Why Japan’s scenic Tohoku region is still a tourist outlier
Japan’s tourism boom has packed the streets of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka with foreign visitors, but one of the country’s most scenic regions is still struggling to draw them north. Tohoku, the northern region of Japan’s main island of Honshu, comprises Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita,
AdvertisementJapanThis Week in AsiaLifestyle & CultureWhy Japan’s scenic Tohoku region is still a tourist outlierTohoku is just a couple of hours north of Tokyo by bullet train, yet only 6 per cent of overseas visitors visited last year3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenJulian RyallPublished: 9:30am, 25 Jul 2026Japan’s tourism boom has packed the streets of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka with foreign visitors, but one of the country’s most scenic regions is still struggling to draw them north.Tohoku, the northern region of Japan’s main island of Honshu, comprises Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata and Fukushima prefectures – an area known for mountains, hot springs, skiing, festivals and a slower rural pace.Of the record 42.
7 million foreign visitors to Japan in 2025, just 2.57 million – roughyl 6 per cent – spent a night in the six prefectures that make up Tohoku, according to statistics provided by the Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organisation.More than a decade after the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis that hit the region, industry experts say the bigger problem for Tohoku is no longer fear but a lack of familiarity.
They point to too few world-famous sights across the six prefectures, transport can be challenging for non-Japanese speakers and there is a shortage of tourist information.But those drawbacks make the region an ideal destination for travellers who want to visit Japan while avoiding the crowding that has put pressure on Tokyo, Kyoto and other must-see destinations.AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.
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