Tohoku Tabi: Itinerary
The itinerary that I planned for Tohoku is not a perfect and complete itinerary.
It’s a fast-paced budget melange that I carefully planned to maximize saving money while accomplishing my own personal goals to:
- Visit every prefecture in Tohoku.
Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate, Aomori, Akita, and Yamagata
- WWOOF on a farm.
WWOOF is an international network connecting local farmers with willing volunteers to work on their farms in exchange for food and board. It is a delightful way to connect with local families and experience daily life in rural Japan.
- Visit the Three Most Sacred sites in Tohoku.
Kinkasan Island in Miyagi
Osorezan (Mt. Osore) in Aomori
Climb Dewasan Zan (the Three Holy Mountains of Dewa) in Yamagata
- See the Three Most Famous Matsuris (Festivals) in Tohoku.
Nebuta Matsuri in Aomori
Kanto Matsuri in Akita
Tanabata Matsuri in Sendai
In some ways, I hesitate recommending exactly following the itinerary I created because I had some issues with it while on the road!
I felt burnt out from the pace, especially in the latter half of the trip when the matsuris were happening back to back and we also needed to climb three mountains in between them! I also sometimes felt like I allotted too much or too little time in one area. I wish I had stayed longer on the farm and spent less time in the Shimokita Peninsula.
But, I spent a lot of time making this itinerary in the months leading up to the trip and am proud of the planning that went into this labour of wanderlust.
If you are:
- planning a trip to Tohoku during the summer
- wanting to experience daily life on a farm and connect with local people and their community
- a nature-lover and avid hiker
- a gourmand who loves eating and trying different regional foods
- curious and intrigued by the spiritual ancestry of Tohoku
- keen to learn about Japanese culture and history through festivals and sightseeing
Simply, if you are eager to experience Japan in the most tangible way possible, give my itinerary, or sections of it, a try! Traveling around Tohoku has been one of the most adventurous and inspirational trips that I’ve been on while in Japan. I’d be so happy if my itinerary gave you some inspiration to travel Tohoku as well!
AliのTabi’s Tohoku Itinerary 2018
| Date | Location | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| July 17 | Soma, Fukushima | WWOOF |
| July 18 | Soma, Fukushima | WWOOF |
| July 19 | Soma, Fukushima | WWOOF |
| July 20 | Soma, Fukushima | WWOOF |
| July 21 | Soma, Fukushima | WWOOF |
| July 22 | Morioka, Iwate | Train Travel to Morioka Eat Morioka Cold Ramen |
| July 23 | Morioka, Iwate | Day trip to Hiraizumi to see Chuson-ji, Golden Temple |
| July 24 | Lake Towada, Aomori | Transfer at Hachinohe station, eat Senbei Jiru Relax at Lake Towada |
| July 25 | Lake Towada, Aomori | Explore Lake Towada lake front |
| July 26 | Lake Towada, Aomori | Hike Oirase River |
| July 27 | Mutsu, Aomori | Towada Contemporary Art Museum Train travel to Mutsu city on the Shimokita Peninsula |
| July 28 | Mutsu, Aomori | Daytrip to Osorezan |
| July 29 | Aomori, Aomori | Train travel to Aomori Relax |
| July 30 | Aomori, Aomori | Sannai-Maruyama Archeological Site Aomori Museum of Art |
| July 31 | Aomori, Aomori | Day trip to Shirakami Sanchi, primeveal Beech forest |
| August 1 | Aomori, Aomori | Relax Day Nebuta Pre-Matsuri |
| August 2 | Aomori, Aomori | Nebuta Festival NO HOTEL ROOM! |
| August 3 | Yokote, Akita | Hirosaki Castle Kanto Matsuri in the evening |
| August 4 | Hagurosan, Yamagata | Climb Hagurosan Stay overnight at Saikan Temple |
| August 5 | Tsuruoka, Yamagata | CANCELLED plans to climb Gassan and Yudonosan due to thunderstorm ALTERNATIVE Daytrip to Sakata city |
| August 6 | Sendai, Miyagi | Tanabata Festival |
| August 7 | Sendai, Miyagi → Tokyo | Train back HOME |
I’ve written in a bit of a short-hand for this itinerary. If anything is unclear, please feel free to ask any questions or just comment to chat about travel!