However, the great question remains…where should you go?

For those who might be overwhelmed by the plethora of must-visit destinations in the vast lands of Tohoku, check out the wonderful five-day, four-night itinerary included in this Tokyo Weekender article! From healing your soul in the rose bath hot springs of Iwate and learning about the legendary namahage (troll-type demons) in Akita, to savoring the famous, melt-in-your-mouth apple pie in Aomori, this itinerary is the perfect introduction to Tohoku’s charm. 

We say ‘introduction’ here because five days is surely not enough for you to explore all of Tohoku. Hopefully, by the end of your trip, you will be itching to come back and continue your travels in this still undiscovered, hidden gem in Japan.

Tohoku is also home to glorious cherry blossom spots. Check out this Japan Today article to learn more!

The post The perfect five-day itinerary in northern Japan using the JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area)! appeared first on Jarman International KK.

In late October, JI Core 50 Vicki L. Beyer went on a sightseeing trip to Iwate to experience its beauty, just as the autumn colors were approaching full bloom.

From enjoying a speciality seafood dish in the city of Miyako to visiting the Earthquake Heritage Taro Kanko Hotel where the earthquake’s damage can still be seen, Vicki guides us through some of the most beautiful spots in the region while highlighting its story of resilience and recovery.

★Read her article in the Tokyo Weekender below: https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2020/11/sightseeing-in-post-disaster-iwate-miyako/

★Tohoku Pacific Coast: TOHOKU Pacific Coast (tohoku-pacific-coast.com)

Important announcement for all non-Japanese passport holders! For travel to Tohoku, we recommend you take advantage of the JR EAST Welcome Rail Pass 2020!

Until now, JR Rail Passes have only been available to tourists visiting Japan. However, this year, JR EAST created this new, foreign resident-friendly pass to give members of Japan’s international community a budget-friendly way to explore the Tohoku and Kanto regions, as well as provide an alternative to international travel.

This pass will allow 3 consecutive days of unlimited travel on the Tohoku, Yamagata, Akita, Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansens, along with JR EAST train lines and a number of local railways. As it is valid for a large area of Japan, pass holders will be able to explore from the northernmost reaches of Aomori to the hot spring resorts of Shizuoka, just south of Tokyo, for a flat 12,000 yen fee (6,000 yen for Children).

★For more information about the JR EAST Welcome Rail Pass 2020 and where to purchase it, please click HERE

★An article about the pass has been published on JAPAN TODAY

The post JI Core 50 Vicki Beyer Experiences the Beauty and Resilience of Post-disaster Iwate’s Miyako City appeared first on Jarman International KK.

I planned to arrive in Shizukuishi, Iwate Prefecture while the sun was still shining, but a speech in Chiba City delayed my arrival until long after the moon rose on this village of just over 17,000 residents in Northeast Japan.

It was a sweltering day with temperatures around 36 degrees Celsius (98 degrees Fahrenheit) outside and what felt like 1000 degrees inside the packed Tokyo station where I transferred from local to the Akita Shinkansen bullet train for the trip up north. I remember my days during the end of the “bubble economy” in Japan and how I always thought the stations were so extremely packed with bustling businesspeople.

During the 20-plus years of deflation coupled with factors including a declining population, the Lehman shock world financial crisis, natural disasters in Kobe and Tohoku, there was respite from the crowds across Japan and I could walk through a hub train station without being “GYWFED” (my term for the “get in your way factor”) at every step.

Now though, with a sudden increase in tourism to the tune of 46% over the last year’s numbers, hub stations are packed with people from all over the world! It is exciting to see, for the first five minutes, and then you realize that everyone is actually trying to get out. We all have the common goal of exploring this “last frontier” of Japan and Tokyo/Ueno/Shinagawa stations are the central point of lift off. The myriad of bento shops and refreshment stands will offer perfect preparatory fare for your travels and then it is up to the platform to find your car number and watch the perfect synchronicity of the Tessei team as they prepare your craft for departure.

See my previous article about Tessiei here.

After a quick applause and “arigato gozaimasu!” to the cleaning team, I was pleased to find my seat in the comfortably cool train car and I settled in for a 2.5 hour ride of reading, getting some computer work in and allowing myself just a bit of anticipation about my first time in Shizukuishi City. By the way, I 100 percent recommend the “Green” class car on the bullet train. It might be about 5000 to 10,000 yen more than the regular car, but the quiet, size of the seats, reclining function/footrest and other aspects are certainly worth the extra expense.

All the Simple Beauty in the Name “Shizukuishi”

When my friends told me about Shizukuishi, I thought the name was Shizukui City (the “shi” attached at the end of place names means “City”) and it didn’t seem to click that the word “Shizukuishi” had only two Chinese Characters “雫石”with the character for City or “市”nowhere to be found.

I soon realized my misunderstanding and found that this name literally means “Droplet on Stone” one of the sweetest, most lovely names I’ve encountered. Ever. It perfectly depicts this little hamlet of bright sunlight and green fields stretched over the foothills of Mt. Iwate. During the Edo period between 1603 and 1868, the name Shizukuishi came to be as people visiting their shrine stopped to appreciate a huge Cedar tree with magnificent roots dripping pure water onto the surrounding stone.

As I thought of this beautiful name and sped towards the small just past Tohoku capital Morioka City (530 kilometers from Tokyo), I sipped the hot coffee I bought from the Green attendant and slowly enjoyed the various tastes in the “Ekiben” bento box I purchased before departure at Tokyo Station. it was a relaxing and direct 2.45 hour ride on the Akita Shinkansen Komachi bullet train and with this area in Iwate having the lowest population density of all of Japan, I was looking forward to some peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of my “normal” routine. And yes, that is exactly what I got!

This video gives a nice idea of Ippon Zakura, one beautiful sight available in Shizukuishi.

It was around 9 p.m. when the train slowed down just in front of JR Shizukuishi Station. Since I had a relatively large bag and a bunch of trash from the various treats and drinks I enjoyed during the ride, I was already standing in the foyer as the doors slid open to reveal the JR platform. I stepped down and the first thing I noticed was the scent. Accustomed to the city smell of heat off cement, heady Ramen or other soup-base smells from restaurant or the occasional truck exhaust, Shizukuishi smelled like a combination of pine, lavender and farm. The tinge of pine scent in the air was particularly strong and I remembered cool summer evenings in San Jose California or Evergreen Colorado. It was that type of fresh, clean pine scent you find in the mountains. The dark night did not reveal those mountains, but I could tell immediately they were there. Knots in my shoulders from daytime nervousness started to unravel and I immediately sensed a simple peace as the mountain breeze brought me the sound of crickets and rustling leaves.

There was no one on the platform, lights were off in the few station-building stores…

Continue reading by clicking here.

*Article by RuthieJ, originally published on Deep Japan

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Deep Japan – Experienced Senpais living in and enjoying Japan offer inside-knowledge on how to make your trip real, interesting and above all, unforgettable.

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The post Untouched and Awaiting your Arrival; Shizukuishi, Iwate Japan appeared first on Jarman International KK.