Japan undiscovered north vacation

Planet

Getting around by Shinkansen, express train, local bus and cable car means you feel a part of Japanese life rather than insulated from it. Speed north from Tokyo on the Shinkansen to Sendai – the gateway city to Tohoku, and back again from the well-preserved samurai town of Kakunodate to Tokyo. It’s the fastest way to link Japan’s more rural north with its capital without flying. No car rental costs or worries, you can sit back and watch as the scenery shifts from built-up capital to trees and coastline.

You move between Tohoku stops by Shinkansen and express trains, then switch to local buses when things get more remote – not only does it make the most sense logistically, it’s one of the best ways to take in the forest and coastal views.

You’ll slow right down along the Michinoku Coastal Trail, a shoreline dotted with wildflowers and big ocean views. A guide will take you through the Oirase Gorge, where cascading waterfalls feed clear streams. It’s a more natural side of Japan few international visitors reach.

Behind the scenes, every booking feeds the Impact Fund, backing long-term nature and community work linked to where we operate. We track and report where it goes.

People

Traveling north from Tokyo, you’re instantly stepping away from the popular Golden Route, and into a largely under-visited region of Japan. In Tohoku, tourism is actively welcomed by local people, and it really is a beautiful part of the country. The coastline feels wild, you can walk through forests unlikely to meet other tourist along the way and there are towns where you genuinely feel like you’ve stepped back in time, like Kakunodate. Here, streets are flanked by black wooden fences and preserved samurai homes – a couple still lived in by the descendants of samurai warriors. You could literally bump into a samurai’s family member!

Festivals are a big part of Japan’s cultural identity, and each region and town have their own specific traditions. In Hirosaki, you’ll learn to make your own lantern using the festival paintings from last year. And, if you travel in August, you may get to see the Nebuta Matsuri festival for yourself, with towering, illuminated floats (they take months to build).