At the beginning of January 2024, I embarked on an epic, five-day-long adventure across much of northern Japan. While the primary goal was to produce three reels to promote the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area), I also wanted to see for myself just how much travel I could pack into a mere 120 hours. While it’s true that the regional rail passes did not go up in price as much as the vaunted Japan Rail Pass, many, including the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area), still saw a minor hike. What this means is that travelers now need to make a much more concerted effort to eke out value from the ticket.
In the upcoming sections, I’ll detail my itinerary over these sleepless five days. Before we get to that though, it would be wise for me to first introduce a little bit about the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area) for those of you who haven’t heard of it before. If you already know your regional offerings from JR quite well, feel free to skip this and dive right on into what I did. For the rest of you, I suggest that you stick around because this is a wonderful alternative to the countrywide Japan Rail Pass.
So, if you haven’t heard of the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area), know that this alternative to the countrywide Japan Rail Pass may very well be my favorite offering out there. Available to anyone with a foreign passport (expats included), the ticket allows for unlimited travel anywhere within the designated area. While you may need to pay if you take a train operated by a different company, the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area) still presents an insanely good value for just 30,000 yen. As with other passes, you can ride Shinkansen and limited express trains as well as all ordinary trains within the area covered.
When it comes to making seat reservations, there are a few ways that you can do it. For the lazy and/or tech-averse travelers out there, know that the easiest option is to go to a JR ticket office or one of the service centers set up in major hubs like Sendai Station to help foreign visitors. While this is most certainly the easiest method, it can also take some time to have someone do it for you. Thus, I found the ticket machines to be a more expedient method.
Of course, if you’re in a rush, you can skip getting reserved seats altogether and just opt to use the jiyuseki too. Though there are none on the Hayabusa on the Tohoku Shinkansen bound for Shin-Aomori, some of the slower trains that run throughout the coverage area have free seating. So, if you don’t want to go through all of the rigmarole associated with making a reservation, you can always just elect to make a beeline for the jiyuseki train cars. Just be sure that it’s not a Hayabusa though, as unlike with the Nozomi on the Tokaido Shinkansen, these bullet trains are all-reserved!
After this, I’ll get into my five-day trip, but first, I should end this overview by noting that the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area) is pretty easy to purchase. On JR East’s website, you can do all of the payment online. Thereafter, you’ll be sent an e-voucher which you can either take to one of the aforementioned spots manned by JR staff or you can use the electronic kiosks that you’d normally use to book any limited express trains. Like with making seat reservations, doing it yourself can take a few minutes to figure out, so if you’re going to sweat the line, just opt for a JR ticket office instead.
Day One in Tohoku
Truth be told, I embarked on this crazy adventure after having arrived back in Japan only a day prior. Since I had been visiting family in the States, that meant I had precious few clean clothes to take with me to Tohoku. So, being the insane individual that I am, I opted to do the first two days of my stint in northern Japan as day trips from central Tokyo so I could do laundry. After all, I had the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area), which meant I was privileged with unlimited rides on all JR East lines, so why not!
Though I, of course, don’t recommend that you make day trips to any part of Tohoku, you can still follow in my footsteps even when traveling like a normal person. On day one, I boarded one of the first trains in the early morning bound for Shiroishi-Zao Station. Found on the Sendai side of Mt. Zao, my first destination for this outing was none other than Zao Fox Village. Great for the Gram, I knew I needed some foxy footage for the reels I was making to promote the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area).
After shooting what I needed to shoot, I hailed a taxi back down from Zao Fox Village, high up in the mountains, and then made my way up to Sendai Station via the next bullet train. Thereafter, I transferred to one of the JR trains on the Senzan Line and made my way over to the ever-mystical Yamadera (pictured above). Officially known as Risshaku-ji, this mountaintop temple complex is absolutely stunning to behold in winter when it’s blanketed by snow. If you want to see it from the top, just be ready for a slippery climb though.
After taking in the epic views pictured above, I knew it would be wise to start heading back towards Sendai Station on one of the local trains. As I’ve noted elsewhere, traveling in the countryside can be quite inconvenient at times due to how infrequent the trains can be in the rural parts of the Tohoku region. To be safe, always know when the next departure is. Once arriving in Sendai, I made my way to one of the restaurants in the station for some scrumptious gyutan before heading back to Tokyo for the night. In your case, this is where you’d want to make your way to your hotel of choice in the city.
Day Two in Tohoku
I started the second day of my adventure before the crack of dawn because, as mentioned above, I was an idiot who was doing day trips from Tokyo for the first two days of this excursion. Luckily, I had the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area), so it wasn’t really costing me anything. As you may be able to guess by the image above, my next destination was none other than the ormer castle town of Aizu-Wakamatsu. Though I’ve now been there nearly a dozen times, this part of the prefecture might very well be one of my favorites in all of Japan, and I’m never disappointed to go back.
To get to Aizu-Wakamatsu, you’ll need to first take a Shinkansen to Koriyama and then transfer to the Ban’etsu West Line. Though there are both local and rapid trains on this line, it will still take you over an hour, so be sure to check a service like Jorudan when planning your itinerary. Anyway, once in Aizu-Wakamatsu, I immediately hailed a taxi over to Iimoriyama. Here, my goal was the double helix-shaped Sazaedo. Made in 1796, this entirely wooden structure is a marvel of medieval engineering and was designed so those going up never encounter people descending on the opposite side of the spire.
Since I was indeed strapped for time if I was going to make it to Ouchijuku, I elected to again taxi my way over to Tsuruga Castle. Though a modern reconstruction of the original, this fortress’s prior incarnation was one of the last bastions for the Tokugawa shogunate loyalists as the age of the samurai came crashing to a close. While it’s a bit lacking when it comes to English, the interior of the castle is rife with all sorts of explanations of how things played out during the final years of the Edo period (1603–1868). If you’re into history, you’ll really enjoy Tsuruga Castle, and it has great views to boot.
Alas, I didn’t really have too much time to linger around the castle. So, after I had snapped the shots that I needed for my JR East Pass (Tohoku Area) promotion, I rushed back to Aizu-Wakamatsu Station and boarded the Aizu Line. Unfortunately operated by one of the railway companies not covered by the area pass, this train takes you down towards Yunokami Onsen Station (as well as Ashinomaki Onsen). From there, you can hop a bus ride up to the former post town of Ouchijuku.
All throughout Japan, there are a number of well-preserved post towns, but Ouchijuku is certainly my favorite. Located on what used to be the Aizu Nishi Kaido, Ouchijuku is home to a host of traditional kayabuki thatched homes that also function as storefronts. Especially when blanketed by snow, this part of the Aizu region is truly enchanting and is a must-visit for anyone who comes this far west into Fukushima Prefecture. If you go, be sure to swing by a shop called Kanoya and say hi to Abe-san!
Now, normally, trying to shoehorn in a very quick outing to Ginzan Onsen would be a foolish endeavor, but seeing as I had the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area), I decided to make a go for it. Though I arrived just in time to get a quick shot of the snow falling against the romantic, gas lanterns that line the central street, this was a trip for the Gram, and you can be sure that I wasn’t going to pass up a chance to shoot this iconic Tohoku destination.
Day Three in Tohoku
From the third day out, I started venturing further and further north now that I had enough clean clothes to see me until the end of the five days. I first began by taking the Akita Shinkansen over to Tazawako Station, where I boarded a bus bound for Nyuto Onsen. My goal was to go to one of the mixed-gender hot springs found there and film the open-air onsen with, hopefully, no naked people in it. It seems the gods were on my side this day because not only did I get a chance, but it was also snowing the entire time I was in Akita!
The onsen pictured above is a property called Tsuru-no-Yu and has been in business for around 400 years. As you’ll see if you follow my itinerary yourselves, it feels like little has changed in this part of the Tohoku region in the past four centuries. In fact, much of Tsuru-no-Yu’s infrastructure is also quite storied, with some buildings even allegedly having been here since as far back as the Edo period (1603–1868). There are a number of simple rooms that appear to be of the same type, so you can stay here if you want, but the logistics aren’t great.
After soaking in the mixed-gender baths of Tsuru-no-Yu, it was time for me to head down from the heights of Mt. Nyuto where these hot springs are located. Initially, I had been planning to see some of the other attractions around Lake Tazawa, but I ended up having to be on calls all the way back to Tazawako Station. While I was stuck dealing with the ball and chain of being a freelance digital marketer in Japan, you, my friends, should check out my in-depth Akita area guide on what to do in the region.
After taking another call for Setouchi at Tazawako Station and then having some kiritanpo, the local meibutsu, at a nearby restaurant, I took the Akita Shinkansen back to Morioka Station and checked into my hotel. All things considered, my third day on this sleepless jaunt across much of the Tohoku region seemed quite light in comparison. That said, much of the day was spent in transportation as the upper echelons of Mt. Nyuto are quite hard to get to.
Day Four in Tohoku
As all OG readers will know, I walk a lot when sourcing content for this blog, so it should come as no surprise that my fourth day included more steps than most people take in a week. All in all, my Oura Ring clocked my total distance walked for the day at over 40 kilometers. Though there are buses that run all throughout the city, Morioka is actually extremely walkable. And, since I had carbed up on the previous day with the kiritanpo, I figured I could use the stroll to work off some of those unneeded calories from dinner.
On the morning of the fourth day, I began by making my way over to Morioka Hachimangu. While it wasn’t my first time visiting this impressive shrine, it was still nonetheless quite beautiful, especially with the added accent of the gentle snowfall. I’ll spare you the details of the shrine’s history (see my Morioka area guide for that), but do know that it is worth a visit despite being on the outskirts of the central areas. Especially if you’re interested in doing the Wanko Soba Challenge, it’s not too far out of the way.
Since I was still a bit jet-lagged after coming back from the States, I was in full-on morning-person mode still at this point in my itinerary. So, since I had an hour left before I could go to Azumaya Honten for lunch, I made a point to go check out the 500 statues of the Buddha’s disciples over at Hoon-ji. En route, I also made a pit stop at Mitsuishi Shrine, a small Shinto sanctuary that is actually the origin of the name for Iwate Prefecture.
After killing some time and exploring a few of Morioka’s lesser-known locales, I looped back to Azumaya Honten for the legendary Wanko Soba Challenge. As the name suggests, this famous activity in Morioka involves sitting down to eat as many small bowls of soba as you can. Less a culinary experience and more akin to a food-fighter competition, the Wanko Soba Challenge is every bit as stressful as the noodles are delicious.
In retrospect, I probably should have thought twice about giving the Wanko Soba Challenge a go. While fun with friends where someone can film you, I was alone with the merciless waitress who continued to frantically fill up my bowl with more and more noodles until I eventually tapped out at 75 bowls. While that might seem like a lot, the scrawny Japanese guy next to me managed to polish off well over 150. What’s more, the average is around 60, so I didn’t do too hot…
Now fully embarrassed that I was not able to keep pace with all of the noodles being forced upon me, I dragged my stuffed body back to Morioka Station and made some ticket reservations for the journey up to Hachinohe Station. I made sure to book a later-than-needed departure to give myself enough time to film the famous “kiss” scene where the Hayabusa and Komachi Shinkansen link up for the journey back to the terminus at JR Tokyo Station.
I had originally planned to go to Hachinohe to film both the nightlife at Miroku Yokocho and the Tatehana Warf Morning Market. However, it was only on the way up that I realized that due to the cold temperatures up in this part of Tohoku, the market doesn’t happen in the mornings. This, folks, is why you need to do some research in advance! Though the hiccup meant I needed to change my travel plans on the fly for day five, I should say that Hachinohe definitely is a city that has enough to warrant visiting anyway.
After pulling into Hachinohe Station, I hopped into a cab immediately to expedite things and taxied over to the Hachinohe City Museum (see my guide to Hachinohe for more details). This facility does an excellent job of chronicling the legacy of Hachinohe over the years and is built on the former site of the local castle. What’s more, many of the plaques are excellently translated into English, something that you wouldn’t expect from a museum located this far out in the countryside of Japan.
Since it started to get dark, after I exited the museum, I hustled my way over to the local Dormy Inn, my go-to business hotel of choice. Here, I ditched what few clothes I had with me into the washing machine and then hopped into the hot onsen to warm up after a chilly walk over from the Hachinohe City Museum. Thereafter, I got ready for a night in Miroku Yokocho, a boozy area of Hachinohe that is a lot like what Shinjuku’s Golden Gai used to be like before it became commodified for tourism.
Day Five in Tohoku
After an epic night out in Miroku Yokocho, I forced myself awake with a few hot and cold cycles in the mizuburo before downing a very large iced coffee and hopping on a bus towards the Korekawa Jomon Museum. Since the morning market just wasn’t happening in Hachinohe, I knew I needed to add a few things to round out my final day. Thankfully, I know Aomori Prefecture really well, so this wasn’t going to be an issue for me, but first, I had to finish up in Hachinohe.
I decided that I would head on up to Aomori City since I had the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area) and could ride the Hayabusa up at no additional cost. Before that though, I wanted to make a point not to pass on the Korekawa Jomon Museum. The ultimate in hidden gems, this amazing curation documents everything that researchers have been able to piece together about the people who have lived in this part of Japan since prehistoric times. If you’re ever in Hachinohe, do yourself a favor and swing by!
After an early morning (and admittedly hurried) encounter with the Jomon period (14,000–300 BCE), I rushed over to Hachinohe Station to catch the next bullet train to Shin-Aomori Station. After arriving, I had a few minutes until my next train to downtown Aomori, so I booked my final Shinkansen with the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area) while I had the time to do so. As I often do, I booked the last train back to Tokyo, and as you’ll see in a second, I was glad that I did so.
What happened after I arrived in Aomori City is a bit of a blur. With only a few hours to cram in as much as I could, I found myself frantically rushing around. Normally, I would never suggest someone travel like this as I barely had enough time to properly appreciate any of the places that I went to shoot. However, since I needed the clips for Instagram content, I had to make the most of the little time I had. In just around five hours, I managed to cram in all of the following:
- Aomori Gyosai Center
First things first, I knew I had to go get some lunch, and I was really craving some nokkedon (I originally came here back in 2018 and have been itching to go back). Essentially a local fish market, the market has devised a system whereby you can waltz around the place creating your own bowl of rice and raw fish. It’s a great way to support local vendors while also customizing your lunch to your liking. - Nebuta Museum WA RASSE
I’ll be frank and say I didn’t actually plan to go in here, but I had a few minutes to spare while waiting for the bus. Though I’ve been in Aomori countless times now, I never actually opted to check out Nebuta Museum WA RASSE, and I must say I am ashamed it took me so long. Found right by Aomori Station, this facility displays a revolving exhibit of four Nebuta floats from the most recent Aomori Nebuta Matsuri summer festival. Needless to say, you’d be a fool to miss it. - Aomori Museum of Art
If you like modern art, this might very well be one of the best museums in all of Japan. While I would have loved to spend a few hours here, I had exactly 45 minutes budgeted to get in, get a quick clip of the iconic “Aomori Dog,” and then continue on to the Sannai Maruyama Site. Were I not on a mission to get what I needed to promote the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area), I’d have done things very differently. - Sannai Maruyama Site
I ended up rolling into this amazing location at around 4 PM, and unfortunately, they close at 5 PM. Had it been my first visit, I’d have felt very cheated as the Sannai Maruyama Site is the kind of attraction that you should allocate at least half a day for. More than a museum, this site is also an ongoing archaeological excavation and is one of the most emblematic places of Jomon culture in all of Japan.he most emblematic places of Jomon culture in all of Japan.
After this, it was time to head back to the Shinkansen station and get ready for the train ride home. Since I had booked the last Hayabusa back, I had some time to kill, so I got dinner within the station and then charged up my trusty MacBook Air and pocket Wi-Fi at a cafe. While most people would be exhausted at this point, I had an article to write on the way back, so there would be no relaxing for me, even after all of this.
Closing Remarks
I’d like to wrap this one up with a few more remarks about the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area) that I didn’t cover in the opening sections. Essentially, while the name may indeed indicate that it is an area pass for the Tohoku region of Japan, you can actually use it when visiting Nikko as well as Echigo-Yuzawa. Confusingly, the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area) does in fact work on the Tobu Railway lines, meaning that you can take the Spacia Nikko and Spacia Kinugawa trains up to Tobu-Nikko and Shimo-Imaichi Stations from Tokyo.
In addition to working on the Tobu Railway, the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area) also includes a bit of the Niigata area. Though you can’t go as far as Niigata City, you can use it to go up to GALA Yuzawa if you want to sneak in some snow sports during your time on the pass. Personally, I’d suggest you do this somewhere else, like up near Nyuto Onsen, if you want to use the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area). For central Japan, there is a different pass that will serve you better for the Niigata region.
Until next time travelers…
