Tohoku

Tohoku occupies the northern third of Honshu above the Kanto region and covers approximately 66,800 square kilometers (about 18% of Japan’s land area) with a population of roughly 8.3 million — making it one of the country’s least densely populated areas. The Ou Mountain Range runs down the spine of the region, dividing it into three climatically distinct zones: the Pacific coast to the east, the Sea of Japan coast to the west, and the Sanriku coast along the Pacific in the northeast. Tohoku is known for its rugged countryside, towering mountains, pristine lakes, prolific onsen, high-quality rice and notoriously harsh winters.

Tohoku’s summer festivals are among Japan’s most spectacular. The region’s “Big Three” — Aomori’s Nebuta Matsuri, Akita’s Kanto Matsuri, and Sendai’s Tanabata Matsuri — draw millions of spectators each year. Other major festivals include Morioka’s Sansa Odori drum festival, Yamagata’s Hanagasa Matsuri, and winter celebrations like Yokote’s Kamakura (snow hut) Festival in Akita and the Zao Juhyo (snow monster) illuminations in Yamagata.

Sendai, the prefectural capital of Miyagi, is Tohoku’s largest city and the region’s main transportation and cultural hub. Nearby Matsushima Bay, with its more than 260 pine-clad islets, ranks among Japan’s Three Most Scenic Views. Iwate’s Hiraizumi, once the capital of the Northern Fujiwara clan in the 12th century, preserves the golden Konjikido hall at Chuson-ji Temple and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.