8 Temples & Shrines Morioka's Hachimangu Shrine Chris Barnes Explore Morioka's Hachimangu Shrine, one of the finest and most relaxing thanks to the lack of crowds.
Culture Chusonji Temple 5 (1Review) Chusonji is a Buddhist temple in the city of Hiraizumi in southern Iwate Prefecture. It is the main temple of the Tendai sect in the Tohoku region in..
Culture Ichinoseki Hiraizumi Balloon Festival 2026 Mid Oct The Ichinoseki-Hiraizumi Balloon Festival will once again take to the Tohoku skies this autumn, bringing together elite pilots for..
Culture Motsuji Temple The Motsuji Temple was once a large and important temple of the Tendai sect and consisted of numerous buildings. Today Motsuji is best known for his garden,..
9 Culture Shivering in Iwate's Beauty Ignatius Koh Tohoku contains some of Japan's most undiscovered treasures, and while the 2011 tsunami and earthquake damaged the region, it..
Festivals Daito-Ohara Water Throwing Festival 2027 Thursday - Feb 11th Every year on February 11th, Ichinoseki City in southern Iwate celebrates the Daito Ohara Water-Throwing Festival. This unique event..
Culture Japan Mochi Festival 2026 Mid Oct Mochi is one of Japan's most popular foods, and it's also one of the most versatile – it can be enjoyed in various way..
Culture Boat Ride Through Geibikei Gorge Sarah Mathews To see Geibikei you take a boat down the river through the gorge, which has cliffs as tall as 100m on either side.