Hello All!
I’m in my 2^(nd) year in Japan and haven’t explored anything outside of Tokyo (except Nikko and Hakone). I got a 5-day Tohoku Pass which I intend to use in early November. I know that this is last minute planning and am not sure how well this plan would go. After doing a bit of research I have come up with the following itinerary:
**Day 1**
* Tokyo to Aomori city
* Explore Aomori – The Nebuta House Wa Rasse, A-Factory, ASPAM
* Stay in Aomori city or move to Hirosaki?
**Day 2**
* Hirosaki castle
* Nebuta village
* Apple Park
Is it possible to do all these in the same day?
**Day 3**
* Aomori/Hirosaki to Akita by Shirakami Resort
* Akita to Kakunodate by Akita Shinkansen
* Explore Kanunodatemachi for 2-3 hours before leaving for Sendai
**Day 4**
* Matsushima cruise & Oshima Island
* Explore Sendai by Loople bus
**Day 5**
* Checkout from hotel in Sendai
* Visit Yamadera or Geibikei Gorge (is it possible to do both in the same day?)
* Return to Tokyo
Does this seem doable in 5 days considering that I will be using only public transport on all days? I have read on several forums that public transportation in the Tohoku area is not very reliable. So, would like to have some buffer time in case I miss a train/bus. Please suggest places to rent a bicycle if that would make this trip better.
I haven’t booked accommodation anywhere because I wasn’t sure of the dates and would appreciate any recommendations.
Should I swap any of these places for something that has to be seen in the fall i.e. can any of these places be skipped for now and are better visited in other seasons?
Thank you so much in advance!
5 comments
Thank goodness someone is going outside the usual tourist trail. So, we went Sendai-Akita-Aomori last month. I think you’ll see fewer tourists. Now that we’re home, I wish we’d spent more time up there.
We liked the Akita art museum, great view from the cafe. But only if you are there.
As someone who eats an apple a day, I think Japanese special apples are terrible. Too big and meally. If you can get one off a tree, they’re great. The store ones are too huge. Nebuta and Horosaki are worth it, can’t say for the rest.
If you’re into tuna, i thought the tuna market outside sendai was impressive. Too many people ruin tsukiji. We were the only people there in Sept.
While waiting for replies I also came up with an alternate itinerary with Tokyo as my base. I know that it sounds ridiculous and would involve a lot of back and forth travel between places but I hope the Shinkansen and the very light itinerary would make it possible. Here is how it goes:
**Day 1**
* **Plan A:** Tokyo to Aomori – explore Aomori (The Nebuta House Wa Rasse, A-Factory, ASPAM) for a few hours before catching the Resort Shirakami train to Akita and return to Tokyo.
* **Plan B:** Head straight to Hirosaki and visit the castle, Nebuta village and Apple Park till 5 or 6pm before returning to Tokyo via Aomori. Or, should I save Hirosaki for the Sakura season?
**Days 2-5**
* Tokyo to Sendai day trips on all days
– Yamadera and Sendai city Loople bus
– Matsushima
– Geibikei gorge
– Kakunodatemachi
This way I can pack light and wouldn’t have to worry about accommodation at any of the places. Thoughts?
Hi!
I am just going to throw out there, I’m pretty sure you need a reservation to take the Resort Shirakami. I have no idea what availability is like on the days you are considering but I would work on that before making plans to use the Resort Shirakami. I’m pretty sure you can’t just hop on, even with a rail pass.
I would look into opening and closing times. I’ve not been to Kakunodate in November, just March and April and honestly it was night and day. April was very busy because it was sakura season, but everything was open. Some places were open in March but others were not and everything closed early. It snowed while I was there and was cold. I would check to see what opening hours are like for November. There is a huge difference in opening hours in November in Tohoku vs. September and October.
I think your alternative plan would be challenging. You can do Sendai as a day trip from Tokyo (and Matsushima) but the more things you add in the longer it takes.
I went to Hirosaki during sakura season as well. So I am biased and loved it, but it is crowded! I think it depends on what you are hoping for?
Good luck!
Stay at tohoku and enjoy it. Definitely don’t base it in tokyo. Hotels there are usually cheaper and you get to enjoy tohoku more. When in sendai try beef tougue (grilled) and edamame shake, have oyster while in matsushima.
If you want to do geibekei gorge , do it in combination with hiraizumi, two excellent temples there to visit. If you decide to do yamadera ,then i would suggest pairing with zao onsen for a night!
Day 3 is not really possible to do meaningfully, the first Resort Shirakami arrives in Akita around 1:30pm, then it’s another hour to Kakunodate, and it gets dark very early in Tohoku in November so you only have less than two hours of daylight in Kakunodate and this is assuming you do not eat lunch.
Day 2 is very very doable if you get up early. In fact getting up early is basically mandatory since as you know the sun rises super early and also sets super early in November.
I would shift Resort Shirakami to Day 2 (catch the 2:30pm train, should get you to the coast in time for sunset) then sleep in Akita, Day 3 AM Kakunodate -> PM Sendai exploration, Day 4 AM Yamadera -> PM Matsushima, Day 5 Geibikei Gorge + Hiraizumi/Chusonji, a bit of shopping in sendai, last train to Tokyo.