Get Your Tohoku Basics Covered – The Deep North of Japan

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Take a dive into the deep north of Tohoku; a region that’s rich in culture, natural beauty, sacred mountains and warm-hearted locals! An authentic and traditional experience awaits in the north, far away from the touristy cities! 

Accessing Tohoku 

Tohoku is a region in Japan that includes six prefectures in the north of the mainland Honshu.

It is well connected by rail and air to both mainland Japan and Hokkaido. Another way to get around is by rental car, which is useful for getting to some small towns not easily accessible by train. 

By Plane

There are 9 airports in the Tohoku region and many airlines have flights domestically from Haneda Airport, Narita International Airport, New Chitose Airport, Nagoya Airport, Osaka International Airport and Fukuoka Airport.
Tokyo to Sendai (the largest city in Tohoku) is a little over an hour, while Tokyo to Aomori (the northernmost airport) is around 1 hour and 20 mins.

Consider taking a domestic flight rather than going from the airport to Tohoku via the bullet train – the journey is a lot longer and can be more expensive if you don’t have a Japan Rail Pass. If you do have a Japan Rail Pass, it can use up one of your days.

By Rail  

The rail system in Tohoku is quite vast and it’s quite easy to get around main cities and smaller towns. Using the bullet trains are the best way to get around quickly, though it can be more expensive, the Japan Rail Passes are a convenient way to offset this cost.   

Tohoku by Train – Which Japan Rail Pass should I get? 

Looking to explore the deep north via rail? There are a few options with the Japan Rail Pass for Tohoku, which one you’ll want to choose depends on how long you’ll be staying and travelling. Here are a few recommendations, or if you’d like more information please don’t hesitate to give us a call! 

Japan Rail East Tohoku Area Pass – 5-day Flex

This pass covers JR trains and JR buses in Tohoku however it is only a 5-day flex pass. What’s a flex pass? This means that the pass isn’t a consecutive pass, so you can use this pass for 5 days in a 14-day period. This pass is the cheapest option and generally the best value for money if you can condense your travel days to only 5 days.
Best to get this pass: If you’re only going to have 5 days of travel in between destinations in Tohoku. 

Japan Rail National Pass – 7/14/21 day pass 

This pass covers JR trains and JR buses across the whole of Japan. The pass comes in 7-day, 14-day, and 21-day passes. This pass is a consecutive pass, however, so keep that in mind when you plan your travel!
Best to get this pass: If you’re going to have more than 5 days of travel or if you’re going to be travelling on from Tohoku!

Japan Rail East-South Hokkaido Pass – 6 days Flex

This pass covers JR trains and JR buses from Tokyo, through Tohoku and to southern Hokkaido ending around New Chitose Airport. This pass is also a flex pass, so it covers 6 days of travel in a 14-day period.
Best to get this pass: If you’re going to be travelling in Tohoku and up to south Hokkaido as well with only 6 travel days.

See JR Pass Page

By Car  

The rental car is a good way to get around this region, especially if you’re looking to reach a few out of the way places. While the car hire is not necessarily expensive, Japan does have a lot of tolls for freeways so be aware that this will be an additional cost. A way to offset this is by purchasing an expressway pass – for a set price for a certain amount of days (2 days+), this pass gives unlimited access to the toll freeways included with the pass.                 

Tohoku facts

Once an area native to the Emishi and Ainu peoples before the Japanese civilization settled in northern Japan, the Tohoku region is steeped in history and culture that has been carefully preserved. Areas like Aizu-Wakamatsu in Fukushima and Kakunodate in Akita are known for their preserved samurai districts that are open to the public.

Tohoku was known as Japan’s granary for a time, accounting for around 20% of Japan’s rice crop, and it is still known for the fabulous products that come from its prefectures – apples from Aomori, cherries and grapes from Yamagata, strawberries from Miyagi and peaches from Fukushima, to name a few!

Looking for more info on places to visit in Tohoku?
Take a look at the JR East Tohoku Pass: The 10 Best Places to Visit in Tohoku blog post! 

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