18 Best Sights in Tohoku, Japan

For walking among the splendid and vast virgin beech, pine, and cedar forests deep in the heart of Tohoku, you could not pick a better destination than Towada-Hachimantai National Park. The mountains afford sweeping panoramas over the park's gorges and valleys, crystal clear lakes like Towada-ko, gnarled and windswept trees, and volcanic cones. The park straddles Aomori, Iwate, and Akita prefectures, and sprawls over 330 square miles (855 square km). Hot springs and tiny villages lost in time are secreted here, and the fresh tree-scented air promotes a feeling of true wilderness. Most facilities are closed between mid-November and April and can be restricted due to bear activity.

A visit to this miso and soy sauce business, still located in the historic home of the Ando merchant family, is a treat for both the eyes and the taste buds. Beautiful seasonal flower arrangements and artifacts decorate the tatami rooms, while the unusual redbrick storehouse has some fine painted screens. Wander around and see what's in the storehouses. You can try the water they use to make their products flowing just outside the building and can find free miso soup and pickles to try inside.

Aomori might be on the water, but it is not a beach town. However, nestled in between the Wa-Rasse museum building and a showcase of Aomori's food and goods, called A-Factory, is a small, almost tongue-in-cheek, sandy beach utterly dominated by the giant bridge overhead. The beach is a good spot for a photo, and the adjacent A-Factory can be a good spot to pick up lunch or gifts to take home. Following the boardwalk, you can also access the Aspam building.

Fish, shellfish, preserved seaweed, and fish eggs—in short, all manner of marine organisms—are hawked by hundreds of vendors in this seafood market that has more than seafood. It's one block east of JR Aomori Station, in the basement level of a modern building with distinctive crimson pillars below the city library. You can also find a meal inside the market in what might be your most casual and haphazard—but certainly fresh—meal in Japan.

Thirty-three of the Soto Sect's Zen temples line up along Zenrin-gai (Zen Forest Street), at the end of which Chosho-ji temple punctuates the stand of trees. The Tsugaru clan's family temple was originally built in Ajigasawa in 1528 but was moved here in 1610 to protect Hirosaki Castle. The elaborate gate, meant to shake off greediness and complaining, is alone worth a visit. Five-hundred statues depicting Buddha's disciples, in a rare and very raw setting, each one with a unique face, guard the quiet temple building.

Just beyond the plaza and boat pier in Matsushima is a small temple originally constructed in 1609 at the behest of daimyo Masamune Date. The temple is on a tiny islet connected to the shore by two small arched bridges. Animals representing the zodiac are carved in the timbers and facing each sign's corresponding direction.

With an astonishing variety of artfully placed flowers and trees, shady groves, and streams made of repurposed moats, this expansive park is large and varied enough to get lost in. It's also a good place for a romantic walk. In 1597, the 26th Lord of Nambu had a fine castle built here, but that was all destroyed, leaving only the still impressive stone walls. (It was previously known as, simply, "Iwate Park," but you won't find it using Google maps without the new official name.)

Buses leave JR Tsuruoka Station and S-Mall in summer for the nearly two-hour trip (¥2,140) to the Gassan Hachigome stop. Make sure to check the schedules with the tourist information center as they change seasonally, don't necessarily run every day, and sometimes have expresses. From there you can hike three hours past the glaciers and wildflowers to the 6,500-foot summit of Gassan, literally Moon Mountain—the highest of the three holy Dewa mountains. From the top you can see the whole gorgeous gallery of mountains that is Yamagata, including one called Mt. Chokai—also known as Dewa Fuji for its perfect shape. These holy mountains, are, of course, littered with religious sites. It's not possible to climb without snowshoes and winter gear from November to late April or May.

The climb up Mt. Haguro begins at the red Zuishin Gate (Zuishin-mon), then goes up 2,446 or so stone steps to the summit. See if you can spot all the little engravings scattered here and there on the steps. The strenuous ascent cuts through ancient cedar trees that rise to dominate the sky. You'll pass a 14th-century pagoda before the steps. A tea shop is open in warmer months between late April through October. The trail is just over 1.7 km (about 1 mile) in all, and it may take you an hour or more to reach the 1,400-foot summit with its thatched-roof shrine, Dewa-Sanzan Jinja. Up to 12 buses a day make the 35-minute trip to Zuishin Gate and up to the peak of Haguro from JR Tsuruoka Station. It is possible to stay overnight on the mountain at the Sai-kan lodge, which is attached by a long stairway to Dewa-Sanzan Jinja.

One of the trio of Dewa peaks, 5,000-foot Yudono-san is generally the last on pilgrims' rounds. You can descend on foot in a few hours from Gassan, but it likely involves reading signs in Japanese, a bit of exertion, and slippery metal ladders, and you'll want to check with the tourist information folks about current conditions and the bus schedule. Very limited bus access allows you to make the 80-minute (¥5,000) run on weekends and holidays between Tsuruoka and Sen-nin-Zawa, a trailhead for a short climb to the summit, where you can make a small monetary donation and be purified in a secret ritual that you are forbidden to photograph or tell anyone about. Once cleansed, don't miss the last bus back down to Tsuruoka, which leaves at 5:20 pm. There is a Tsuruoka shuttle bus for tourists only in July and August that makes the trip; another summer bus does as well, but it is not an easily accessible spot.

An excellent—if a bit crowded—choice for a walk is this gorge northeast of the lake at Nenokuchi. The carefully tended trail follows a river and a series of waterfalls for a total of 9 km (5½ miles; about two hours 40 minutes). A two-lane road parallels the river, so if you get tired you can catch buses north to Aomori and south to Nenokuchi and Yasumiya, the location near the visitor center. Be prepared for cold mist or rain, pack ample snacks and water, and find out the bus schedule before you start out.

One of the few structures left standing in Sendai after World War II, this shrine houses the guardian deity of military families. As such, the shintai (the object of worship in a Shinto shrine that is believed to contain the spirit of a deity) has a history of being passed among Tohoku's ruling families. In 1607, local daimyo Masamune Date had it brought to Sendai. Nestled among trees is the elegant wooden structure, with bright-metal ornamentation over subdued black lacquer. The main building has been designated a National Treasure. It's in the northwest section of the city, about 45 minutes from the station by the Loople and 30 minutes from the Zuihoden area.

One of the country's largest archaeological sites, this features a reconstruction of a Jomon settlement that lasted for roughly 1,500 years, from 3500 to 2000 BC, giving people a bit of sanitized insight into what life was like here 5,500 years ago. After an extensive excavation, it was opened to the public and has attracted crowds of children on school outings, tourists from all over, and, of course, archaeology buffs. Its interactive approach encourages visitors to try their hand at making crafts and cuisine. There is also a chance an English-speaking volunteer guide will be on hand, but if you want a guarantee, English-language tours can be arranged if you call or email two weeks in advance.

The elevated vantage point over all of Sendai gives you an idea of why the Date dynasty chose the site as their castle, which they occupied for three centuries, but it also gives you a good reason to bundle up if you're heading there in winter. While the only thing that remains of what was also known as Aoba-jo (Aoba Castle) is the restored guardhouse, the grounds have become a kind of public park offering views over the city, the attractive Gokoku Jinja (Gokoku Shrine), but also a museum displaying armor and weapons used by Masamune Date, periodic events, as well as digital reconstructions of the castle in its heyday. To get here by bus, take the Sendai Loople and get off at the Sendai-jo Ato/Site of Sendai Castle.

The site of the now-ruined Kubota Castle, Senshu Park is a large, shady respite from the sun where cherry blossoms, lotus, and azaleas add color in season. Large koi carp swim lazily about the ponds and moats, white egrets stand like statues, and turtles bask in the sun. A reconstructed tower with an elevated lookout floor stands in the northwest corner of the park.

View the city of Sendai and the mountains for free from the observatory deck on the top floor of this 30-story skyscraper. Head into the building and take the elevators labeled Sky Shuttle, which go only to the 28th or 30th floors. The northern side of the building is a wedding facility you will pass on your way to the viewing area that is popular with teens.

The highlight is the strong, acidic water (which has a minor amount of radium). Gushing out at almost 2,400 gallons per minute, it's Japan's swiftest flow from a single spring. In the vicinity is another geothermal area in a national park where many enjoy a hot-rock bath. Take worn-out T-shirts and towels because they will get stained by the waters or even the steam (be careful also of reactive jewelry, such as copper or silver).

Thanks to its famous fall colors, Lake Towada welcomes a rumbling fleet of packed tour buses when the leaves begin to change. The lake fills a set of volcanic craters with a depth of up to 1,096 feet, making it the third deepest in Japan. The crater is held aloft like a giant goblet above the surrounding topography, giving it a dramatic illusory aspect. Boat tours let you float by the lovely landscape.