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Jordy Meow

Ginzan Onsen, a hot spring town, was once a mining hotspot — around 400 years ago, silver was found here in abundance. Today, traditional wooden buildings line up prettily along the narrow river.

Iwakiyama Shrine, with its striking crimson gate, dates all the way back to the early Edo period, built in 1694 at the base of Mount Iwake in Aomori Prefecture. It is one of the most spiritual sites in the area, attracting a steady stream of pilgrims year-round, who come to drink sacred water from a small on-site basin watched over by a stone dragon.

Located in Miharu, in Fukushima prefecture, the waterfall-like Miharu Takizakura cherry tree is more than a thousand years old. As the sakura season approaches, its boughs sag under the weight of the blossom — an incredible spectacle that draws thousands of visitors to marvel from a series of wooden platforms set up around its base.

The buzzing, creative city of Koriyama lies in the heart of Fukushima prefecture. While parts of the area suffered as a result of the tsunami, the city has not only been rebuilt, it has blossomed in the 10 years since the disaster. Traditionally, Jizo statues are believed to protect babies and travellers and can be found, robed in red, throughout the country.

The magical Mototaki Falls are hidden deep in a woodland of beech and maple, on the northern side of Akita prefecture's Mount Chokai — the highest peak in Tohoku. Rising up from deep below the ground, and topped up with snowmelt from Chokai’s summit, the stream gurgles merrily downhill before cascading over moss-covered rocks.

At the foot of Mount Bandai, a cluster of five caldera lakes, known as Goshikinuma, ripple in the breeze. Each has a different hue, and the lakes change according to the seasons; in autumn, the water stands dark and brooding, with little row boats lined up along its shores. And from silent lake to steaming onsen, a short 45-minute drive away lies Tsuchiyu, a regenerated hot spring resort with a difference. Not only has it harnessed enough geothermal energy to power much of the town, but also to farm thousands of freshwater prawns. Visitor numbers, catastrophically low after the 2011 tsunami, are now soaring, with people travelling from far and wide to try the local prawn ramen. For more information on how to plan your trip to Tohoku, go to japan.travel