Japan Tour 9 – Tōhoku Region

Japan Tour 9 – Tōhoku Region

The tour of Japan continues with a departure from Sendai (RJSS) and a tour of the Tōhoku region with stops in the Akita, Iwate, and Aomori prefectures.  Time permitting, we will cross the Tsugaru Strait near Cape Ōmazaki and land at Hakodate (RJCH) on Hokkaido.

 Flightplan HERE

Scenery Recommendations

•         RJSS - Sendai
•         RJSR - Odate-Noshiro
•         RJSA - Aomori Airport
•         RJCH - Hakodate Intl Airport

Akita Prefecture is in Japan's Tōhoku region on Honshu, bordered by Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata Prefectures, with Akita city as its capital. Originally part of Dewa Province, Akita remained remote until after 600 CE, when settlements began following military campaigns against the Ezo tribes. The Satake clan later governed during the Tokugawa era, focusing on agriculture and mining.

Hanamaki is in central Iwate Prefecture, positioned at the meeting point of three rivers with the Kitakami River. The city stretches from the foothills of Mt. Matsukura in the west to Mount Hayachine in the east. Major reservoirs include Lake Tase, Lake Hayachine, and Lake Toyosawa. Parts of Hanamaki are within Hayachine Quasi-National Park, and the Hanamaki Onsenkyo Village features a chain of 12 hot springs along the Ōu Mountains.

Akita-Komagatake is an active stratovolcano 10 km east of Tazawa Lake, on the border of Akita and Iwate prefectures in Honshu. Its most recent eruption was from September 1970 to January 1971. It is Akita Prefecture's highest mountain and the second tallest in Towada-Hachimantai National Park.

Mount Iwate is a 2,038-meter stratovolcano in the Ōu Mountains of western Iwate Prefecture, Japan, and the region's highest peak.

Akita-Yake-Yama is a small stratovolcano in Akita Prefecture, Japan, that is known for its radioactive waters. A small parasitic lava dome is located four kilometers from the volcano.

Kitaakita sits in the mountains of north-central Akita Prefecture, about 80 km northeast of Akita city, covering roughly 10% of the prefecture. Bordered by the Ōu Mountains to the east, its urban center lies around the Takanosu Basin and along the Yoneshiro River and its tributaries. Much of Kitaakita is forested, with some areas within Towada-Hachimantai National Park. This inland city is known for its heavy winter snowfall.

Mount Iwaki is a symmetrical andesitic stratovolcano rising from the Tsugaru Peninsula plains. Its summit crater measures two kilometers across, with three lava domes on the west and south slopes. The mountain was frequently active during the Edo period, mainly with small to moderate phreatic explosions, and last erupted on March 23, 1863. Hirosaki University has operated an 18-station observatory there since 1981.

Lake Towada is Honshū’s largest crater lake, straddling Aomori and Akita prefectures at 400 meters above sea level. At 327 meters deep and covering 61.1 km², it ranks as Japan’s 12th largest lake. Its striking blue color comes from its depth, and it features two peninsulas jutting in from the southern shore. The lake is a well-known tourist spot.

Hachinohe lies on the southeast coast of Aomori Prefecture, bordered by the Pacific Ocean and crossed by the Oirase and Mabechi Rivers. Once a key center for the Emishi people, Hachinohe suffered severe damage and the loss of about 100 homes during the 2011 Japanese tsunami, which also wrecked its port and stranded large fishing vessels inland.

Aomori Prefecture, located in Japan's Tōhoku region, is the northernmost prefecture on Honshu with Aomori City as its capital. It borders the Pacific Ocean, Sea of Japan, Iwate and Akita Prefectures, and faces Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait. The region is known for its unique culture shaped by remote geography and snowy winters, traditional crafts like Tsugaru-jamisen music, embroidery, pottery, and distinctive local dishes such as porridges and soups.

Mount Osore is a Buddhist temple and pilgrimage site in the Shimokita Peninsula, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. Situated in an active volcano's caldera, it is regarded in Japanese mythology as a gateway to the underworld.

Hakodate, in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, is Japan's third largest city in Hokkaido after Sapporo and Asahikawa. Its port was the first in Japan opened to foreign trade (1854) under the Convention of Kanagawa and was once northern Japan’s most significant port. Originally inhabited by the Ainu, its name likely derives either from an Ainu expression meaning "shallow fort" or from the Japanese word for "box" or "building," referencing a fifteenth-century castle. Hakodate remained Hokkaido’s largest city until the Great Fire of 1934.

Recommend Departure time of 2:00 PM

•         Date and time: Wednesday March 18, 19:00 UTC    
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•         MFS Multiplayer: Southeast Asia Server

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