The wild north: snapshots of life and landscapes in Tohoku, Japan

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.

In the far north of Tohoku, in Aomori prefecture, snowfall comes early and the ground is usually carpeted white by the beginning of November. Festivals like Hirosaki Castle Snow Lantern Festival see ornate ice sculptures spring up across the city, as well as glowing lanterns, beautifully decorated. Slightly further south, towards the east coast, lies the start of the Michinoku Coastal Trail, and a poignant example of the regeneration of Tohoku since the 2011 tsunami wreaked havoc on the region. This 620-mile path opened in 2019 and follows the coastline all the way to Soma in Fukushima.

Tsurunoyu Ryokan’s rotenburo (outdoor bath) is the most famous in the area. The historic inn, nestled deep in the mountains of Akita prefecture, dates back more than 300 years and is open year-round for a small admission fee. Preserving historical legacies is hugely important in Japan, and elsewhere in Akita, Gojome Town has seen the successful restoration of a 135-year-old kominkan (cultural centre), bringing the community together.

Hachinohe’s Enburi festival, held every February in this northern city to usher in the spring, is a dazzling riot of sights and smells. Professional groups perform beautiful, highly technical dances while parading through the streets, wielding props and wearing costumes in myriad colours. The Issei-Zuri part of the festival is particularly flamboyant, where dance troops congregate in downtown Hachinohe and all perform as one, while locals slurp their way through steaming bowls of chicken soup and watch on in wonder.

Kyuichiro Shiba has lived in the mountains all his life, learning to ski almost before he could walk. He’s the owner of Shiba Ski in Zao Onsen, and, when not manning the shop floor, can be found making the most of the spectacular nature on his doorstep.

In winter, Tohoku is full of snow monsters. As icy winds and torrents of snow rip through the region, fir trees freeze in fantastical shapes, making for otherworldy views from gondolas and chair lifts. Nowhere is the raw power of Mother Nature so stark than on these icy slopes, a reminder that Tohoku is defined by the elements.

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.

Kabuki, the traditional Japanese form of theatre that draws on a rich blend of music, dance and miming, can be traced back to the Edo period — and is still flourishing in Tohoku today. Costumes are both elaborate and colourful, enhancing the extraordinary showmanship for which kabuki is renowned. Oze Hinoemata Onsen, in Minami-Aizu, holds regular shows, performed on an outside stage and renowned across the region for their excellence, so any visit to this serene hot spring should be combined with a Kabuki performance.

Seasonal ingredients are highly valued in Tohoku. In spring in particular, fresh vegetables and seafood such as king prawns and abalone can be found in abundance, exquisitely presented at places like Wakaba Ryokan. This traditional inn is one of many in the city of Sakata, on the northwest coast, and a meal here must surely be followed by a dip in one of the steaming onsite onsens.

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 pine-covered islets of Matsushima Bay are one of the Three Views of Japan — a list of the country’s most celebrated sights, attributed to renowned 17th-century scholar Hayashi Gaho. A series of thin, scarlet bridges connecting the islands are crossed by both worshippers and travellers en route to the ornately carved Godaido Temple, first established in AD 828 and now a symbol of the prefecture.

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.

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.  

Ikuo Okazaki is a fifth-generation kokeshi wooden-doll maker from Yamagata, who skilfully whittles wood using the same techniques as his forefathers. These traditional Japanese dolls originate from the northeastern part of the country, and are still popular with children today. Ikuo's small workshop survived the 2011 tsunami unscathed, though many others in Yamagta weren't so lucky, with thousands of people temporarily displaced. Luckily, locals rallied, helping each other to rebuild their lives and it is this sense of unity that pervades the entire region of Tohoku today. 

Yamadera ('Mountain Temple'), officially named Risshaku-ji, is situated high up on Mount Hoju, 10 miles north of the city of Yamagata and reached via a staggering 1,015 steps. The ancient wooden structure comprises several buildings, including Godai-do, a 17th-century hall protruding from a rocky outcrop. Today, it’s used as an observation platform, offering sensational views across Yamadera village, the Tachiya valley and the mountain range that runs like a spine through Tohoku.

Teppanyaki is a popular style of Japanese cuisine, which uses an iron griddle over an open flame, giving meat a wonderfully smoky flavour. Iwate prefecture is known across Japan for the quality of its produce. When it comes to beef, cows are raised on the best feed and purest water, resulting in rich umami flavours and a certain sweetness in the marbling. Pork meanwhile, is succulent and intense, with fat often left on the meat to intensify the flavours. 

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