Why Japan’s scenic Tohoku region is still a tourist outlier
Tohoku is just a couple of hours north of Tokyo by bullet train, yet only 6 per cent of overseas visitors visited last year
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 life.
Of the record 42.7 million foreign visitors to Japan last year, just 2.57 million – roughly 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 a lack of world-famous sights across the six prefectures, transport that can be challenging for non-Japanese speakers and a shortage of tourist information.
But those drawbacks make the region an ideal destination for travellers who want to see Japan while avoiding the crowds that have put pressure on Tokyo, Kyoto and other must-see destinations.