall or lake near it is warm. I suppose it’s just a name.

But Yumoto is easily one of the nicest place to visit in Japan.

More info: Japan Guide

I can’t wait till the sakura flowers bloom :)

It is one of the things I would like to do before I die, do a full hanami viewing with my loved ones. SIGH, Hirosaki is my #1 choice for Hanami spot btw.

Oirase Stream is a picturesque stream that runs through Oirase Valley. The stream starts from the small town of Nenokuchi, at the shores of Towadako Lake. There is a hiker’s trail that stretches 10km from Nenokuchi town, you’ll be able to have a nice view of the stream as you go along. The stream is accessible with cars as well, while there are pros to that, there is also cons whereby noise pollution can sometimes be an interference to the beautiful natural sounds of the stream.

During the autumn months, Oirase Stream comes alive with visitors who come to view its beautiful autumn foliages. This is also the time when the area can be congested with visitors. However, if you start the day early, you’ll be one of the early birds to catch the beautiful scenery that Oirase stream has to offer.

How to get to Oirase?

From Tokyo:

From Tokyo, the Oirase Valley is most conveniently accessed by JR Tohoku Shinkansen to Hachinohe, followed by a bus ride bound for Towadako. By Hayate Shinkansen (all seats reserved) the trip to Hachinohe takes about three hours and costs 15,350 Yen. The one way bus ride to Ishigedo by JR Bus takes another one and a half hour and costs 2,000 Yen. The Japan Rail Pass is valid on both shinkansen and the JR Bus.

From Aomori City:

From Aomori Station, there are several direct JR buses to the Oirase Valley each day. The one way ride to Ishigedo takes about two hours and costs 2,400 Yen. The Japan Rail Pass is valid on these JR buses.

(Fees and schedules are subject to change.)

Source: Japan Guide

Click on Tohoku region for more places to visit.

Hiraizumi (平泉町; -chou) is a town located in Nishiiwai District, Iwate, Japan. It was considered a cultural capital of northern Japan duing the Heian era.

During the Heian era, Hiraizumi was the northern capital of the Northern Fujiwara clan and is said to have rivalled Kyoto in splendor and sophistication, and has been called the “Kyoto of the North”.

Hiraizumi’s golden age lasted for nearly 100 years, but after the fall of the Fujiwaras the town sank back into relative obscurity, and most of the buildings that gave the town its cultural prominence were destroyed. When the poet Matsuo Bashō saw the state of the town in 1689 he penned a famous haiku about the impermanence of human glory:

Natsu kusa ya! / Tsuwamono-domo ga / yume no ato

Ah, summer grasses! / All that remains / Of the warriors dreams

However, the town’s historical monuments and sites are currently on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Site status, and archeological work is being carried out to support this claim.

Visit Hiraizumi’s most famous temple, Chusonji and also The Pure Land Garden at Motsuji temple.

How to get to Hiraizumi?

From Tokyo, take the JR Tohoku Shinkansen to Ichinoseki Station (make sure the train stops at Ichinoseki as only a few do). From Ichinoseki, take the local JR Tohoku Line for a 7 minute ride to Hiraizumi. The whole trip takes about three hours and costs 12,470 Yen one way.

*fees are subjected to change without notice

Source: Wikipedia; Japan Guide

Hirosaki used to be the political and cultural capital of the Tsugary Region in the Edo Period. It is still one of the culturally riches cities in the Tohoku region. Hirosaki’s main attraction is the Hirosaki Castle.

Hirosaki Castle (弘前城, Hirosaki-jō) is a 17th century Japanese castle located in Hirosaki city, Aomori prefecture, Japan. It was constructed in 1611 by the local Tsugaru clan. A three-storied castle tower, fortified moats, castle gates and some corner turrets (yagura) survive or have been reconstructed.

The surrounding Hirosaki Park is one of Japan’s most famous cherry blossom spots. Over a million people enjoy the park’s 2600 trees during the sakura matsuri (cherry blossom festival) when the cherry blossoms are in bloom, usually during the Japanese Golden Week holidays in the end of April and beginning of May.

Source: Japan Guide and Wikipedia

Other Tohoku Travel Links

Matsushima bay is known for it’s beautiful scenery. In fact, it is named as one of the top 3 most beautiful sceneries in Japan. The bay is dotted with pine growing islets and the water is turqoise blue at its best. The small town that’s in Matsushita is called Zuiganji, where it houses one of the most important Zen temples in the Tohoku region.

The main reason to visit Matsushima is to visit the scenic bay that’s dotted with over 200 islets. Two of the island’s open for public viewing, Oshima and Fukuurajima. The islets are close to the pier of Matsushima which is suitable for strolling around. The Oshima islet can be accessed for free but a fee applies to access Fukuurajima via a long red bridge.

Matsushima is located only half an hour by train from the Tohoku’s largest city Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture.

A well known Haiku about Matsushima created by Matsuo Bashō goes like this:

Matsushima ah, Matsushima!

Ah, Matsushima, ah!

Matsushima, ah!

Source: Japan Guide; Wikipedia

Kakunodate used to a castle town that is well known for its samurai district. It is also a beautiful place to visit during the cherry blossoms festival because the place is just simply breathtaking with dots of pink and white blossoms sprinkling at every corner.

The beautifully preserved samurai district is a sight to behold. The samurai houses that are open to public preserved a picture of the past. Each of the samurai houses have a wooden fence around it. and along it lines rows of oak trees as well as weeping cherry blossoms. If you can imagine it, it’s just stunning. In side these samurai houses are little museums showcasing artifacts from the past. The most famous samurai house is the Ishiguro Samurai House, which was the former residence of Kakunodate’s most highest ranked family.

Kakunodate is the most famous hanami spot. Almost 1 million visitor throng the township this time of the year to appreciate the sakura falls.

During the Edo Period (1603-1868), several weeping cherry trees from distant Kyoto were brought to Kakunodate, where local samurai families tried to outperform each other in cultivating the most beautiful trees. Today, the sight of the many weeping cherry trees (shidare zakura) can be enjoyed in the former samurai district.

It is no wonder why Kakunodate is the most beautiful spot for cherry blossom viewing. The competition between these samurais in the past brought us lots to favor today :)

How to get to Kakunodate?
Within Kakunodate, you can just travel by foot since everything is practically next to each other. As for getting to Kakunodate from Tokyo, visit Tokyo-Kakunodate for more details.

Source: Japan Guide

Tōhoku (東北, literally “East-North”) is the northeastern region of Japan’s Honshu island.

Generalities

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.

Prefectures and Regions

• Akita
• Aomori
• Fukushima
• Iwate
• Miyagi
• Yamagata

Cities

• Aomori
• Hiraizumi — historical site with several large temples
• Hirosaki — the cultural capital of the North
• Morioka
• Sendai — capital of Miyagi and the largest city in Tohoku. It enjoys the epithet Mori no Miyako, “The Forest City”, due to its dense tree lined thoroughfares and forested public areas.
• Yamagata

Other destinations

• Dewa Sanzan — three mountains holy to the ascetic cult of Shugendo
• Lake Towada
• Kinkazan — small island with a shrine and hiking trails
• Matsushima — one of Japan’s Three Great Views
• Mount Bandai
• Naruko — famous for its hot springs
• Oirase River Valley
• Shimokita Peninsula — featuring the scenic Yagen Valley as well as Mount Osore, the mythical entrance to Hell

Talk

Information in English tends to sparse in rural Tohoku, since foreign travellers are few in these parts; the positive side to this is that people will go out of their way to help you.

The rural Tohoku accent, known as zūzū-ben for its characteristic feature of turning all “s” sounds into “z”, can be difficult to comprehend at times even if you do understand Japanese. Younger people are, however, universally versed in school-standard hyōjungo.

Getting there

By plane

There are no major airports in Tohoku and most travellers arrive via Tokyo. Sendai and Akita airports do field some international flights, mostly to China and Korea.

By train

The Tohoku Shinkansen connects Tokyo to Mito, Sendai, Morioka and Hachinohe, with spur lines to Akita and Yamagata. It will take 2 hours from Tokyo to Sendai. The line remains under construction and is inching towards Aomori, from where it will eventually tunnel under the sea to Hokkaido.

By ferry

Ferry services connect ports in northern Tohoku to Hokkaido.

Get around

Tohoku is large and mountainous and getting around in the boondocks can be time-consuming.

By train

Rural train services in Tohoku, known as donko, are slow and infrequent — it’s not unusual to have waits of 2 or even 4 hours between trains. The scenery along the twisty mountain routes can be stunning though.

See & Do

Most visitors come to Tohoku for hiking, history and hot springs, not necessarily in that order. Highlights include the temples of Hiraizumi, the holy mountains of Dewa Sanzan and the secluded hot springs of the Shimokita Peninsula.

Eat & Drink

Tohoku has not made very many contributions to the Japanese culinary scene, although (as always in Japan) even the smallest hamlet will boast something it claims to be famous for. But in mountain regions you will certainly have a chance to sample sansai-ryōri, prepared from herbs and plants harvested from the forests and hillsides.

Unlike the shōchū-swilling south, Tohoku is sake country and manufactures some fine rice wines.

(Source: Wikitravel)