8 Days Essence of Spring with Tohoku 8 days

Welcome to Tokyo! You will be greeted by an English-speaking assistant at the airport. The assistant will get you in the bus to your hotel.

TOKYO - ICHINOSEKI - HIRAIZUMI - KITAKAMI - MORIOKA Our excursion starts from exciting Tohoku Shinkansen (bullet train) ride from Tokyo to Ichinoseki! Enjoy confortable riding! Visit Chusonji and Motsuji temples in Hiraizumi built about 800 years ago (World Heritage sites). Then, move to Kitakami Tenshochi to walk under the 1 mile (about 1.6km) cherry blossoms tunnel. This is one of the three best cherry viewing places in Tohoku. Stya at hotel in Morioka.

MORIOKA - LAKE TOWADA - OIRASE STREAM - HIROSAKI After seeing rock breaking cherry tree (natural momunemt of Japan) in Morioka, please enjoy beautiful nature secnes of Tohoku. Enjoy boat cruise at Lake Towada. And enjoybreathtaking riverside walking at Oirase stream. Seeing clear water and water falls is breathtaking experience. Please have refleshing time by walking along river (1 hour). Finally, move to Hirosaki passing through beautiful snow wall mountain road. Stay at ryokan (Traditional Japanese Inn) close to Hirosaki castle, one of the famous and beautiful cherry viewing places in Japan! After eating dinner, let take a walk to the castle to see beautiful night view of illuminated cherry. One of our trour's theme is visiting traditional architecture, let's enjoy staying at Ryokan (Traditional Japanese style inn). The ryokan started operation in 1879 and is designated as National tangible cultural property. Another reason why we selected this ryokan is, it is lacated close to Hirosaki Castle, one of the best cherry viewing places in Tohoku and Japan. Therefore, we can enjoy both night and daytime view of cherry! Meals are served at large tatami room and we eat traditional cuisine together. Since part of the ryokan is traditional style, each room DOES NOT have bathtub and toilet. We will use public ones in the ryokan. Especially, toilet IS NOT western style. Please understand, in advance, the size and shape of each room is little different since the inn has been maintained traditional archtecture. Please check English site. http://ishibaryokan.com/english.html

HIROSAKI - MT. IWAKI - JUNIKO Highlight of today's excursion is Hirosaki Castle, one of the most beautiful and famous cherry viewing spot in Japan! Contrast between the castle and pink cherry will be unforgettable one. Enjoy taking walk and photos. We will also visit the foot of Mt. Iwaki to see roadside cherry trees. Then, drive to Juniko (12 ponds) close to Shirakami Sanchi, world famous beech forest designated as World Heritage site. This hotel is lacated close to Shirakami Sanchi (Beech forest designated as World Heritage of UNESCO). From this second story small hotel, you can see both forest and Sea of Japan. If the day is clear, you may see beautiful sunset from public bath. As the concept of the hotel, meals cocked by local ladies use local ingredients such as vegetables of mountain side and fish from the sea. Shirakami Umihiko Yamahiko kan Around Juniko region has few hotel, however, this hotel's rooms have wooden wall and very cozy. Since it is close to beech forest walking site in the next morning, please have good rest and enjoy quiet atmosphere remoted from city life.

JUNIKO - OGA - AKITA Let's start the day with beech forest walking at Juniko. Enjoy fresh air in the forest and beautiful Aoike (blue pond). It will be 2 hours walk with local guide. Then, we will move to Oga to meet with local deities called "Namahage" who roar to you, "Anybody bad behavior kids there?, Being good to your parents?" It may be scarely, but fun (maybe...) On the way to our stay Akita, please enjoy beautiful contrast between pink cherry and yellow rapeblossoms along road. This hotel is lacated close to Senshu Koen (park) that was the former site of Kubota Castle and today, we can enjoy cherry viewing. Also, the hotel is close to Kawabata district that has many local cuisine restaurants and Izakaya (Japanese style sake bar). Since Akita is famous as delicious rice producing prefecture, it sounds good idea to take a walk to have a couple of sake at local sake bar after the dinner.

AKITA - KAKUNODATE - LAKE TAZAWA - TONO After leaving Akita, we will visit Japanese sake brewery. Akita produce best qualily rice in Japan. Please enjoy tasting good sake. Then, we will move to Kakunodate, called as "Small Kyoto in Tohoku" and one of the best cherry viewing place in Japan. Cherry blossoms blooming agains black walls of the former Samurai residence is such a beautiful. Enjoy tasteful townscape. After visiting Lake Tazawa (the deepest lake in Japan), we will continue driving to Tono that is famous for mysterious folktales. The emperor and empress of Japan stayed at this hotel when they visited devasted areas suffered from the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011.

TONO - MATSUSHIMA - SENDAI Staying at Tono takes you to the world of mysterious folktales. You will see tasteful old style houses among mountains and rice paddy. At the Cherry Blossoms Festival, we will see the procession of Tono clan (feudal load). Local people wear traditional samurai's formal cloths and ladies wear beautiful kimono. It reminds us of the era of samurai. Do you remember the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011? Sendai area was suffered from great damege from the quake and tsunami, however, it is gradually recovering from the devastation. We will drive to Matsushima as the final destination. From the viewing spot, you will see Pacific Ocean from where big scale tsunami came on the day of the quake. Matsushima's small offshore islands are designated as one of the three most beautiful scenic site in Japan. After the final excursion, drive to Sendai for stay. The hotel is located center of Sendai and close to Kokubuncho (rastaurant district). However, Sendai was suffered from serious damage from the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami, you may see vivid and energetic atmosphere of the city that is still on the process of recovering.

SENDAI Time to get back home with unforgettable memory and lots of souvenir. Return by air to Narita Airport or by Shinkansen to Tokyo. SAYONARA (Good Bye) and please have a safe trip!