Tohoku is made up of Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Yamagata, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures and makes up the northernmost part of the main Honshu island. Generally considered to be the backwoods of Japan, much of its charm lies in its wilderness and unspoiled nature.

The famous haiku poet Matsuo Basho wrote perhaps his most famous work, "the narrow road to the deep north," about his travels to Tohoku in the north of Japan. While the road has got a little better since then, Tohoku is still a very rural area and agriculture is still an important source of employment. While the main cities are little different to those in the rest of Japan, the countryside still has more of the traditional folk culture of Japan, as evidenced by local matsuri and dances.

Tohoku, which translates as "East-North," is the northern section of the main island of Honshu. Its boundaries encompass the six prefectures of Aomori, Iwate, Akita, Miyagi, Yamagata, and Fukushima. Tohoku and the island of Shikoku vie as the least touristed areas of Japan, and the region lags behind the rest of Honshu in industrialization and modernity.

Tohoku's assets are a combination of the preserved culture of classical Japan and natural, virtually unblemished scenic areas. Within its boundaries are three exceptional national parks: Bandai-Asahi (south-central), Rikuchu Kaigan (east coast), and Towada-Hachimantai (north-central). Matsushima, a miniature archipelago of pine-clad islands floating in coastal mist, has been a tourist destination since the mid-1600s. This area, east of Sendai, abounds with temples and shrines that have been sanctuaries for ascetics seeking their higher natures. In temporal contrast, Hirosaki, a small inland city that began as a castle town, is legendary for having the most beautiful women in Japan.

Whenever the climate of an area is harsh, it is predictable that the local festivals are often impressive, serving as psychological buffers against the realities of nature. Unsurprisingly, the festivals of this north country, especially the Nebuta, Tanabata, and Kanto, are some of the most spectacular in Japan. Folk art is thriving in the snowbound rural communities; the cottage industries of lacquerware and handmade copper and iron utensils are a way of life.

Tohoku is the best place to view an older, wizened Japan: a land of unpretentious villages and strong tradition where faintly but firmly beats the venerable heart of Japan

• Shirahama Beach - Hachinohe-city, Aomori
• Jodogahama Beach - Miyako-city
• Fukanuma Beach Arahama - Wakabayashi-ku Sendai-city, Miyagi
• Miyazawa Beach - Oga-city, Akita
• Honjo Marina, Yurihonjo-city, Akita
• Marine Park Nezukaseki - Tsuruoka-city, Yamagata
• Haragamaobama Beach - Souma-city, Fukushima
• Futaba Beach - Futaba Town, Fukushima