9 Best Sights in Tohoku, Japan

Founded in AD 850, this temple's highlight is its Konjikido (Golden Hall), which was completed in 1124. The first Ou Fujiwara lord, Kiyohara, commissioned many temples and pagodas during his reign, perhaps as many as 40, not to mention residences for 300 priests. Nearly all were destroyed by fire except for Konjikido, and it is the only structure in Chuson-ji that remains unchanged. More than 3,000 objects have survived and are now kept in the treasure house (Sankozo Museum). It's a 20-minute walk from JR Hiraizumi Station or a 10-minute bus ride.

Ginzan Onsen is known for its unique landscape and distinguished Taisho period (1912–26) architectural design. A flood once destroyed the village in the valley, but it sprung back up with 14 ryokan. A magnificent wooden four-story ryokan from there is depicted in Miyazaki's animated film Spirited Away. The Hanagasa dance shows take place Saturday evenings from May to October. From Yamagata, take a train to JR Oishida Station, then hop on the Hanagasa-Go bus bound for Ginzan Onsen (45 minutes).

Ginzan is another relaxing hot spring close to both Yamagata and Sendai, but this one is more isolated than Sakunami. It's about two to three hours from Sendai by bus, but probably more accessible from JR Oishida Station using the Hanagasa-Go bus, which takes about 45 minutes depending on the season.

On the outskirts of Mt. Atagoyama is a temple district where a dozen temples are clustered. This one houses 499 statues of Buddha's disciples that were carved between 1731 and 1735, in a time of severe famine and increased religious devotion. Each is unique, and if you look hard, you will see disciples laughing, chatting with their neighbors, eating, drinking, and even napping. Behind Ho-Onji are a small cemetery and a tranquil Japanese garden. Monks ring a bell periodically; the sounds echo through the premises and the city. It is a bit out of the way, but if you enjoy wooden architecture, you will not be disappointed.

If you have a car, a day trip to the uppermost "hook" of the Mutsu/Shimokita Peninsula is highly recommended. A 30-minute drive north of Mutsu takes you to Osore-zan, which literally means "Scary Mountain." On the ash-gray shores of the Lake Usori caldera, an otherworldly landscape awaits, with boardwalks that lead over sulfur pools and past shrines to the dead. There's even an enclosed onsen where you can shuck your clothes and bathe in the water. At festivals held in July and October, itako (traditionally blind female shamans, but most who do this are not blind now) open stalls to tell your fortune and communicate with your deceased loved ones. It's a memorable day at the end of the world.

Yamadera is like something conjured out of the ethereal mists of an ancient Japanese charcoal painting. Built in the year AD 860, Yamadera's complex of temples including Risshaku-ji, is perched high on the upper slopes of Mt. Hoju (Hoju-san), from where you can enjoy divine vistas. Just inside the temple-complex entrance is Konpon Chudo, the temple where the sacred Flame of Belief has burned constantly for 1,100 years. Near Konpon Chudo is a statue of the Japanese poet Matsuo Basho (1644–94), whose pithy and colorful haiku related his extensive wanderings throughout Japan. During a visit to the temple, he wrote, "Stillness . . . the sound of cicadas sinks into the rocks" and buried the poem on the spot.

The path continues up many steps—nearly 1,100 of them, well-tended though they may be. At the summit is Oku no In, the hall dedicated to the temple founder, Jikaku Daishi. But if you've come this far, keep going. Of all the temples hanging out over the valley, the view from Godaido is the best. The path becomes crowded in summer and slippery in winter.

South of Mt. Iwaki are the Shirakami Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is home to the world's largest virgin beech forest. The area is truly pristine and great for hiking. If you don't have a car, take the Konan bus from Hirosaki Bus Terminal or Hirosaki Station bound for Tsugaru Touge from June to October, getting off at Tashiro (55 minutes) and walking about five minutes to the visitor center or at Aqua Green Village, Anmon (90 minutes) to see get to the Anmon Falls. If you want to see the Mother Tree—the forest's largest, and presumably oldest tree—get off at the last stop, Tsugaru Toge (two hours, 10 minutes); the tree is a five-minute walk from there. Only a few buses run daily and only at certain times of the year, so check with the visitor's center or your hotel to be sure of departure times and bus stops. Also note that the road beyond Aqua Green Village only opens around July each year.

For walking among the splendid and vast virgin beech, pine, and cedar forests deep in the heart of Tohoku, you could not pick a better destination than Towada-Hachimantai National Park. The mountains afford sweeping panoramas over the park's gorges and valleys, crystal clear lakes like Towada-ko, gnarled and windswept trees, and volcanic cones. The park straddles Aomori, Iwate, and Akita prefectures, and sprawls over 330 square miles (855 square km). Hot springs and tiny villages lost in time are secreted here, and the fresh tree-scented air promotes a feeling of true wilderness. Most facilities are closed between mid-November and April.

The grand mausoleum of Masamune Date, the most revered daimyo of ancient Sendai, was made in the style of the Momoyama Period (16th century), where figures of people, birds, and flowers are carved and inlaid in natural colors. Looking like the world's fanciest one-story pagoda, there is so much gold leaf that in the right light it practically glows. Having burned during the firebombing in 1945, Zuihoden was reconstructed beginning in 1974. During the excavation, Date's well-preserved remains were found and have been reinterred in what appears to be a perfect replica of the original hall. The mausoleum is a 10-minute walk uphill from the Zuihoden stop; it's well worth it as it's a delightful change from other ancient architecture.