Travel advisory · JapanTohoku is in or near an area where governments advise against all travel: Fukushima Daiichi evacuation and restricted zones.Advice depends on your passport. Read your own government's advice before you book.Official advice
- Fukushima Daiichi evacuation and restricted zones · avoid all travel · Germany, France
| Government | Advice | Updated | Read the advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (FCDO) | No advice against travel to the country | – | Read the advice |
| United States (State Dept) | Exercise normal precautions | May 15, 2025 | Read the advice |
| Canada (Global Affairs) | Take normal security precautions | – | Read the advice |
| Germany (Auswärtiges Amt) | No advice against the whole country; travel to other parts of Japan is radiologically harmless (regional advisories) | Oct 13, 2026 | Read the advice |
| New Zealand (SafeTravel) | Exercise normal safety and security precautions | – | Read the advice |
| Ireland (Department of Foreign Affairs) | Normal Precautions | – | Read the advice |
| France (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs) | No advice against the whole country (regional advisories) | – | Read the advice |
Checked daily from the governments' published advice; last checked Nov 2, 2026. RoamLedger summarises official advice; it is not advice from any government.
Tohoku
Tōhoku is Japan's remote northeast, a scenic region of volcanic mountains, hot springs and a rocky Pacific coast.
We may earn a commission. It never decides our picks.
Tōhoku is the northeastern part of Honshu, Japan's largest island. It covers six prefectures: Aomori, Iwate, Akita, Miyagi, Yamagata and Fukushima. Sendai, in Miyagi, is the region's largest city, and the Tōhoku Shinkansen links it with Tokyo. Most of the land is hilly or mountainous, with volcanic peaks such as Hakkōda and Zaō along the spine. Travelers often split it into North Tōhoku (Aomori, Akita, Iwate) and South Tōhoku (Yamagata, Miyagi, Fukushima), which helps when planning a route.
Visitors come for hot springs, some beside the Sea of Japan shore, and for Lake Towada, the rocky inlets of the Sanriku Coast and the islands of Matsushima Bay. Hiraizumi was the base of the Northern Fujiwara clan from about 1100. Late April tends to be the sunniest stretch, and October often has clear skies. Winter means heavy snow on the Sea of Japan side.
Tohoku in five
- Start in SendaiThe fastest Tohoku shinkansen reaches Sendai in about 1.5 hours from Tokyo.
- Price the JR East PassIt can pay off on long legs to Aomori or Akita, not on a Sendai stay. Coverage and prices have changed recently, so price your own route first.Is the JR Pass worth it?
- Plan around the timetableSome local lines run only a few trains a day. Check the last train before you set out.Seven days on Tohoku's local trains
- Stay the night in an onsen townGinzan Onsen is busiest at dusk in winter. A night there means the lamps without the day visitors.
- Follow a local-train routeTen days from Sendai to Aomori on local lines, with the connections and the stretches where the timetable bites.Tohoku by local train
Neighborhoods
Sendai
- Price band: $$
Hiraizumi
- Price band: $
Ginzan Onsen
Go for a snowbound hot spring town where wooden inns line a river and the streets are lit by gas lamps at night.
Things to do in Tohoku
See all attractions in Tohoku
Need to know
- Gateway
- Sendai, about 1.5 hours from Tokyo by shinkansen
- Rail pass
- JR East Pass; check current coverage and price
- Getting around
- Shinkansen spine, local lines, a rental car for the coast
- Winter
- Heavy snow on the Sea of Japan side, Dec–Mar
- Time needed
- 7–10 days for Sendai, an onsen town and the north
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Snowy days
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- JanuaryPartly cloudy10 rainy days2 snowy daysHigh5°Low-1°Snow inlandJanuaryPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 5°
- Low
- -1°
- Precipitation
- 59 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 2
- Days with storms
- 0
Snow inland
- FebruaryPartly cloudy8 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh6°Low-1°Cold, snowFebruaryPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 6°
- Low
- -1°
- Precipitation
- 48 mm
- Rainy days
- 8
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, snow
- MarchPartly cloudy9 rainy daysHigh10°Low2°Thaw startsMarchPartly cloudy
Good
- High
- 10°
- Low
- 2°
- Precipitation
- 97 mm
- Rainy days
- 9
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Thaw starts
- AprilPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh15°Low7°Blossom lateAprilPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 15°
- Low
- 7°
- Precipitation
- 108 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Blossom late
- MayPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh20°Low12°Fresh greenMayPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 20°
- Low
- 12°
- Precipitation
- 131 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Fresh green
- JuneRain13 rainy daysHigh23°Low16°Cool, rainyJuneRain
Best
- High
- 23°
- Low
- 16°
- Precipitation
- 127 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cool, rainy
- JulyRain17 rainy daysHigh27°Low21°Warm, humidJulyRain
Good
- High
- 27°
- Low
- 21°
- Precipitation
- 191 mm
- Rainy days
- 17
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, humid
- AugustRain16 rainy daysHigh28°Low23°TanabataAugustRain
Good
- High
- 28°
- Low
- 23°
- Precipitation
- 196 mm
- Rainy days
- 16
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Tanabata
- SeptemberRain15 rainy daysHigh25°Low19°Rice harvestSeptemberRain
Best
- High
- 25°
- Low
- 19°
- Precipitation
- 190 mm
- Rainy days
- 15
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Rice harvest
- OctoberRain12 rainy daysHigh19°Low12°Autumn colorOctoberRain
Good
- High
- 19°
- Low
- 12°
- Precipitation
- 171 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Autumn color
- NovemberPartly cloudy8 rainy daysHigh14°Low6°Late colorNovemberPartly cloudy
Good
- High
- 14°
- Low
- 6°
- Precipitation
- 57 mm
- Rainy days
- 8
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Late color
- DecemberPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh8°Low1°Cold, quietDecemberPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 8°
- Low
- 1°
- Precipitation
- 55 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, quiet
Average daily high and low in Tohoku, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Right now in Tohoku
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
6
- Feels like
- 3°
- Humidity
- 88%
- Wind
- 9 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 69%
Tohoku
06:16 AM
Tuesday, November 3
- Today9°4°69%Tuesday: Clear. High 9°, Low 4°. Chance of rain 69%.
- Wed12°5°25%Wednesday: Cloudy. High 12°, Low 5°. Chance of rain 25%.
- Thu10°6°99%Thursday: Rain. High 10°, Low 6°. Chance of rain 99%.
- Fri14°4°92%Friday: Drizzle. High 14°, Low 4°. Chance of rain 92%.
- Sat4°0°100%Saturday: Snow. High 4°, Low 0°. Chance of rain 100%.
- Sun3°-1°76%Sunday: Snow. High 3°, Low -1°. Chance of rain 76%.
Updated 02:04 AM local time · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Money
Mid-market rate1 USD = 157.5 JPY
Rates from Nov 2, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API
Day trips by train
- Matsushima Bayby train from SendaiA bay of small islands that Matsuo Bashō praised for its beauty and calm.
- Hiraizumiby Shinkansen and local transport from SendaiTemples linked to the Northern Fujiwara clan, who ruled Tōhoku as an independent realm in the 12th century.
- Zaōby bus from SendaiVolcanic peaks and hot spring towns on the region's spine, one of the named onsen areas.
- Hirosakiby train from AomoriHirosaki Castle, one of the region's named historical sights, in a castle town.
Before you go to Tohoku
We may earn a commission. It never decides our picks.
Rules for Tohoku, checked
- Check visa and entry requirements on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website before you fly. Rules depend on your nationality.Source
- Declare meat, plants and medicines on arrival. Some medicines need import confirmation before you bring them into Japan.Source
- Tipping is not expected in Japan, including at restaurants and ryokan inns.
- Some rural buses, small shops and inns in Tōhoku take cash only. Carry yen into remote areas.
- Check access and current conditions in areas hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident before you visit.
Plan around Tohoku
Entry, money, rail passes and the best time to go
Read the guideNikkōShrines and waterfalls on the Tobu line north of Tokyo
Read the guideHokkaidoAcross the strait by shinkansen: snow and lakes
Read the guideIs the JR Pass worth it?Price your Tohoku legs before you buy
Read the guideTransport planningRail, rental cars and buses compared
Read the guideTohoku FAQ
How do you get from Tokyo to Sendai?
By Tohoku shinkansen, about 1.5 hours on the fastest trains. From Sendai, local lines and the Yamagata and Akita branches fan out to the coast and the mountains.
When is the best time to visit Tohoku?
Late April to early June for fresh green and late blossom, and October for autumn color. The Sea of Japan side gets heavy snow from December to March, which closes some roads and slows trains.
Do you need a car in Tohoku?
Not for a rail route, which is the point of the local-line itineraries. A car helps on the coast and for remote onsen, but check the winter driving rules first.
How many days do you need in Tohoku?
A long weekend covers Sendai, Matsushima and one onsen town. A week to ten days is needed for the Sendai to Aomori run by local train.
Is the JR Pass worth it for Tohoku?
Rarely for local-train days, which cost little. A pass can help if you ride the shinkansen to Aomori and back, so price the actual legs first.