So I’m looking at Tohoku for my next trip, as the JR East Pass makes it quite tempting, plus it will be away from the major tourist hotspots. Still, one thing everyone says is you need to drive to get to most areas in Tohoku. That is unfortunately not really an option for me due to me anxiety and inability to pay attention for more than 30 mins at a time on the road.
So, with that in mind, I was researching ways to explore Tohoku by rail and bus. There is not much material available for the same, so I would really appreciate your inputs. Here is a rough itinerary I came up with:
Day 1: Land at Narita, Check-into hotel at Ueno/Asakusa
Day 2: Explore parts Tokyo which I haven’t seen before/want to re-explore
Day 3: Activate 1st JR East Pass – Day trip to Omiya morning, Echogo Yuzawa afternoon
Day 4: Day Trip to Nikko via Utsunomiya
Day 5: Checkout from Hotel, Take Shinkansen to Sendai, Explore city, check-in to hotel
Day 6: Day Trip to Goshikinuma Ponds, Kitakata
Day 7: Matsushima Bay, Ishinomaki, Cat Island
Day 8: Activate 2nd JR East pass, Trip to Zao/Geibeki Gorge
Day 9: Day Trip to Yamagata, Yamadera
Day 10: Checkout from Hotel, Shinkansen to Aomori, explore city
Day 11: Hirosaki Castle
Day 12: Take Shinkansen Back to Tokyo
Day 13: Fly out
There are a few places I would like to include, but can’t because on google maps it is not showing any public transport towards those places and/or not enough time. They are:
– Ouchijuku – Aizuwakamatsu
– Ginzan Onsen
– Chusonji temple, Wanko Soba
– Hachinohe
Any idea how to get to those places via train or bus? Also, please let me know any other locations I should visit.
9 comments
[Ouchijuku – Aizuwakamatsu](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7710.html#section_get_there)
[Ginzan Onsen](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7975.html#section_get_there)
[Chusonji temple](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5001.html#section_get_there)
I am not even try to google Hachinohe for you — it’s a stop on the freaking Shinkansen.
Helloo there, Just on the driving thing, its all quite rural up there, and they are incredibly polite drivers (for the most part) Do you drive on that side of the road normally?
You might have more options if you use a car, but still doable by bus/train. I did go to several of the place you named, like Kitakata, Aizu-Wakamatsu, Sendai, Matsushima, Yamadera, Hiraizumi, Hirosaki, all by train. It can be tricky as on some lines, there can be just a couple of train each day, so you need to be quite careful about planning of transport. Because of that, there is things I decided not to do because train schedule was not great, sometimes it might be “oh, yes, you can go there, but there is only 4 trains/bus every day, so good luck)”
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Usually, I would take a full day to one single place. So first day trip to Omiya and Echigo Yuzawa is a bit much for me.
I personally prefer to change hotel than trackback, so I would not do Nikko as a day trip from Tokyo, but a stop on itself.
Matsushima, I would suggest to do the Basho cruise to get there and it is enough for a day, doubt you will have time for the cat island.
Ouchijuku, there is a bus, either from Aizu-Wakamatsu or from Yunokamionsen. You would likely find more by searching on Google and not looking at Google Maps.
Ginzan onsen for sure there is bus going there.
Chuson-ji is in Hiraizumi, that have a train station. I personally walked to the two temples from the station or you could rent a bike. Hiraizumi official website have model course. If you go there, also check to do the tohoku four temple pilgrimage.
Wanko soba, if you mean to do it as a challenge like youtubers do, more chance to do it in Morioka, while you can eat wanko soba in Hiraizumi (bur I think it’s more common as set of 12 or 24 bowls).
There is also train going to Hachinohe, so I guess it depend where you want to go exactly.
You can take some tour buses freely by JR Tohoku pass (as long as during activated period):
[https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pdf/jrbus_map_e.pdf](https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pdf/jrbus_map_e.pdf)
Although some sites are a little far away, for example, it takes two hours from Morioka to Ryusendo Cave:
[https://www.jrbustohoku.co.jp/route/detail.php?r=105&rc=15](https://www.jrbustohoku.co.jp/route/detail.php?r=105&rc=15)
But IMHO, some places are more interesting than citys in Tohoku.
I used to live there so can confirm a car would be highly beneficial! It is mostly rural and mountainous, very easy to get about in a car and traffic is minimal. But, there are busses and trains to major points of interest. Busses aren’t super reliable and won’t always have English, but if you ask at major information points for timetables they’ll help you (look up ones in Sendai and Yamagata city). I know there’s a bus to Ginzan because I’ve caught it before! Love that you’re making the effort to visit the region, it’s pretty spectacular.
You are trying to do too much and are to beholden to getting most of JR East Tohoku Pass.
If you want to get full-day worth of experience, I would probably arrange it somewhat like this:
Pass #1:
1. Nikko (day trip)
2. Hirosaki-jo (probably staying in Aomori)
3. Aomori
4. Hachinohe
5. Geibikei Gorge, Hiraizumi (Zao/Geibikei Gorge in a single day does not make any sense).
A day in Sendai (where you most likely won’t use the pass)
Pass #2:
6. Matsushima Bay
7. Aizu-Wakamatsu
8. Goshikinuma Ponds, Kitakata
9. Yamadera in the morning, Omiya in the afternoon
10. N’EX if using Narita
Hirosaki castle is still there ? I thought it was being renovated ?
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Last time I went there it wasn’t there… (2019)
On the same train line as Yamadera you have some other fun things as well.
Halfway between Sendai – Yamadera there is a Nikka distillery that is awesome. You can do a tour and get some free tasting drinks at the end.
Right past Yamadera near Yamagata station there is a pretty cool Castle park, no castle but moats, walls, some museums, and statues. I did hanami (cherry blossom viewing) here and it was awesome
Definitely Matsushima, Hiraizumi, Kakunodate and Yamagata are must see!