Aomori travel guides: the Nebuta festival, Hakkoda mountains, apple country, and Honshu’s far northern tip.
A 5-day Tohoku itinerary from Tokyo: Sendai gyutan, Matsushima Bay cruise, Yamaderas 1,015 steps, Ginzan Onsen ryokan, Hirosaki Castle cherry blossoms, and Aomori Nebuta — with 2026 JR EAST PASS pricing.
Field notes, weekly
One email a week. The Japan worth planning around.
Nearly every image on Hidden Japan Gems was photographed by me on a Sony α7 across five years of walking Japan; a few licensed photos fill the gaps. Please don't re-use my photos without permission — reach out if you'd like to.
For licensing, write to hello@hiddenjapan-gems.com