A surprising and untouched region less than three hours from Tokyo, Tohoku is blessed with astounding landscapes, delicious beef and fresh fruit across all seasons
Photos: Pamela Chow
Mention “winter wonderland” and images of Finland and Iceland would often come to mind — not so much Japan. Yet, only about two and a half hours by train from Tokyo, we found exactly where you’d imagine Santa Claus to live.
Leaving the clear blue skies behind, we zipped through the white fields and forests of Tohoku. Snow-coated pine trees rose up from the hills around us, veiled by a light winter mist. Arriving at our first stop, Takahata, we learned that we had brought with us the first and heaviest snowfall in Tohoku.
The JR EAST PASS (Tohoku Area) is an essential for discovering lesser-known gems lying near Tokyo.
Easy breezy travels
Peering through the train windows, it was truly an astounding surprise to see the landscape transform from sunny cerulean skies to a flurry of snow-white slopes, right before your very eyes. Using the JR EAST PASS (Tohoku Area), we easily traversed from Tokyo all the way to Yamagata and Sendai in the east.
Riding from Takahata to Ginzan Onsen — between Akayu and Oishida Stations — we even managed to catch a Toreiyu Tsubasa train, where we enjoyed a 15 minute-long steaming hot foot bath as the winter world passed us by. These “Joyful Trains” are available between Fukushima to Shinjo Stations.
After enjoying a peaceful journey, we weren’t quite ready to lug our luggage through the sleepy town to our hotel. It’s a good thing that we stayed right by the train stations, so we didn’t have to rush the next morning either to catch our ride. Bonus: Giant S-PAL malls were also connected to Yamagata and Sendai Stations, so we could get our shopping fix before hopping to the next village.
For travellers to Japan, the JR EAST PASS (Tohoku Area) is an essential for discovering lesser-known gems lying so near the major tourist hub of Tokyo. Who knows what new treasures you will uncover in the east?
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