First time traveling to Tohoku, mainly to chase cherry blossoms. Planning to buy the 5-day JR East Tohoku pass. (no car)
I've mainly been using ChatGPT to create this itinerary and hoping you guys could help review/modify/correct things as well as introduce your own recommendations for this trip!
I'll attach the itinerary table below, I won't be following the timetables exactly, but this will probably be the flow of the destinations in my travel.
| Time | Day 1 – Apr 13Tokyo → Fukushima | Day 2 – Apr 14Hitome Senbonzakura | Day 3 – Apr 15Kakunodate → Nyuto | Day 4 – Apr 16Hirosaki | Day 5 – Apr 17Aomori → Tokyo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07:00 | Wake / prep in Tokyo | Wake in Fukushima | Wake near Kakunodate/Tazawako | Wake in Nyuto Onsen | Wake in Aomori |
| 08:00 | Shinkansen → Fukushima | Shinkansen → Sendai | Breakfast | Breakfast / soak | Nebuta Museum (opt) |
| 09:00 | Arrive Fukushima | JR → Ogawara/Funaoka | Train → Kakunodate | Bus → Tazawako Sta. | Aomori Bay walk |
| 10:00 | Bus/taxi → Hanamiyama | Walk to river | Samurai District | Shinkansen north | Shin-Aomori → Tokyo |
| 11:00 | Hanamiyama photography | Hitome Senbonzakura walk | Sakura streets | En route | On train |
| 12:00 | Hanamiyama stroll | Continue sakura walk | Lunch in Kakunodate | Arrive Hirosaki | On train |
| 13:00 | Return toward station | Lunch near river | Short riverside walk | Hirosaki Park | On train |
| 14:00 | Hotel check-in / rest | Train → Sendai | Train → Tazawako | Castle & bridges | On train |
| 15:00 | Free time / city stroll | Train → Akita area | Bus → Nyuto Onsen | Moat photography | Arrive Tokyo |
| 16:00 | Relax | Check-in | Ryokan check-in | Continue park | Hotel check-in |
| 17:00 | Dinner | Dinner | Onsen soak | Sunset shots | Free time |
| 18:00 | Evening walk | Relax | Kaiseki dinner | Dinner in Hirosaki | Dinner |
| 19:00 | Rest | Sleep | Evening soak | Sakura illumination | — |
| 20:00 | Sleep | — | Relax | Night photography | — |
| 21:00 | — | — | Sleep | Sleep | — |
by TiniWaffles