#Published

I’m writing this from Tohoku, those snowy and cold prefectures at the northern tip of Honshu (main island). It’s been a dream of mine to travel around here and experience the mountains of Tohoku.

This is my first time snowboarding in Tohoku, it is something I’ve been trying to do for the past two years but have failed. First attempt was in 2020, I planned out a two week ski trip out in Iwate with friends. But because of the terrible snow season that year, we made a last minute change of plans and went up to Hokkaido (Kiroro, Furano and Asahidake). The following year, in 2021, I had plans to do a few weeks in Zao Onsen and further north, but got injured in Togari Onsen, Nagano before I could realize my plans.

The resorts here are surprisingly less well known than their Nagano and Hokkaido counterparts. In terms of travel time, these places are just as quick to get to from Tokyo, even quicker than Hakuba or Hokkaido. Because these places are less well known to foreigners, they don’t have the style of accommodation like serviced apartments or AirBnbs.

It’s snowy here. The mountains though generally lower than ones in Nagano, but not as low as Hokkaido, yet still receives plenty of snow. Aomori City is one of the snowiest cities in Japan, Geto Kogen in Iwate boasts the highest snow depths in Japan, while Zao Onsen in Yamagata is famous for their field of snow blasted trees in February resulting in some amazing scenery. Not to mention, Hakkoda Ropeway in Aomori, a backcountry mecca.