Tohoku

The region of Tohoku is in the northern part of Japan’s main island (Honshu) and consists of the prefectures Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata, and Fukushima. Encompassing the northern tip of Honshu, Tohoku is surrounded by the Sea of Japan, the Pacific and Tsugaru Strait but also features a mountain range through its middle. Consequently, the region offers a wide pallet of natural sceneries while also taking advantage of the underground magma flows scattered underneath it for the benefit of some of the best onsen, or hot springs, in Japan. The cities of Sendai and Aizu, in particular, are also rich of history taking you back to the age of the samurai. In 2011 Tohoku was severely hit by an earthquake and a tsunami that followed in its wake. The region gained much attention throughout the world when it became clear the natural disasters also caused a nuclear accident. Nonetheless, today the Tohoku region, with the exception of the direct vicinity of the nuclear power plant, is as safe as it has and offers a heart warm welcome to tourists from around the world.