Sightseeing & Nature– category –

Somewhere in the mountains of Yamagata Prefecture, skiers are gliding down freshly carved powder turns as wildflowers bloom on the ridgelines above them — and it’s the middle of July. This isn’t a hallucination, and it’...

Imagine a small, gently chugging diesel train winding through emerald valleys and across soaring river bridges, while tendrils of morning mist curl up from the glassy surface of the Tadami River below. This isn’t a scene from a dre...

Rising 2,038 meters (6,686 feet) above the fertile plains of Iwate Prefecture, Mount Iwate is the largest volcano in Tohoku and one of the most iconic mountains in northeastern Japan. From the green fields of nearby Koiwai Farm — Japan&#...

Most visitors to Aomori Prefecture head straight for the Nebuta Festival in Aomori City — and while that spectacle is undeniably incredible, they’re missing something equally remarkable just 40 minutes down the train line. Hirosaki...

Every spring, while the rest of the world rushes to Tokyo and Kyoto for cherry blossoms, a quieter, more spectacular miracle unfolds 300 miles to the north. In Tohoku — Japan’s northeastern region — the sakura season arrives two to...

If you’re traveling to Japan and you love dogs — truly love them — then Odate is a pilgrimage site you simply cannot miss. This small city in northern Akita Prefecture is the birthplace of the Akita Inu, one of the world’s mo...

Deep in the mountains where Aomori and Akita Prefectures meet, covering a vast sweep of ancient highland, lies one of the last great wild places in East Asia. Shirakami-Sanchi (白神山地) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that preserves the...

Imagine gliding along the rugged Sea of Japan coastline as dramatic cliffs plunge into sapphire-blue water, while ancient beech forests cling to mountains that have stood untouched for millennia — all from the comfort of a beautifully de...

Let’s be honest: Fukushima is the most unfairly judged travel destination in all of Japan. Mention the name to most Westerners and you’ll see a flicker of worry — visions of disaster zones and lingering radiation. But here...

What if we told you that one of Japan’s most exciting contemporary art destinations isn’t in Tokyo, Osaka, or Kyoto — but tucked away in a quiet regional city in Aomori Prefecture, surrounded by some of Tohoku’s most br...