What’s On in Tohoku, Japan
The deep north of Honshu — dramatic summer festivals, samurai towns, secluded onsen and untouched autumn scenery.
111 listings
Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival
Over 2,600 cherry trees surround a feudal castle in one of Japan's most celebrated hanami settings.
Aomori Nebuta Matsuri
Colossal illuminated warrior floats parade through Aomori city at night in one of Tohoku's most electrifying summer festivals.
Matsushima Bay Cruise
Cruise among 260 pine-clad islands in one of Japan's three officially designated scenic views, framed by Zuigan-ji temple.
Nebuta no Ie Warasse (Nebuta Museum)
A stunning waterfront museum housing giant illuminated Nebuta floats and immersive displays on Aomori's most famous festival.
Sendai Tanabata Matsuri
Japan's most spectacular Tanabata festival festoons Sendai's shopping arcades with thousands of handcrafted, giant paper-streamer decorations.
Aizu Autumn Festival (Aizu Aki Matsuri)
A proud samurai-city celebration featuring a 500-person Byakkotai warrior parade and pageant through the castle town of Aizu-Wakamatsu.
Kakunodate Cherry Blossom Festival (Kakunodate Sakura Matsuri)
Weeping shidarezakura cherries line a preserved samurai district in one of Tohoku's most scenic spring settings.
Tsurugajo Castle Cherry Blossom Festival (Tsurugajo Sakura Matsuri)
Over 1,000 cherry trees envelop Tsurugajo Castle — Japan's only castle with red-tiled roof — in a spectacular pink cloud each spring.
Towada City Winter Art Walk (Towada Art Center)
A world-class open-air art museum lines a snow-covered boulevard with permanent site-specific installations by global contemporary artists.
Tōno Furusato Village (Tōno Furusato-mura)
Step into Japan's folklore heartland in a reconstructed thatched-roof village where kappa legends and magariya farmhouses come alive.
Akita Kantō Festival (Akita Kantō Matsuri)
Performers balance 12-metre bamboo poles hung with 46 lit paper lanterns on foreheads, hips, and shoulders in one of Tohoku's most breathtaking summer festivals.
Yamagata Hanagasa Matsuri
Over 10,000 dancers parade through Yamagata city waving flower-adorned straw hats to the rhythmic Hanagasa Ondo chant.
Morioka Sansa Odori
Claimed as the world's largest taiko drum parade, Morioka Sansa Odori fills the streets with 30,000 dancers and drummers.
Namahage Sedo Matsuri
Fierce demon-masked Namahage descend by torchlight on Shinzan Shrine in a spine-tingling winter ritual on the Oga Peninsula.
Soma Nomaoi Festival
Armour-clad samurai on horseback charge across Hibarigahara Plain in one of Japan's most thrilling ancient equestrian festivals.
Lake Towada Autumn Foliage Season
A caldera lake framed by blazing maples and beeches offers some of Japan's most spectacular and unspoiled autumn scenery.
Hanamaki Onsen Nakatsu Kogen Winter Illuminations
Snow-dusted highland resort hotels in Hanamaki glow with winter light displays amid hot-spring steam and frost-covered forests.
Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri
Fan-shaped illuminated floats depicting warriors and bijin beauties parade nightly through Hirosaki in a visually stunning summer festival.
Tazawako Ski Resort
Japan's deepest lake provides a breathtaking backdrop as skiers carve fresh powder runs on slopes overlooking Lake Tazawa.
Risshakuji Temple (Yamadera)
Ancient clifftop temple complex reached by 1,015 stone steps, immortalised in haiku by Matsuo Bashō with panoramic valley views.
Kesennuma Minato Festival (Umi no Ichiban)
A vibrant portside festival celebrating the sea's bounty with fireworks, fishing-boat parades and fresh Pacific seafood in Miyagi.
Aizu Byakkotai Memorial & Iimori Hill
Iimori Hill enshrines the graves of the teenage Byakkotai samurai who chose death over defeat during the Boshin War of 1868.
Shirakami Sanchi Beech Forest Trekking
Trek through the world's largest virgin beech forest, a UNESCO World Heritage wilderness straddling the Aomori-Akita border.
Ōmagari National Fireworks Competition (Ōmagari Zenkoku Hanabi Kyōgikai)
Japan's most prestigious fireworks competition, drawing master pyrotechnicians from across the country to the Omono River.
Sendai Tanabata Fireworks Festival (Sendai Tanabata Hanabi Matsuri)
A spectacular 16,000-shell fireworks show over the Hirose River that officially opens Sendai's famous Tanabata Festival.
Tsuruoka Fireworks Festival (Tsuruoka Hanabi Taikai)
One of Yamagata's largest summer fireworks displays, launched over the Akagawa River with Dewa Sanzan mountains as a backdrop.
Yokote Fireworks Festival (Yokote Hanabi Taikai)
A vibrant summer fireworks display above the Omono River in Yokote, celebrated by a city famous for its winter Kamakura snow festival.
Kitakami Fireworks Festival (Kitakami Hanabi Taikai)
A major Iwate summer fireworks event held along the Kitakami River, famous for its cherry blossoms in spring.
Noshiro Nebuta Festival Fireworks (Noshiro Nebuta Hanabi)
Fireworks crown the finale of Noshiro's spirited Nebuta lantern parade, combining giant illuminated floats with aerial pyrotechnics.
Ishinomaki River Opening Fireworks (Ishinomaki Kawahiraki Hanabi Taikai)
A resilient post-3.11 summer tradition on the Kitakami River delta, celebrating community recovery through brilliant fireworks in Ishinomaki.
Aizuwakamatsu Higashiyama Onsen Fireworks (Higashiyama Onsen Hanabi)
Watch intimate summer fireworks burst over wooded hot-spring valleys at Higashiyama Onsen, Aizu's most beloved ryokan resort district.
Hachinohe Port Festival Fireworks (Hachinohe Minato Matsuri Hanabi)
Giant maritime fireworks erupt over Hachinohe's working fishing port during the city's biggest summer festival week.
Yuzawa Fireworks Festival (Yuzawa Hanabi Taikai)
Thousands of shells soar above the Omono River in Yuzawa, a sake-brewing town famed for its Inu Hariko dog crafts and snow country heritage.
Fukushima Hanabi Festival (Fukushima Hanabi Taikai)
One of Fukushima Prefecture's largest summer fireworks shows, lighting up the sky above the Abukuma River in the prefectural capital.
Morioka Fireworks Festival (Morioka Hanabi Taikai)
Iwate's prefectural capital celebrates summer with thousands of fireworks launched above the Kitakami River flowing through its historic castle-town heart.
Kitakami Tenshochi Cherry Blossom Festival (Kitakami Tenshochi Sakura Matsuri)
A 2km riverside promenade of 10,000 cherry trees along the Kitakami River, ranked among Japan's top 100 cherry blossom spots.
Funaoka Castle Ruins Cherry Blossom Festival (Funaoka Joshi Sakura Matsuri)
Over 1,200 cherry trees drape a hilltop castle ruin in Miyagi, offering sweeping views of the Shiroishi River valley below.
Hirosaki Castle Moat Rowboat Hanami
Paddle a rowboat through Hirosaki Castle's petal-carpeted moat beneath arching cherry blossom canopies for an iconic hanami experience.
Shiroishi River Cherry Blossom Viewing (Shiroishi-gawa Hitome Senbonzakura)
Walk or cycle beneath 1,200 cherry trees along an 8km riverside embankment said to reveal 1,000 trees in a single glance.
Kakunodate Samurai District Weeping Cherry Viewing
Stroll Kakunodate's preserved samurai quarter as cascading 300-year-old weeping cherry trees frame black-walled samurai residences.
Miharu Takizakura Weeping Cherry Tree
One of Japan's Three Great Cherry Trees — a 1,000-year-old weeping cherry with a 22-metre canopy spread in Fukushima's countryside.
Yonomori Cherry Blossom Avenue (Yonomori Sakura)
A hauntingly beautiful 2.2km tunnel of 320 cherry trees in Tomioka, reopen to visitors and symbolising Fukushima's resilience and renewal.
Morioka Castle Ruins Park Cherry Blossom (Iwate Koen Hanami)
Morioka's central castle-ruin park comes alive with 200 cherry trees and lively hanami picnics beside impressive granite walls.
Kakuda Kamisugi Cherry Blossom Festival (Kakuda Sakura Matsuri)
A community-beloved spring festival beneath 1,000 cherry trees in Kakuda, featuring folk performances, food stalls, and yozakura illuminations.
Kajo Park Cherry Blossom Festival (Kajo Koen Hanami Matsuri)
Yamagata City's historic castle-ruin park hosts a beloved spring festival with 1,500 cherry trees encircling a picturesque pond and moat.
Tsurugajo Castle Night Cherry Blossom Viewing (Tsurugajo Yozakura)
After-dark illuminations transform Tsurugajo Castle and its 1,000 cherry trees into a luminous pink spectacle reflected in the castle moat.
Tohoku Hanami Bento Crafting Workshop
Craft a seasonal hanami bento with a local Sendai cooking instructor, then enjoy it beneath cherry blossoms in Nishi Park.
Towada-Hachimantai National Park Autumn Foliage
Sweeping alpine plateau blazing with scarlet and gold across volcanic highlands straddling Akita and Iwate.
Naruko Gorge Autumn Foliage
A narrow volcanic gorge draped in vivid maple reds reflected in the emerald Naruko River below.
Zuigan-ji Temple Autumn Foliage, Matsushima
Cedars and maples frame the cedar avenue to Date clan's most sacred Zen temple against the famous island-dotted bay.
Hirosaki Castle Park Autumn Foliage Festival
Japan's oldest surviving castle tower ringed by blazing maples and illuminated by night for Hirosaki's official koyo festival.
Oirase Stream Autumn Foliage Walk
Walk beside a mossy, cascade-studded mountain stream under a cathedral canopy of fiery autumn maples and beeches.
Mt. Haguro (Dewa Sanzan) Autumn Pilgrimage
Climb 2,446 ancient cedar-lined stone steps to a sacred mountain shrine through a tunnel of blazing autumn canopy.
Zao Ropeway Autumn Foliage Ride
Ride a gondola above an erupting patchwork of autumn colour on the volcanic flanks of Mt. Zao toward the famous crater lake.
Kakunodate Samurai District Autumn Foliage
Crimson maples and golden ginkgos overhang 300-year-old samurai mansion walls in Japan's best-preserved castle town.
Mt. Moriyoshi Autumn Foliage & Gondola
Ride a gondola above a sea of beech, maple, and oak colour on one of Akita's tallest peaks near the Shirakami foothills.
Mt. Bandai & Goshikinuma Autumn Foliage
Trek between five mineral-hued crater lakes whose turquoise and emerald surfaces mirror an erupting autumn forest.
Koiwai Farm Autumn Harvest & Foliage
Wander a historic working farm beneath Mt. Iwate's autumn-lit slopes, picking apples and tasting fresh dairy amid maple groves.
Tendo Autumn Foliage & Human Shogi Festival
Watch costumed 'human chess pieces' contest a live shogi match in a park brilliant with autumn foliage in Japan's shogi capital.
Sendai Pageant of Starlight (Sendai Hikari no Pageant)
Over 600,000 LED lights transform Sendai's Jozenji-dori zelkova trees into a dazzling winter canopy each December.
Yokote Kamakura Festival (Yokote no Kamakura)
Children host guests inside igloo-like kamakura snow shrines lit by candles in one of Japan's most enchanting winter traditions.
Zao Juhyo (Snow Monsters) Illumination
Zao's famed frost-encrusted fir trees, illuminated at night, loom like ghostly giants across the volcanic mountainside.
Hirosaki Castle Snow Lantern Festival (Hirosaki-jo Yuki Doro Matsuri)
Snow lanterns and kamakura snow huts illuminate Hirosaki Castle Park, blending samurai heritage with delicate winter light.
Aomori Winter Nebuta Museum WA·RASSE
Explore towering illuminated Nebuta floats up close inside Aomori's striking waterfront museum, open throughout the snowy winter months.
Arts Towada Winter Illumination
Contemporary outdoor artworks along Towada's Arts Street shimmer under winter illuminations, merging public art with snowy streetscapes.
Matsushima Oshima Island Winter Illumination
The pine-clad islands of Matsushima Bay are ringed with winter lights, casting shimmering reflections across one of Japan's three views.
Nyuto Onsen Winter Snow Retreat
Soak in rustic open-air hot springs buried deep in the snowy Akita mountains at the legendary Nyuto Onsen cluster.
Koiwai Farm Winter Fantasy Illumination
Japan's largest private farm glows with fairy-tale winter illuminations, turning its rolling snow-covered fields into a luminous holiday landscape.
Aizu Candle Road Winter Festival
Thousands of candles in paper cups light up Aizuwakamatsu's streets and samurai sites, honouring the city's poignant Bakumatsu history.
Kazuno Ani Snow Festival (Ani Ski Resort Yuki Matsuri)
Snow sculptures, torchlight ski runs, and fireworks light up the Ani resort valley in a lively community winter carnival deep in Akita's mountains.
Ginzan Onsen Winter Snow Lantern Illumination
Gas-lamp-lit Taisho-era ryokan facades reflected in a snowy river make Ginzan Onsen Japan's most photogenic winter hot-spring village.
Akita Kanto Festival (Akita Kanto Matsuri)
Performers balance towering poles hung with up to 46 lit paper lanterns on their foreheads, hips, and shoulders in a breathtaking display of skill.
Hachinohe Sansha Taisai Grand Festival
A UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage procession of 27 magnificent dashi floats winds through Hachinohe in one of northern Japan's most storied shrine festivals.
Michinoku YOSAKOI Festival (Michinoku Yosakoi Matsuri)
Over 100 competitive dance teams from across Japan perform electrifying YOSAKOI routines blending traditional Tohoku folk music with modern choreography across Sendai's city centre.
Nihonmatsu Chochin Matsuri (Lantern Festival)
Seven enormous yatai floats encrusted with up to 350 blazing paper lanterns are hauled through Nihonmatsu's dark streets in one of Tohoku's most atmospheric night festivals.
Kakunodate Matsuri (Hikiyama Float Festival)
Ornate hikiyama floats clash in dramatic tug-of-war confrontations outside Kakunodate's 400-year-old samurai district in a fiercely spirited autumn festival.
Sendai Tanabata Fireworks Festival (Sendai Tanabata Hanabi Taikai)
A spectacular 16,000-shell fireworks prelude to Sendai's famous Tanabata festival, lighting up the Hirose River.
Daisen Fireworks Festival (Daisen Hanabi Taikai)
One of Akita's beloved summer fireworks displays launched over the Omono River in the heart of the Tohoku countryside.
Nagaoshi Fireworks Festival (Nagaoshi Hanabi Taikai)
A lively summer fireworks celebration in Yokote city lighting up the Omono River with cascading starmine displays.
Tsurugajo Castle Summer Fireworks (Tsurugajo Hanabi)
Brilliant fireworks burst above the iconic white tenshu of Tsurugajo Castle in Aizuwakamatsu for a truly cinematic spectacle.
Matsushima Sea Fireworks Festival (Matsushima Kaijō Hanabi Taikai)
Shells burst over Matsushima Bay's pine-clad islands, one of Japan's Three Views, for an unforgettable maritime spectacle.
Hirosaki Neputa Festival Fireworks (Hirosaki Neputa Hanabi)
Colorful hanabi light the sky above Hirosaki's fan-shaped Neputa floats during Aomori's vibrant summer festival season.
Shiogama Port Festival Fireworks (Shiogama Minato Matsuri Hanabi)
Brilliant shells explode over Shiogama's working fishing harbor during the city's beloved annual port festival.
Natori Fireworks Festival (Natori Hanabi Taikai)
One of Miyagi's most popular suburban summer fireworks events, drawing large crowds along the Natori River.
Aomori Nebuta Festival Closing Fireworks (Aomori Nebuta Hanabi Taikai)
A dazzling fireworks finale closes the Aomori Nebuta Matsuri as giant warrior-faced floats are floated out to sea.
Tohoku Hanabi Night Photography Experience
A guided night photography workshop teaching long-exposure hanabi techniques at Tohoku's summer fireworks festivals.
Wakayanagi Fireworks Festival (Wakayanagi Hanabi Taikai)
A charming rural hanabi celebration in northern Miyagi, beloved by locals for its warm community spirit and colorful displays.
Hirosaki Castle Park Cherry Blossom Festival (Hirosaki-jo Sakura Matsuri)
Over 2,600 cherry trees surround a feudal castle in one of Japan's most celebrated sakura festivals.
Tenshochi Cherry Blossom Promenade (Tenshochi Sakura Namiki)
A 2-kilometre riverside promenade lined with 10,000 Somei Yoshino trees creates an unforgettable pink tunnel in Kitakami.
Funaoka Castle Ruins Park Cherry Blossom (Funaoka Joshi Koen Hanami)
Historic hilltop castle ruins offer sweeping valley views beneath clouds of cherry blossoms in Miyagi Prefecture.
Senshu Park Cherry Blossom Festival (Senshu Koen Hanami Matsuri)
Akita City's beloved castle-park hosts over 800 cherry trees and lively hanami festivities beside historic moats.
Hanamiyama Park Cherry Blossom (Hanamiyama Koen Hanami)
A privately cultivated hillside garden of mixed flowering trees creates a breathtaking mosaic of pink, white, and red blossoms.
Miharu Takizakura Dawn Hanami Experience
Witness the thousand-year-old cascading weeping cherry awaken at dawn before the crowds arrive, guided by a local expert.
Kitakami Tenshochi Sakura River Boat Ride
Drift beneath arching Somei Yoshino canopies on a traditional wooden boat along the cherry-blossom-lined Kitakami River.
Hirosaki Sakura Photography Workshop
A professional photographer leads small groups through Hirosaki's most photogenic blossom spots at golden hour and dusk.
Aizu Tsurugajo Cherry Blossom Festival (Aizu Tsurugajo Hanami Matsuri)
Around 1,000 cherry trees encircle the iconic red-roofed Tsurugajo Castle for one of Fukushima's grandest spring festivals.
Shizukuishi Onsen Cherry Blossom Retreat
Soak in an open-air hot spring with cherry blossom petals drifting overhead at a traditional Iwate mountain onsen ryokan.
Kajo Park Nishiki-no-Sato Cherry Blossom Walk (Yamagata Nishiki Hanami)
A broad promenade of weeping and Somei Yoshino cherry trees lines the outer moats of historic Yamagata Castle ruins.
Sendai Sakura Kaiseki Cooking Class
Learn to craft a spring kaiseki menu using sakura leaves, blossoms, and Miyagi seafood under a local chef's guidance in Sendai.
Sendai Pageant of Starlight (Sendai Hikari no Pageant)
Over 600,000 LED lights transform Jozenji-dori Avenue into a dazzling corridor of winter brilliance.
Yokote Kamakura Festival (Yokote no Kamakura)
Ancient igloo-like kamakura snow huts glow warmly across Yokote, hosting children and shrine offerings inside.
Zao Juhyo Ice Monster Illumination Tour
Ride Zao Ropeway at night to witness eerily beautiful snow-laden ice monsters glowing under colored spotlights.
Hirosaki Castle Snow Lantern Festival (Hirosaki-jo Yuki Doro Matsuri)
Hundreds of hand-crafted snow lanterns and ice sculptures illuminate Hirosaki Castle Park in magical winter light.
Aomori Nebuta Museum WA·RASSE Winter Visit
Explore towering, luminous Nebuta floats up close inside Aomori's striking waterfront museum during the quiet winter season.
Ginzan Onsen Winter Snow Lantern Evening
Taisho-era ryokan rise from deep snow beside a lantern-lit river in one of Japan's most photogenic winter scenes.
Nyuto Onsen Winter Snow Retreat
Soak in milky, mineral-rich outdoor baths surrounded by deep Akita mountain snow at one of Japan's most secluded onsen clusters.
Aizu Candle Road Winter Festival
Thousands of flickering candles illuminate Aizuwakamatsu's castle town streets in a quiet, contemplative winter night festival.
Lake Towada Winter Canoe & Illumination Experience
Paddle a transparent canoe across mirror-still Lake Towada at night, surrounded by snow-dusted forest and winter starlight.
Naruko Gorge Winter Snow Scenery & Onsen
Explore the dramatic snow-blanketed cliffs of Naruko Gorge before warming up in one of Tohoku's most celebrated hot spring towns.
Kakunodate Samurai District Winter Snow Walk
Stroll Kakunodate's immaculately preserved samurai district as deep snow transforms its centuries-old black-walled estates into a living woodblock print.
Shiroishi Kogane-no-Sato Snow Festival (Shiroishi Yuki Matsuri)
Snow sculptures, glowing lanterns, and fireworks light up Shiroishi's Kogane-no-Sato park in a spirited community winter festival.