V: the NORTH
TOHOKU
After leaving Niigata I will have to face the entire length of Tohoku-prefacture. According to locals, Tohoku is a beautiful area where not a lot of tourists show their face. In 2011 the East Coast became worldwide news because of the nucular disaster of Fukushima which was caused by the devastating earthquake and tsunami. Even though Fukushima is not on my route, it is good to know a lot has been rebuilt. The sea in between Honshu and the northern island of Hokkaido is well known to have the best tuna. The sushi and sashimi will be the best of the journey!
The places I will cross are: Murakami, Sakata, Yurihonjo, Katagami, Odate and Aomori, the final city on the island of Honshu. From there I will take the ferry to Hakodate, to prepare myself for the grand finale.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Tourists forget to visit Tohoku. For their first trip most tourists will visit the big well-known cities and maybe a few smaller towns in between. Hokkaido is getting more popular for people who want to stay away from the crowds and explore nature. And the tropical island of Okinawa is the perfect place to relax and recharge. But Tohoku gets no love at all. That’s why the local townships started an initiative to get as many tourists to Tokoku as they can. A lot of Japan related YouTubers, or J-vloggers, were paid to make videos about this region and create more hype.