Attractions
Hike a new Pacific path on the Michinoku Trail
Tohoku, a region of Japan’s Honshu Island, is known for its volcanoes, mountainous terrain and skiing. It's home to the tiny, pine-covered islets of Matsushima Bay, and Lake Towada, a huge crater lake renowned for its bright-blue color and surrounding forests. Tohoku's biggest city is Sendai, site of the Osaki Hachimangu Shinto shrine and ornate Zuihoden, the tomb of feudal lord Date Masamune.
more
Hike a new Pacific path on the Michinoku Trail
JAPAN // An impressive newcomer on the long-distance hiking scene, the Michinoku Coastal Trail was born out of disaster - an initiative to promote recovery in the communities of Töhoku (northeast Japan) that were devastated by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The roughly 700km (435-mile) trail snakes from Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture to Soma in Fukushima Prefecture, through some of the country's most scenic regions. Hikers traverse pine forests and fields of wildflowers, cliff-backed coves and gritty fishing villages, with mountain climbs and boat trips along the way. Don't have a couple of months to spare? Take your pick of 28 varied sections, which include day and half-day walks. The MCT is also still relatively unknown. While queues gather to summit Mt Fuji in peak season, visitors here can enjoy crowd-free rambles.