Head to Tohoku allowing you to enjoy winter to your heart’s content

Tohoku area consists of six prefectures: Aomori, Iwate, Yamagata, Akita, Miyagi, Fukushima. Surrounded by abundant nature and sea, this area has many attractions such as world heritage, stunning views distinct to Japan and exquisite dishes using fresh local ingredients. In winter, Tohoku is covered with pure white snow, so you can enjoy not only sightseeing but also winter sports. It’s also nice to warm up your body in hot spring while seeing the winter wonderland. Well, why not visit Tohoku for unique winter experiences?

“Michinoku Godai Snow Festival” packed with lots of events

If you visit Tohoku in February, you can’t miss five representative winter festivals which are jointly referred to “Michinoku Godai Snow Festival” : ‘Hachinohe Emburi (Aomori),’ a representative spring event to pray for an abundant harvest, ‘Hirosaki Castle Snow Lantern Festival (Aomori)’ where 150 snow lanterns illuminate Hirosaki Castle, ‘Iwate Snow Festival’ whose snow statues and fireworks are popular, ‘Namahage Sedo Festival (Iwate), a combination of the Sedo Matsuri and the Namahage ceremony of Shinzan shrine on 3rd January, ‘Yokote Kamakura Festival (Akita)’ where you can drink amazake and eat mochi in snow igloo. Having a few hundred years of history, these 5 festival will be held in February one after another. Witness fantastic sceneries created by snow and gentle lights!

Enjoy tasty turf and surf using fresh local foods!

SurSurrounded by mountains and facing the sea, Tohoku has lots of exquisite local foods and dishes. How about waking up a little early to enjoy seasonal food and local dishes? 24 fishing ports hold ‘Morning Market’ and offer fresh seafood and vegetables. Moreover, Tohoku has various branded beefs which get high evaluations, such as Yonezawagyu beef from Yamagata and Sendaigyu beef from Miyagi. These Wagyu raised in an environment surrounded by bountiful nature without any restriction, so the meat’s rich flavor explodes in your mouth. If you are lucky, you may eat rare varieties of beef that are only available in the market.

Experience skiing on good snow while seeing a stunning view!

There are over 60 ski resorts in the inland area of Tohoku where there is a lot of snow. The sensation of skiing on smooth snow without moisture attracts many ski players. Famous ski resorts such as ‘Zao Onsen Ski Resort (Miyagi),’ Tohoku’s largest snow resort where you can slide while seeing ice monsters, and ‘Inawashiro Ski Resort (Fukushima)’ having a panoramic view of the beautiful lake are dotted in each prefecture. By the way, there are also some ski resorts covered with powder snow.