Spots
Each spot shows when its facts were last checked against official sources.
By prefecture:Hokkaido (40)Aomori (17)Iwate (23)Miyagi (40)Akita (17)Yamagata (26)Fukushima (26)
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Not on the map (location not confirmed on an official source yet): Juniko Lakes and Aoike Pond, Aquamarine Fukushima, Bandai-Azuma Skyline and Jododaira, Goshikinuma Nature Trail, Urabandai, Hanamiyama Park, Higashiyama Onsen, Iizaka Onsen, Lake Hibara Sightseeing Boat, Mt. Bandai Eruption Memorial Museum, Spa Resort Hawaiians, The Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum, Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples, Kushiro Washo Market, Lake Shikotsu Visitor Center, Manabe Garden, Noboribetsu Jigokudani / Hell Valley, Onuma Quasi-National Park, Otaru Museum: Main Building and Canal Building, Azumaya Honten, wanko soba, Chusonji Temple, Kosode Ama Center, Motsuji Temple, Pairon, Morioka Jajamen, Pyonpyonsha, Morioka Reimen, Entsuin Temple, Izunuma-Uchinuma Sanctuary Center (bird observation), Minamisanriku 311 Memorial, Sendai Asaichi Market, Takekoma Shrine, Tashirojima (Cat Island), Chido Museum
- No photo yetAkita, AkitaAkita City Folk Performing Arts Hall "Neburi Nagashi Kan"A city museum of Akita's festivals where anyone can try balancing a real Kanto festival lantern pole, with live Kanto performances on weekends from April to October.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOdate, AkitaAkita Dog Visitor Center, OdateIn front of Odate Station: see real Akita dogs through glass, plus a small Akita dog museum and a souvenir shop. The building is modelled on the old Shibuya Station of Hachiko's time.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAkita, AkitaAkita Museum of ArtA Tadao Ando-designed museum near Akita Station, home to Tsuguharu Foujita's huge mural "Events in Akita".Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAkita, AkitaAkita Shimin Ichiba MarketAkita's kitchen, 3 min on foot from JR Akita Station: fresh fish, salted salmon roe and cod roe, vegetables, sake and souvenirs, with a market-run sushi bar.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Oga, AkitaCape Nyudozaki and Nyudozaki LighthouseA grassy headland at the northwestern tip of the Oga Peninsula on latitude 40° N, with one of Japan's 16 lighthouses you can climb.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Semboku, AkitaDakigaeri GorgeA 10 km gorge on the Tama River known for fresh green and autumn leaves, with a red suspension bridge and the Mikaeri Falls.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetDaisen, AkitaFormer Ikeda Family GardenThe garden of the Ikeda family, once among the three greatest landowners in Tohoku; in 2004 it became the first garden in Akita designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSemboku, AkitaKakunodate Kabazaiku DenshokanA city craft museum in Kakunodate with live demonstrations of kabazaiku cherry-bark craft, displays of bark and maple-strip crafts, and armour of the Satake-Kita family.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSemboku, AkitaKakunodate Samurai DistrictA preserved Edo-period samurai quarter known as the "Little Kyoto of Tohoku"; several houses are open inside.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetSemboku, AkitaKuroyu Onsen, Nyuto Onsen VillageThe innermost inn of Nyuto Onsen Village, with the spring bubbling up beside the thatched bath huts; open for day bathing from mid-April to early November.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Semboku, AkitaLake TazawaJapan's deepest lake (423.4 m), a round lake about 20 km around with deep blue water.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetOga, AkitaNamahage Museum and Oga Shinzan Folklore MuseumMore than 150 Namahage masks on display, and next door a live Namahage ritual in a traditional farmhouse (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: KQuhen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Oga, AkitaOga Aquarium GAOAn aquarium on the Sea of Japan coast of the Oga Peninsula with polar bears, penguins and seals, and Akita's prefectural fish, the sandfish (hatahata), on show all year.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetKazuno, AkitaOyu Stone CirclesTwo large Jomon-period stone circles (about 2000-1500 BC), part of the World Heritage "Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan".Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Raita Futo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Semboku, AkitaTamagawa OnsenA mountain hot-spring retreat known for Japan's most acidic spring water (pH 1.2, 98°C), with a 9,000-litre-a-minute source; day bathing 10:00-15:00, closed in winter.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetSemboku, AkitaTsurunoyu Onsen, Nyuto Onsen VillageThe oldest of the eight inns in Nyuto Onsen Village, with a thatched-roof main building and four different springs on one site.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetYokote, AkitaYokote Masuda Manga MuseumJapan's first museum dedicated to manga, holding original drawings by over 100 artists; the permanent exhibition is free.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Aomori, AomoriAomori Museum of ArtA white museum inspired by the neighbouring Sannai-Maruyama dig, home to Yoshitomo Nara's 8.5 m "Aomori-ken" dog and Chagall's huge "Aleko" backdrops.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: あおもりくま (Aomorikuma) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Aomori, AomoriHakkoda RopewayA 10-minute ride up Mt. Tamoyachi in the Hakkoda range for autumn leaves, alpine wetlands and, in winter, snow monsters (rime-covered trees).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Hachinohe, AomoriHasshoku CenterHachinohe's big food market: about 70 shops along 170 m, and "Shichirin-mura" where you grill what you buy over charcoal.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Feri88 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Hirosaki, AomoriHirosaki Park and Hirosaki CastleA castle park famous for cherry blossoms; the castle keep is one of Japan's original surviving keeps, but its interior is closed for works until 2033.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: SQZ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Sai, AomoriHotokegaura CoastPale green rock pinnacles lining 2 km of the Shimokita coast, best seen from the sightseeing boats that run from Sai port from April to October.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Hirosaki, AomoriIwakiyama ShrineA shrine at the foot of Mt. Iwaki, founded according to its history in 780 on the summit and moved to its present site in 1091; its gate, main hall and other buildings are Important Cultural Properties.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Fukaura, AomoriJuniko Lakes and Aoike PondA group of 33 lakes and ponds in the beech forests on the western edge of the Shirakami Mountains, famous for the cobalt-blue Aoike pond; open to walkers from April to November.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: panina.anna / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0Hachinohe, AomoriKabushima Island, Black-tailed Gull ColonyA former island, now joined to the shore, where tens of thousands of black-tailed gulls nest from spring to summer — a national Natural Monument you can watch up close, with Kabushima Shrine on the island.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Soica2001 / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (PD-self) (resized)Towada, AomoriLake TowadaA caldera lake straddling Aomori and Akita, 327 m deep at its deepest point (third deepest in Japan) and the source of the Oirase Stream.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Mutsu, AomoriMt. Osore / Osorezan Bodaiji TempleA volcanic sacred site on the Shimokita Peninsula where Buddhist belief about the afterlife meets sulphur vents, a lake and a white-sand shore; open only from May to October.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Aomori, AomoriNebuta Museum WA RASSERight next to Aomori Station: full-size Nebuta floats that actually paraded in the festival, on display all year, with a short drum-and-dance session.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Daderot / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Towada, AomoriOirase StreamA 14 km stream flowing out of Lake Towada from Nenokuchi to Yakeyama, with waterfalls and walking paths along the road.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Aomori, AomoriSannai-Maruyama SiteOne of Japan's largest Jomon settlement sites, with reconstructed pit houses and a huge post building; part of the World Heritage "Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan" (2021).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Aomori, AomoriSukayu Onsen, day bathingA mountain onsen at about 900 m in Hakkoda, famous for the "Hiba Sennin-buro", a 160-tatami mixed bath built entirely of hiba wood.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Goshogawara, AomoriTachineputa MuseumA Tachineputa festival float as tall as the 4-storey atrium, viewed from walkways that circle it at different heights (the floats in the Goshogawara festival are about 23 m tall).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Hirosaki, AomoriTsugaruhan Neputa VillageNext to Hirosaki Park: a full-size Neputa festival float, live Tsugaru shamisen without microphones, craft workshops and Tsugaru home cooking.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTsuruta, AomoriTsuru-no-Mai BridgeA 300 m triple-arched bridge made of Aomori hiba over Tsugaru Fujimi Lake, said to be the longest of its kind in Japan, with Mt. Iwaki reflected in the water.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Tamura, FukushimaAbukuma CaveA limestone cave found in a quarry in 1969 and open to visitors since 1973, with halls up to 29 m high and rare formations, plus an adventure course where you crouch through narrow passages.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetAizuwakamatsu, FukushimaAizu Bukeyashiki Samurai ResidenceA museum centred on a reconstruction of the house of Saigo Tanomo, chief retainer of the Aizu domain, with historic buildings and hands-on crafts such as painting an akabeko cow.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAizuwakamatsu, FukushimaAizu Clan School NisshinkanA faithful reconstruction of the Aizu domain's top school, founded in 1803, where samurai sons studied from age 10; try archery or zazen, or paint an akabeko cow.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAizuwakamatsu, FukushimaAizu SazaedoA 16.5 m, six-sided three-storey hall built in 1796 on Iimoriyama, with a unique double-spiral slope inside (Important Cultural Property).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIwaki, FukushimaAquamarine FukushimaA large aquarium at Onahama port in Iwaki.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: clef / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Fukushima, FukushimaBandai-Azuma Skyline and JododairaA free 29 km scenic mountain road reaching 1,622 m, one of Japan's 100 best roads, passing scenic spots such as Mt. Azuma-kofuji and Jododaira; open from late April to mid-November.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Sugikats / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kitashiobara, FukushimaGoshikinuma Nature Trail, UrabandaiAn easy 4 km trail past 20-30 small lakes whose colours change with the season, weather and time of day.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: T-KIMURA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Fukushima, FukushimaHanamiyama ParkA hillside of flowering trees planted by the farming family who own it, open to the public; in spring it is a mass of cherry, plum and other blossoms.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetInawashiro, FukushimaHideyo Noguchi Memorial MuseumThe Hideyo Noguchi memorial museum in Inawashiro, together with an infectious-disease museum; allow about 70 minutes for both.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAizuwakamatsu, FukushimaHigashiyama OnsenA hot-spring town about 10 minutes by car from central Aizuwakamatsu, said to have been found by the priest Gyoki about 1,300 years ago and once the Aizu domain's spa; the sulphate water flows at about 1,500 litres a minute.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAizuwakamatsu, FukushimaHoshiban Picture Candle ShopA picture-candle shop on Nanukamachi founded in 1772 as craftsmen to the Aizu domain, where flowers are hand-painted on candles and you can try painting your own (booking required).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 皓月旗 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Fukushima, FukushimaIizaka OnsenA hot-spring town 25 minutes by train from JR Fukushima Station, with 8 public bathhouses, foot baths and day bathing at inns; Basho mentioned it in The Narrow Road to the Deep North.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetIwaki, FukushimaIwaki La La MewA roadside station in Onahama, Iwaki's tourism and local-produce centre, with a seafood market street, seafood restaurants on two floors (the 2nd floor facing the Pacific) and a barbecue zone.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetShirakawa, FukushimaKomine Castle RuinsA national historic site 5 min on foot from JR Shirakawa Station: a hilltop castle rebuilt in stone in 1632, burned in the Boshin War in 1868, with a three-storey turret rebuilt in wood in 1991.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAizuwakamatsu, FukushimaKowashimizu SpringA spring known as "the famous water of Aizu", sung of in the folk song Aizu Bandaisan and chosen as one of Fukushima's 30 best waters; once an important rest stop on the old Nihonmatsu road.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKitashiobara, FukushimaLake Hibara Sightseeing BoatA 35-minute cruise among the islands of Lake Hibara, Urabandai's largest lake, with views of the crater left on Mt. Bandai; runs from April 29 to November 8.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Miharu, FukushimaMiharu Takizakura cherry treeA weeping cherry over 1,000 years old, one of Japan's three great cherry trees and the first cherry designated a Natural Monument (1922).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAizuwakamatsu, FukushimaMitsutaya, miso dengakuA miso shop where you can eat Aizu miso dengaku — tofu, konnyaku, herring and vegetables with sweet miso, grilled over a charcoal hearth.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetKitashiobara, FukushimaMt. Bandai Eruption Memorial MuseumA volcano museum in Urabandai remembering the many victims of Mt. Bandai's 1888 steam explosion and explaining how the highlands formed afterwards; next door, a 3D theatre recreates the eruption.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Shimogo, FukushimaOuchi-juku post townA former post town on an old road with thatched-roof houses lining the street, now shops and restaurants.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetAizuwakamatsu, FukushimaOyakuen Garden, Aizu Matsudaira Clan GardenA strolling garden of the Aizu lords around a heart-shaped pond on about 1.7 hectares, a National Place of Scenic Beauty, where about 400 kinds of medicinal plants are still grown.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIwaki, FukushimaShiramizu Amidado Hall, Ganjoji TempleA late-Heian Amida hall set in a Pure Land garden, said to have been built by Fujiwara no Kiyohira's daughter; it is the only building in Fukushima designated a National Treasure.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIwaki, FukushimaSpa Resort HawaiiansA hot-spring resort with indoor pools and baths kept at summer temperatures year-round.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAizuwakamatsu, FukushimaSuehiro Sake Brewery, Kaei-guraA sake brewery founded in 1850 in the town of Aizuwakamatsu, with free guided brewery tours of about 30 minutes, a café and a tall-ceilinged hall.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFutaba, FukushimaThe Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial MuseumFukushima Prefecture's museum on the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, in Futaba.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAizuwakamatsu, FukushimaTsuruga-jo Castle, Aizu-WakamatsuThe symbol of Aizu-Wakamatsu; the reconstructed keep houses a local history museum and the top floor looks out over the city.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAbashiri, HokkaidoAbashiri Prison MuseumAn open-air museum preserving the old buildings of Abashiri Prison, including four Important Cultural Properties, on a site about 3.5 times the size of Tokyo Dome.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 欅 (Keyaki) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Asahikawa, HokkaidoAsahiyama ZooA zoo run by Asahikawa City, open in a summer and a winter season, with houses for penguins, seals and polar bears and a penguin walk.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Lkj12344321 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Abashiri, HokkaidoAurora Drift Ice Sightseeing Icebreaker, AbashiriA one-hour icebreaker cruise into the Sea of Okhotsk drift ice, running only from late January to March; with no ice nearby it becomes a coastal cruise to Cape Notoro.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: MIKI Yoshihito / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Obihiro, HokkaidoBanei Tokachi, Obihiro RacecourseThe only horse race of its kind in the world: draft horses weighing about a ton pull iron sleds over two slopes on a 200 m straight course. Entry is free.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetWakkanai, HokkaidoCape SoyaThe northernmost point of Hokkaido's main island at 45°31'22"N, marked by a triangular monument; on clear days you can see Sakhalin more than 40 km away.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Jolly Yau / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Nakafurano, HokkaidoFarm TomitaA flower farm famous for its lavender fields, with free entry and free parking; the lavender peaks in early to mid July.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Shift / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kamikawa, HokkaidoGinga and Ryusei Falls, SounkyoTwo falls on the Sounkyo gorge cliffs, among Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls: the slender, silky Ginga and the single powerful Ryusei, seen up close from the car park.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetHakodate, HokkaidoGoryokaku TowerA tower whose observation deck, 90 m up, looks straight down on the star-shaped Goryokaku fort, a Special Historic Site, and across Hakodate to Mt. Hakodate.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHakodate, HokkaidoHakodate Morning MarketAbout 250 stalls and eateries next to Hakodate Station selling crab, salmon and other seafood, with rice-bowl restaurants open from early morning.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetSapporo, HokkaidoHistorical Village of HokkaidoAn open-air museum where buildings from across Hokkaido, built from the Meiji era to the early Showa era, have been moved and restored on 54.2 hectares, opened in 1983.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Sapporo Tourism Photo Library (City of Sapporo)Sapporo, HokkaidoHokkaido Jingu ShrineA Shinto shrine in Sapporo, 15 minutes on foot from Maruyama-Koen subway station, whose gates open and close at different times through the year.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetAbashiri, HokkaidoHokkaido Museum of Northern PeoplesA museum on Mt. Tento in Abashiri about the peoples of the far north, from the Inuit of Greenland to the Sami of Scandinavia, and the ancient Okhotsk culture.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetHakodate, HokkaidoKanemori Red Brick WarehouseRed-brick warehouses on Hakodate's bay, rebuilt in 1909 after the great fire and turned into shops, a beer hall and a hall in 1988; some are still working warehouses.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: lienyuan lee / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Kushiro, HokkaidoKushiro Japanese Crane ReserveA park 10 min from Kushiro Airport where red-crowned cranes, a Special Natural Monument, can be seen all year; in 1970 it achieved the world's first artificial hatching of the species.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kushiro, HokkaidoKushiro Marsh ObservatoryA city-run observatory over Kushiro Marsh, Japan's first Ramsar wetland, with exhibits, a rooftop view and a 2.5 km boardwalk loop.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Midori / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Kushiro, HokkaidoKushiro Washo MarketKushiro's market by the station, where you build your own "katte-don" rice bowl by buying rice at one stall and seafood toppings at others.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetKushiro, HokkaidoLake Akan Ainu Theater IkorAn indoor theatre in the Ainu village (kotan) at Lake Akan, where traditional Ainu dances and a digital-art performance are staged daily without booking.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: melvil / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Ashoro, HokkaidoLake OnnetoA lake about 20 min by car from Lake Akan, known for its reflection of Mt. Meakan; there is a viewing deck on the shore with room to park.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Chitose, HokkaidoLake Shikotsu Visitor CenterThe national-park visitor centre by Lake Shikotsu, with exhibits on the volcanoes, forests and lake life, a kokanee salmon tank and a 15-minute film; the bus from New Chitose Airport takes about 55 min.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Toyako, HokkaidoLake Toya and Toyako OnsenJapan's third-largest caldera lake, with Mt. Usu and Mt. Yotei in view and a lakeside hot-spring town that holds a 20-minute firework show every night from late April to October.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: melvil / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Obihiro, HokkaidoManabe GardenA garden in Obihiro combining a Japanese garden, a conifer-filled European garden and a landscape garden; open late April to late November, with pets and wheelchairs welcome.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetMatsumae, HokkaidoMatsumae CastleJapan's last castle built in the traditional style (completed 1854) in Hokkaido's only castle town; the rebuilt keep is a museum, and the park has about 10,000 cherry trees of 250 varieties.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHakodate, HokkaidoMt. Hakodate RopewayA three-minute ropeway ride up Mt. Hakodate (334 m) to one of Japan's best-known night views of the city.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Sorah Fukumori / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Sapporo, HokkaidoMt. Moiwa Ropeway, SapporoA ropeway and mini cable car up Mt. Moiwa, the classic spot for Sapporo's night view; open until 22:00 and wheelchair accessible all the way to the summit deck.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetYoichi, HokkaidoNikka Whisky Yoichi DistilleryNikka's Hokkaido distillery, 5 min on foot from JR Yoichi Station: a free guided tour of the outdoor production area with tasting (booking required), plus a museum, shop and restaurant you can visit without booking.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNiseko, HokkaidoNiseko Takahashi Dairy Farm Milk KoboA dairy farm shop in Niseko selling soft-serve, cream puffs and drinking yogurt made with its own milk.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Calistemon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Noboribetsu, HokkaidoNoboribetsu Jigokudani / Hell ValleyAn explosion crater about 450 m across, full of steaming vents, that supplies some 10,000 tonnes of hot-spring water a day to Noboribetsu Onsen.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Sapporo Tourism Photo Library (City of Sapporo)Sapporo, HokkaidoOdori ParkA 1.5 km park strip through central Sapporo, from West 1-chome to West 12-chome, and the main venue for the Snow Festival, Autumn Fest and other events.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: lumoplank / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Nanae, HokkaidoOnuma Quasi-National ParkLakes Onuma and Konuma, dotted with 126 islets joined by bridges and walking paths, beneath Mt. Komagatake; 10 min by limited express from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetOtaru, HokkaidoOtaru Art BaseFive museums in Otaru's old bank buildings and stone warehouses near the canal, including the former Mitsui Bank Otaru Branch, an Important Cultural Property.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOtaru, HokkaidoOtaru Museum: Main Building and Canal BuildingOtaru's city museum: the Main Building in Temiya, where you can ride carriages pulled by the steam locomotive "Iron Horse", and the Canal Building beside the Otaru Canal, 1.5 km away.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNakasatsunai, HokkaidoRokka no MoriA 100,000 m² forest garden of the wildflowers drawn on Rokkatei confectioner's wrapping paper, with galleries in relocated Croatian farmhouses; open from late April to mid-October.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSapporo, HokkaidoSapporo Beer MuseumA museum telling the story of beer-making that began in Sapporo as a Hokkaido development project, with a smartphone audio guide in Japanese, English, Korean and Chinese, and paid tastings.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Sapporo Tourism Photo Library (City of Sapporo)Sapporo, HokkaidoSapporo Clock TowerThe former drill hall of Sapporo Agricultural College, built in 1878 and now a museum; a National Important Cultural Property in the city center.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetSapporo, HokkaidoSapporo TV TowerA 144 m tower by Odori Park, with an observation deck at 90.38 m open until 22:00, right by exit 27 of Odori subway station.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: lumoplank / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Biei, HokkaidoShikisai-no-Oka Flower FieldsHillside flower fields in Biei with an alpaca farm and tractor-bus rides; entry is charged only from July to September, and most payments are cash only.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: lumoplank / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Biei, HokkaidoShirahige FallsA 30 m waterfall where groundwater gushes from the rocks into the cobalt-blue Biei River at Shirogane Onsen, lit up every evening all year.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Shari, HokkaidoShiretoko Five LakesFive lakes in virgin forest below the Shiretoko mountains, seen from a free elevated boardwalk or, with rules that change by season because of brown bears, from ground trails.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: AndyLeungHK / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Biei, HokkaidoShirogane Blue PondA pond formed behind an erosion-control dam below Mt. Tokachi, whose water looks strikingly blue among standing dead larches.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetSapporo, HokkaidoShiroi Koibito ParkThe theme park of Hokkaido's famous Shiroi Koibito biscuits: factory lines, a sweets workshop, a rose garden and a clock tower, 5 min from Miyanosawa subway station.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMorioka, IwateAzumaya Honten, wanko sobaA soba restaurant founded in 1907, known for wanko soba: servers keep tossing single mouthfuls of soba into your bowl until you stop.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetHiraizumi, IwateChusonji TempleThe head Tendai temple of Tohoku in Hiraizumi, home of the gold-covered Konjikido hall.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTono, IwateDensho-en, TonoA heritage village preserving Tono's old way of life — an L-shaped magariya farmhouse, a water mill and folk tales — with local dishes such as hittsumi soup.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Ichinoseki, IwateGenbikei GorgeA 2 km gorge of strange rocks, potholes and waterfalls carved by the Iwai River, a national Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument, famous for its "flying dumplings".Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Thyristorchopper / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Hachimantai, IwateHachimantai Aspite LineA 27 km scenic road across the Hachimantai plateau between Iwate and Akita, with views of Mt Iwate; in spring it runs between walls of snow.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetHanamaki, IwateHanamaki Onsen: Rose Garden and Day BathingA hot-spring resort 5 min from Hanamaki IC, developed in 1923, with a rose garden of 6,000 bushes and a sundial flower bed designed by Kenji Miyazawa, plus day bathing at three hotels.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetHiraizumi, IwateHiraizumi World Heritage Guidance CenterThe prefectural centre, opened on November 20, 2021, that explains the value of Hiraizumi's World Heritage sites, with a corner on the Yanagi-no-Gosho site, thought to be the Oshu Fujiwara government office.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMorioka, IwateIwachu Nambu Ironware MuseumA Nambu ironware maker's factory where you can watch craftsmen cast and lacquer kettles up close, plus the largest ironware showroom in Iwate. Free entry.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetRikuzentakata, IwateIwate Tsunami Memorial MuseumA free museum opened in 2019 in the Takata-Matsubara memorial park to pass on the facts and lessons of the Great East Japan Earthquake tsunami and show the recovery; nearby stands the "miracle pine" that survived.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: くろふね / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0Miyako, IwateJodogahama Beach / Visitor CenterA white-pebble beach framed by pale rocks in the Sanriku Fukko National Park; the visitor centre gives information on the park.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShizukuishi, IwateKoiwai Farm Makiba-enThe visitor area of Koiwai Farm, one of Japan's largest private farms; 21 farm buildings were designated Important Cultural Properties in 2017.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: くろふね / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Kuji, IwateKosode Ama CenterOn the cliff-lined Kosode coast, the "northernmost ama divers", made famous by the drama Amachan, give free-diving demonstrations on weekends and holidays from July to September.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetHanamaki, IwateMiyazawa Kenji Dowa-muraA place to step into the world of Kenji Miyazawa's children's stories: the "Kenji's School" with five themed zones, log-house exhibits and a shop of Kenji goods and Hanamaki specialities.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetHanamaki, IwateMiyazawa Kenji Memorial MuseumHanamaki City's museum on the author and poet Miyazawa Kenji.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMorioka, IwateMorioka Castle Site ParkThe site of the Nanbu clan's castle, completed in 1633; its stone walls and ponds remain in a city-centre park.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetMorioka, IwateMorioka Tezukuri-mura Craft VillageA craft village near Tsunagi Onsen where you can watch artisans make traditional crafts, local food and sweets and join their classes, plus a late-Edo L-shaped farmhouse. Free entry.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Morioka, IwateMorioka Tsunagi OnsenMorioka's backyard hot-spring resort, where inns and hotels look down on Lake Gosho; the name comes from the legend that Minamoto no Yoshiie tied up his horse here to rest.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetHiraizumi, IwateMotsuji TempleA Hiraizumi temple whose Heian-period Pure Land garden around the Oizumi-ga-ike pond survives almost intact (Special Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetHanamaki, IwateNamari Onsen Fujisan RyokanA zelkova-wood inn with over 600 years of hot-spring history and four baths fed straight from the source, including the 1.25 m-deep "Shirozaru-no-yu" where you bathe standing.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Searobin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Morioka, IwatePairon, Morioka JajamenThe original jajamen shop, open about 60 years and always with a queue: warm noodles topped with fried meat miso, cucumber, ginger and leek; afterwards crack an egg into the bowl for chitan soup.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetMorioka, IwatePyonpyonsha, Morioka ReimenA Morioka reimen and yakiniku restaurant: chewy, smooth noodles made with high-grade potato starch in a rich beef-and-chicken broth with its own sour-spicy kimchi; open until 23:00 every day.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIwaizumi, IwateRyusendo CaveOne of Japan's three great limestone caves (a Natural Monument), with clear underground lakes; the third lake is 98 m deep.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetHachimantai, IwateYakehashiri no Yu, Mt. IwateA day-bathing hot spring at the foot of Mt. Iwate in the Yakehashiri International Exchange Village, open until 20:30-21:00.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSendai, MiyagiAkiu Craft VillageWorkshops of traditional crafts - Sendai chests, kokeshi dolls, fossil-wood carving, dyeing, wood carving - where you can watch artisans and buy or order pieces.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Tak1701d / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Sendai, MiyagiAkiu Great FallsA large waterfall in the mountains west of Sendai, with a viewing platform and a trail down to the basin.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetSendai, MiyagiArahama Elementary School (earthquake disaster remains)The school building hit by the 2011 tsunami, preserved by Sendai City to pass on the lessons of the disaster.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMatsushima, MiyagiEntsuin TempleA Rinzai Zen temple next to Zuiganji, built as the mausoleum of Date Mitsumune; known for its gardens, roses and autumn illuminations.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOsaki, MiyagiFormer Yubikan School and GardenAn Edo-period school building of the Iwadeyama Date family with its garden (a National Historic Site and Place of Scenic Beauty), a 1-min walk from Yubikan Station.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetShibata, MiyagiFunaoka Castle Ruins ParkA hilltop park on a castle site with a 305 m slope car to the summit, a 24 m Kannon statue and views of the Zao mountains and the Pacific.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIshinomaki, MiyagiIshinomori Manga Museum (Mangattan)Museum of the manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori (Cyborg 009, Kamen Rider) in the Nakaze area of Ishinomaki.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: renshuchu / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Kurihara, MiyagiIzunuma-Uchinuma Sanctuary Center (bird observation)Visitor center on the Izunuma and Uchinuma wetlands, with telescopes on the upper floor for watching wild geese and swans.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetSendai, MiyagiJogi Nyorai Saihoji TempleA temple in the mountains west of Sendai with a five-storey pagoda.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIshinomaki, MiyagiKadonowaki Elementary School (Earthquake Disaster Remains)A school damaged by the 2011 tsunami and fire, preserved by Ishinomaki City as disaster remains; a tablet guide is available in English, Chinese and Korean.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetZao, MiyagiKami-no-yu public bath, Togatta OnsenA public bath in Togatta Onsen town at the foot of Mt Zao, built with Aomori hiba wood; flowing hot-spring water, with a hot bath and a cooler bath.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKesennuma, MiyagiKesennuma Umi-no-Ichi (seafood market and Shark Museum)A seafood market building next to Kesennuma fish market, with restaurants, shops and a museum about sharks.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIshinomaki, MiyagiKoganeyama Shrine, Kinkasan IslandA shrine on Kinkasan, an island off the tip of the Oshika Peninsula, reached by boat from Ayukawa or Onagawa; deer and monkeys live on the island.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Japanexperterna.se / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Matsushima, MiyagiMatsushima Bay Cruise (Niomaru course)A 50-minute round-trip sightseeing boat among the islands of Matsushima Bay, leaving from Matsushima town.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetMinamisanriku, MiyagiMinamisanriku 311 MemorialThe town's museum on the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, inside Michi-no-Eki Sansan Minamisanriku next to the Sun Sun Shopping Village; the learning theatre shows 15- or 45-min programmes.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMinamisanriku, MiyagiMinamisanriku Sun Sun Shopping VillageA shopping street rebuilt in Minamisanriku after the 2011 tsunami, with seafood restaurants and local shops.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 石巻敎祖 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Tome, MiyagiMiyagi Meiji Village, Tome (historic town)An old town with Meiji-era buildings, merchant storehouses and samurai houses; six historic buildings are open as museums.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShiroishi, MiyagiMiyagi Zao Fox VillageA park at the foot of the Zao mountains where foxes roam freely around the visitor paths.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetZao, MiyagiMiyagi Zao Kokeshi MuseumA museum of about 5,500 traditional kokeshi dolls and wooden toys in Togatta Onsen, where you can paint your own kokeshi and watch a craftsman turn one on the lathe.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: lumoplank / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Osaki, MiyagiNaruko GorgeA gorge up to 100 m deep carved by the Oya River, known for autumn colours (usually mid-October to mid-November).Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetSendai, MiyagiNikka Whisky Miyagikyo DistilleryA whisky distillery in Aoba-ku, Sendai, with free guided tours by reservation and a visitor center.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSendai, MiyagiOsaki Hachimangu ShrineA Shinto shrine built in 1607 by Date Masamune; its main building is a National Treasure.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Sendai, MiyagiRairaikyo GorgeA rocky gorge in the middle of Akiu Onsen town; a walk from the Akiu Sato Center to the "Tenpugan" rock takes about 20 min.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetKesennuma, MiyagiRias Ark Museum of ArtKesennuma's city art museum, with a permanent exhibition recording the Great East Japan Earthquake and the history of tsunami disasters.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMarumori, MiyagiSairi Yashiki (merchant house museum)The storehouses and residence of a merchant family, open as a local history museum in Marumori.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSendai, MiyagiSendai Asaichi MarketA street of fresh food shops near Sendai Station, which calls itself "Sendai's kitchen".Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetSendai, MiyagiSendai Castle Ruins (Aoba Castle)The hilltop site of Date Masamune's castle, with stone walls, the Date Masamune statue and a view over the city.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSendai, MiyagiSendai City MuseumSendai's city history museum, on the site of Sendai Castle's third enclosure, below the castle ruins.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSendai, MiyagiSendai Umino-Mori AquariumAn aquarium in Miyagino-ku, Sendai.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetShiogama, MiyagiShiogama ShrineA shrine on Ichimoriyama hill in Shiogama. Shiwahiko Shrine stands in the same grounds.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetShiroishi, MiyagiShiroishi CastleA castle whose keep and gates were rebuilt in wood in 1995; it was a branch castle of Sendai held by the Katakura family.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIwanuma, MiyagiTakekoma ShrineA large Inari shrine in Iwanuma, about 15 min on foot from Iwanuma Station.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOsaki, MiyagiTakinoyu public bath, Naruko OnsenA small wooden public bath in Naruko Onsen with sulphur hot spring water, the sacred bath of Onsen Shrine.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 暇・カキコ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Ishinomaki, MiyagiTashirojima (Cat Island)A small inhabited island off Ishinomaki, known for cats and its cat shrine, reached by ferry.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetTagajo, MiyagiTohoku History MuseumMiyagi Prefecture's museum of Tohoku history from the Palaeolithic to modern times, right next to Kokufu-Tagajo Station.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSendai, MiyagiYagiyama Zoological Park Fujisaki-no-MoriSendai's city zoo, right by Yagiyama Zoological Park subway station, with feeding and animal-contact sessions.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNatori, MiyagiYuriage Port Morning MarketA Sunday and holiday morning market at Yuriage port with 50+ stalls, a seafood auction anyone can join, and grills for cooking what you buy.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Zao, MiyagiZao Okama Crater LakeA crater lake near the summit of the Zao mountains, seen from a viewpoint at about 1,600 m.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetMatsushima, MiyagiZuiganji TempleNational Treasure temple in Matsushima; family temple of the Date clan.Official check: 24 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSendai, MiyagiZuihodenMausoleum of Date Masamune, founder of the Sendai domain.Official check: 24 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKahoku, YamagataBenibana Museum, Former Horigome ResidenceThe restored residence of a wealthy safflower merchant, opened in 1984, telling how Mogami safflower was sent to Kyoto for rouge and dye; a safflower field blooms in early July, and you can dye a silk scarf (booking required).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetYamagata, YamagataBunshokan (former Yamagata Prefectural Office)The brick former prefectural office and assembly hall built in 1916 (an Important Cultural Property), restored and open free of charge.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTsuruoka, YamagataChido MuseumA museum in Tsuruoka where you can walk through the Shonai lords' retirement villa, Meiji-era Western-style buildings such as the old police station and district office, the Sakai family garden and folk-tool storehouses.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamagata Prefecture (yamagatakanko.com)Obanazawa, YamagataGinzan OnsenA hot-spring town of Taisho-era wooden inns along the Ginzan River; day visitors park outside and take a shuttle bus in.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: monja.rs.z / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0Okura, YamagataHijiori Onsen Morning MarketThe early-morning market of Hijiori Onsen, held every morning from late April to early December, with seasonal mountain vegetables and produce. It runs until 7:30, from 5:30 (May-August) or 6:00 (other months).Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetSagae, YamagataHonzan Jionji TempleAn ancient temple said to date from the Nara period, once the largest temple in Tohoku, with an Important Cultural Property main hall built in 1618 and Heian- and Kamakura-era Buddhist statues; allow 60 minutes or more.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamagata Prefecture (yamagatakanko.com)Tsuruoka, YamagataKamo AquariumTsuruoka's city aquarium, famous for its jellyfish displays including a large round jellyfish tank.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamagata Prefecture (yamagatakanko.com)Yuza, YamagataMaruike-sama Spring PondA spring-fed pond about 20 m across and 3.5 m deep with emerald-green water; it is revered as a deity, with a small shrine on its bank.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamagata Prefecture (yamagatakanko.com)Tozawa, YamagataMogami River Boat Ride (Basho Line)A boat ride down the Mogami River gorge with the boatman's songs; in winter (Dec-Mar) kotatsu (heated-table) boats run.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamagata Prefecture (yamagatakanko.com)Tsuruoka, YamagataMt Haguro (Dewa Sanzan Shrine)One of the three sacred Dewa mountains; a path of 2,446 stone steps through cedars passes the National Treasure five-storey pagoda.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetYuza, YamagataMt. ChokaiOne of Japan's 100 famous mountains, rising from sea level on the Sea of Japan to 2,236 m and called "Dewa Fuji"; hiking season is May to October, and in spring to autumn you can drive the Chokai Blue Line to the 5th station at 1,500 m.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: yari hotaka / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0Tsuruoka, YamagataMt. Gassan Midagahara MarshA marsh at 1,400 m on the eighth station of Mt. Gassan with more than 130 kinds of alpine flowers, including Nikko day-lilies and skunk cabbage; a boardwalk loop takes about 60 minutes, and a bus runs up from Tsuruoka.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetSakata, YamagataSakata Seafood MarketA seafood market by Sakata port: a fish shop with an eat-in corner on the 1st floor and a seafood restaurant overlooking the port on the 2nd.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamagata Prefecture (yamagatakanko.com)Sakata, YamagataSankyo Soko Rice WarehousesNine rice warehouses built in 1893 (a National Historic Site since 2021), backed by 35 zelkova trees over 150 years old.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetTendo, YamagataShogi Village Tendo TowerA shop and workshop marked by a giant king shogi piece in Tendo, Japan's top producer of shogi pieces, where you can try writing a shogi piece, making soba, pottery or safflower dyeing, and eat imoni and soba.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Jun K / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)Sakata, YamagataTamasudare FallsYamagata's tallest straight-drop waterfall, 63 m high and 5 m wide, said to have been found and named by Kobo Daishi about 1,200 years ago; about 10 min on foot from the car park.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetYonezawa, YamagataToko Sake Brewery MuseumThe museum of Kojima Sohonten, brewer of Toko sake since 1597 and purveyor to the Uesugi lords of Yonezawa, where the brewery shop offers free tastings as well as paid tastings of premium sake.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetYonezawa, YamagataUesugi Museum, YonezawaA museum beside Matsugasaki Park on the site of Yonezawa Castle's main enclosure, displaying treasures of the Uesugi family; the National Treasure Rakuchu-rakugai screens, said to be a gift from Oda Nobunaga to Uesugi Kenshin, are shown in the original only in spring and autumn.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamagata Prefecture (yamagatakanko.com)Yonezawa, YamagataUesugi ShrineA shrine to the warlord Uesugi Kenshin on the site of Yonezawa Castle's main enclosure; the moat is lined with about 200 cherry trees.Official check: 25 Sept 2026- No photo yetYonezawa, YamagataWakuwakukan Weaving and Dyeing WorkshopA dyeing and weaving workshop in Yonezawa where you can try hand-weaving Yonezawa-ori or safflower dyeing and take your work home the same day; with a shop, café and kimono gallery.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamagata Prefecture (yamagatakanko.com)Yamagata, YamagataYamadera (Risshakuji Temple)Mountain temple. The approach is a stairway that starts about 10 min on foot from JR Yamadera Station.Official check: 24 Sept 2026- No photo yetYamagata, YamagataYamagata Castle Ruins, Kajo ParkA 35.9-hectare park on the site of Yamagata Castle, a national historic site and one of Japan's 100 fine castles, 10 min on foot from JR Yamagata Station; about 1,500 cherry trees bloom along the moats in April.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTsuruoka, YamagataYudonosan ShrineThe inner sanctuary of the Three Mountains of Dewa: there is no shrine building, the object of worship is a huge reddish-brown rock with hot water welling up, and photography is forbidden; open from June 1 to around November 3.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTsuruoka, YamagataYunohama OnsenA 1,000-year-old seaside hot-spring resort on the Sea of Japan with a white sand beach of about 1 km; open-air baths look out on sunsets chosen among Japan's 100 best.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetYamagata, YamagataZao Onsen Dai-rotenburo Open-air BathLarge rock pools beside a mountain stream at Zao Onsen, fed by one of Japan's most acidic sulphur springs (pH 1.9); open from late April until winter.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamagata Prefecture (yamagatakanko.com)Yamagata, YamagataZao Ropeway (snow monsters)A ropeway from Zao Onsen up Mt Jizo; in winter it is the classic way to see the rime-ice "snow monsters".Official check: 25 Sept 2026
