Northern Tohoko
The Tohoku region is usually not split into north and south however as the northern most prefectures of Akita, Iwate and Aomori contain the least number of tourist focused locations it makes sense to break them off. While the more Southern Tohoku prefectures are within 2-3 hours of Tokyo and offer a number of attractions, the further north you go the less tourist friendly it becomes as the number of places you might actually want to see also decreases. Considering the distance involved, the time taken, and the limited offering (much of which is similar to places further south), it makes more sense for those visiting Japan for the one and only time to skip this region and instead find similar experiences along the Japanese Alps, or down in Kyushu.
Not to say there isn’t anything to see and do in this remote region of Japan. Those interested in Autumn colors without the crowds would do well to avoid Tokyo and instead move north during October to catch the changing leaves a month earlier. There are specific festivals held in certain towns in Tohoku that are famous around Japan, although going all that way just for a festival seems a bit excessive. Festivals are everywhere in Japan, with plenty in Kanagawa which is barely a stone’s throw from Tokyo.
