Solo traveler here. First time to Tohoku (but not the first to Japan). Looking to go in early Jan.
8 Jan: Depart from Tokyo (staying there the night before) to Yamagata.
* Yamadera
* Yamagata city
* Night at zao onsen
9 Jan:
* Zao Onsen for ski lessons.
* Snow monsters (fingers crossed, mentally prepared for disappointment)
* Take the winter bus to go Sendai
10 Jan:
* Sendai and Matsushima
11 Jan: Activate JR 5 days Tohoku Pass
* Geibikei gorge in the morning
* Chusonji temple in the afternoon. Motsuji temple if time permits
12 Jan: Morning train to Akita from Sendai (haven’t plan what to do there, but probably got dogs involved)
13 Jan:
* Morning to Kakunodate
* Akita Nairiku train to Takanosu Station. Transit to Odate for dinner
14 Jan: Return to Sendai.
* Motsuji temple on the way back.
* Nikka whiskey distillery tour.
* Night time: Shrine festival at shrine
15 Jan: Return to Tokyo, last day of JR Tohoku Pass
Questions:
1. Anyone have experience booking ski lessons at Zao Onsen? The school I reached out to via email is not the most responsive.
2. I am aware Akita is a small city; any recommendations for day trips out?
3. I heard the train from Sakata to Akita is really scenic. Anyway to squeeze this in esp during the JR Pass coverage?
Thanks!
6 comments
Always excited to see travelers going to Tohoku. I lived in Ichinoseki for 2 years from 2018 to 2020 and it’s lovely town.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiZcQROl6OA/
Geibikei gorge is great and it’s even better in the summer and fall. Since you’re in Geibikei and if you have a car I recommend Yūgendō Cave.
If you have a car I also recommend seeing this place:
[https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/137899910080295/oyasukyo-daifunto/?e=0438f851-d37d-40f7-9c58-f155edbd5d9d&g=5](https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/137899910080295/oyasukyo-daifunto/?e=0438f851-d37d-40f7-9c58-f155edbd5d9d&g=5)
Changing locations daily will get tedious, and will soak up a lot of your time.
Hi!
I hope you like climbing steps in snow and ice. I know I don’t. Yamadera is likely to have snowy and icy steps in early January. I would think January is not the ideal time to see it.
I have done the train from Akita to Sakata. And yes, I think it is one of the most scenic train trips I’ve done, I liked it more than Nagoya to Toyama via Takayama. I think the combination of Mt. Chokai, the rice fields and the shoreline/beaches is very scenic. There are very few trains that run that line. I think you would need a lot more time if you wanted to do it, because it would be a full day thing with train frequency. There are only 2 limited express trains a day, most of the trains are locals, so only cost around 2000 yen each direction.
If you really wanted to go, I woujld take the bus from Zao back to Yamagata and from Yamagata to Tsuruoka. Then the train to go from Tsuruoka to Akita. I would start my Pass in Akita unless you are taking a limited express because again, only 2000 yen for the local which runs more often than the express.
Good luck!
A big upvote for Chusonji temple. It is an incredible historic resource. My only disappointment was that they don’t allow photos. I did a lot of staring instead. It is also indoors so that will help in winter.
I visited the Motsuji Temple in Hiraizumi in summer. It was underwhelming compared to other temples in Tohoku.
You didn’t indicate how you’re getting to/from Tohoku, but the cheapest way (with 2 checked bags free) is to fly using JAL’s Explorer Pass.
[https://www.jal.co.jp/aul/en/world/japan_explorer_pass/lp/](https://www.jal.co.jp/aul/en/world/japan_explorer_pass/lp/)
I flew into MSJ (Misawa airport) in Aomori prefecture and it’s rather cool flying into an airport that shares space with an active military base, seeing the AWACS planes, fighter jets, electronic warfare jets, etc. lined up along the runway.
You can also fly to/from Akita and Sendai.
From Akita (or on the way to/from Akita), you can also go to Lake Tazawako, also a ski resort area but you need a rental car to be able to get around it.
Also a kaiseki place we stopped at and enjoyed, open for lunches only and walking distance from Semboku station.
[https://maps.app.goo.gl/WgM8pvpsEgmMF77P9](https://maps.app.goo.gl/WgM8pvpsEgmMF77P9)
Hanbe is a fun izakaya in Sendai [https://maps.app.goo.gl/68arp4nNCreEXda19](https://maps.app.goo.gl/68arp4nNCreEXda19)
For 12 Jan: Morning train to Akita from Sendai… just go straight to Kakunodate and then after a day of sightseeing go to Tsurunoyu Onsen