Northern Japan tour

Planet

This Small Group Tour makes the most of shared transport, including a private bus for seven days of the journey and ferries to reach Sado Island. A tub boat ride on Sado Island is a highlight for many!

75% of inbound overnight stays in Japan in 2024 were in just 6 of Japan's 47 prefectures. On this trip, apart from the stays in Tokyo at the start and end, all of the overnight stays are outside of those top six. Towns, cities and places of natural beauty in the Tohoku area are far less busy than the Honshu main sights. Explore underground chambers and limestone formations of the Yugendo caves, and the wetlands of Izu Numa, home to 35 species of dragonfly thriving across the marsh.

People

In Tohoku, English is rarely spoken and tourism remains rare. Your Insider guide will connect you with communities along the way, and together you’ll have a go at some of the cooking and crafts that define this region’s culture. Cook hattojiru soup and mochi rice cakes with the women’s group of Izu Numa, learn from a family who have been making tatami mats for generations, and try your hand at traditional papermaking. Staying at Japanese inns and eating at small, family-owned restaurants ensures your visit supports the people who live here, helping northern communities thrive.

Kesennuma was hit hard by the 2011 tsunami. A local storytelling guide will take you to a former school, now the City Memorial Museum. Water rose high enough to hurl a car through a third-floor window. While sad, the museum aims to be hopeful, with life returning to the local area - there’s an excellent sake brewery you must try!