Japan Travel Guide: North Japan / Tohoku – Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, Yamagata

so if you want to experience Japan most people go to Tokyo and then down to Kyoto but we we go north in this video we’re going off the beaten path to Northern Japan from Tokyo we’ll be traveling counterclockwise going up the Eastern side and then coming back down south on the West Side location links are in the description if you want to bookmark the spots to visit them yourself and customize your itinerary stick around for cool architecture up close details travel tips and food recommendations throughout the video so let’s go north tohoku literally means north of east east being the Eastern capital of Tokyo so our first stop is uku [Music] Fukushima it’s a quaint little town nestled in the mountains lined with traditional houses shops and restaurants along the main strip I’d recommend walking up to the lookout to get the best view close by is saai Temple Fukushima the wooden construction of this Temple is amazing look at this exploded axonometric section it’s pretty [Music] crazy this is the world’s only wood double helix structure the ramp spiraling up is completely different from the ramp spiraling down one continuous Journey from Ascension to [Music] descension next we’re heading up to Sendai we’re going to check out Sendai Media Tech by ETO [Music] Toyo instead of having a few very large columns those columns are broken up into a collection a cluster of thin columns that create a space within themselves for elevator cores staircases and a visual connection between the [Music] floors now that we fed our minds with architecture and language I I think it’s time to also feed our bodies as well with the local specialty flame grilled beef tongue and tail [Music] soup meat is thick tender juicy and the soup really warms you up from the cold next we’re going to the cultural and political Center of 12th century Japan harumi IAT today we’re checking out one of its most important temples chonji [Music] Temple so a travel tip for those of you traveling during the winter is to bring studs or spikes that you can strap onto your boots or shoes so that you don’t slip on the ice or the snow make sure to check out the kikido golden Hall unfortunately we couldn’t film inside but it was definitely a sight to behold after steeping in the history we’re going to check out two contemporary buildings right beside each other this building takes advantage of concrete structural strength as well as its materiality and texture by leaving the texture of the wood from the formwork on the finished [Music] surface so you gradually move into this roadside station from the street to the atrium to the stores inside there’s no hard boundary between inside and outside and the spaces make very good use of the Triangular leftover spaces of the site so heading back to the station we came across a public toilet finished in Wood it was clean and oh man thank you Japan for clean toilets next we’re going up to monoka I so after some traditional architecture and some matchup I think we need need a little bit more caffeine thankfully moroka city has a very unique coffee culture and various coffee shops throughout the city today we’re checking out Kena coffee they have two separate buildings across the street from each other and they exhibit Pottery lacquerware glass handicrafts that interested the founding owner there’s a really interesting blend of Japanese and European architectural Styles as well as very good coffee unfortunately we weren’t able to film inside but that was a good cup of coffee before we get going to our next location we can’t leave without trying the three great noodles of mioca [Music] I was pretty full so before we leave the prefecture I would like to mention the little town of tono and this little town has a very unique culture history arts and crafts and you can also find the tono children’s book Forest by tadal Ando we didn’t have time to drop by this time but I was there a few years back in the spring and it was a very beautiful little town if you do get the chance to swing by I would definitely recommend it with that we are heading over to alore the northernmost point in our trip [Music] our next stop is hirosaki alory and before we got to the castle we swung by this saki Brewery and the old lady there was very welcoming and she explained to us how the building was once built entirely out of wood and for seismic reinforcements and code related issues the building was set back from the street and seismically reinforced and they did their best to retain the purity of the wood structure with using as little steel members as possible she also gave us apples to take with us on our trip [Music] next we’re heading to Akita [Music] [Music] [Music] within the castle grounds is this tea house and Michael Performance Hall and unfortunately it was closed for the day however in preparation for the performance that night a m was there so we asked her if she could let us in the building and show us around and we got an exclusive tour of the building some interesting details include this beam support and this door’s frame and glass for dinner we’re going to get some kiny tumet and for breakfast I’m feeling some extra protein [Music] [Music] so after all of this travel we’re starting to need some Rejuvenation we need to soak in some hot springs we’re heading to ginan onen so while you’re soaking in the onen and the hot springs don’t forget to also soak in The Vibes of the town that was used as a reference for some of our favorite movies like jibli I would also recommend staying in the onen village if you can get your reservation in early if you can’t no worries you can also drop in to the onen for a day use facility and a travel tip is to hang on to those towels that you get at your hotel your onen Yan or the dayuse facility as they make a practical and memorable gift next we’re going into Yamagata City to check out shelter inclusive place copel the roof Blends in with the surrounding landscape and things like this bench blur the boundaries between inside and outside it’s a really fun place for kids and myself I’m still a kid last we’re going to wrap it up by soaking in the on sense at [Music] Z and for a ride back home we got our Yamagata [Music] beef a travel tip is to grab hot water before getting to the station because the convenience stores at the Stations don’t have hot water dispensers all right and there you have it we are heading back to Tokyo thank you for sticking around we checked out some interesting architecture food and culture that hope inspired you all and I hope to see you next time [Music]

Food, architecture, and local ins of Japan’s northern region, Tohoku.

Shot on Fujifilm XH1

Locations and Chapters:
00:00 Introduction

00:45 Ouchijuku, Fukushima
https://maps.app.goo.gl/hND74SnUd8KZkaEM6

01:07: Sazae Temple, Fukushima
https://maps.app.goo.gl/GU864g1rfFtUiFqp9

01:52 Sendai Mediatheque, Sendai
https://maps.app.goo.gl/WP1Zu4tjJECxbsit8

02:32 Aji Tasuke Honten, Sendai
https://maps.app.goo.gl/W3K1kkp61o99zB5KA

02:53 Genbikei Gorge, Iwate
https://maps.app.goo.gl/PDy4v9kR19ZtrUJTA

03:08 Chusonji Temple, Iwate
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ubUj5UiUfskERbHA8

03:53 Hiraizumi World Heritage Information Center, Haraizumi, Iwate
https://maps.app.goo.gl/NgT1UqGVxfVaGjsS8

04:15 Roadside Station Hiraizumi, Haraizumi, Iwate
https://maps.app.goo.gl/pgjaZAdPDg6R9MNe8

04:38: Public WC, Iwate:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ydsHJBqVCD1N7E4V9

05:00 Sakurayama Shrine, Morioka, Iwate
https://maps.app.goo.gl/oUE7VRARGt6ATqs7A

05:16 Nanshoso, Morioka, Iwate
https://maps.app.goo.gl/75GQTKuHaB4hFrkz6

05:31 Kogensya Coffee-Kan, Morioka, Iwate
https://maps.app.goo.gl/DJzLz9sLHiXAfqjB9

06:54 Nanbu Shrine, Tono, Iwate
https://maps.app.goo.gl/MkaY2eUm8cRHWLp49

07:00 Children’s Library こども本の森 遠野, Tono, Iwate
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zN61EDSCL8kCds4s8

07:16 A Factory, Aomori City, Aomori
https://maps.app.goo.gl/y5SFSAda3bERaheP9

07:35 Aomori Gyosai Center (Aomori Nokkedon), Aomori City, Aomori
https://maps.app.goo.gl/NaLYQ1f5qm6y4Wk78

07:50 Kaneta Tamada Shuzou カネタ玉田酒造店, Hirosaki, Aomori
https://maps.app.goo.gl/GsJHd3KPtebVi8Wp9

08:24 Hirosaki Castle, Hirosaki, Aomori
https://maps.app.goo.gl/tw1uxmsVhG8pnJEUA

09:15 Matsushita Saryo teahouse, Akita City, Akita
https://maps.app.goo.gl/WRyF9m3br9p33BKAA

10:24 Ginzan Onsen, Yamagata / 2023-01-07-09 Yamagata
https://maps.app.goo.gl/4tEMrfKe3xSRimox7

11:15 Shelter Inclusive Place Copal, Yamagata City, Yamagata
https://maps.app.goo.gl/kwzhbrmwfQQcqJDW9

11:30 Zao Onsen
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zUvgVxL4jWxXqF2o7

#japantravel #japantravelguide #japanesearchitecture #japanesefood

5 Comments

  1. Love the attention to details~! Those are some pretty cool architecture, dont think ive seen them before.

    The food made me hungry🤤🤤

  2. please let me know where you ate dinner in Akita and in Morioka? Thanks, we are going there this summer from NYC and looking forward to experience local Japanese food!