Top 5 Nature Spots for Any Season in 2020 Japan

Tohoku is a lovely place in any season and these five spots prove it. While some may be more accessible in some seasons than others, all can be enjoyed in some way all year round.

1. Yamadera , Yamagata 

    Hiking all the way to the temple stationed more than 1,000 steps up the side of a mountain may sound like a hard sell in winter, but it is thoroughly doable and even enjoyable for those adventurous enough to try it out. I am sure the view from the top of the mountain looking over a snow frosted valley must be breath-taking. It was pretty gorgeous in summer, too and if it's nice in the two seasons of extremes, I can only imagine how wonderful it must be in the pretty and mild seasons of spring and fall.

    Climbing this mountain takes a little work and some nice walking shoes but no experience with actual mountaineering is necessary. You won't be grappling up any rock faces on this route. I do recommend training up for this massive not-entirely-even forest staircase if you're of a more sedentary lifestyle. More information is available in my previous blog post.

2. Matsushima, Miyagi

    Where the previous entry takes a lot of work to get to, this one is almost entirely the opposite. Simply take the Senseki line from Sendai to MatsushimaKaigan and you are there. The naturally occurring outlying islands make up a view said to be one of the three most beautiful in Japan and even the view from the train platform is something to see. The picture above shows a sight just a few minutes walk from the station near a small beach.

    With a number of temples and shrines, a historical tea house, and the outlying islands highlighted by a few eye-catching red bridges, the tourist and pedestrian friendly area near the station makes for some great photos whether off-set by brilliant white snow, perfect pink cherry blossoms, the strong sun of summer or the changing leaves of fall.

3. Akiu , Sendai, Miyagi 

    Akiu has a lovely forest-like area with a great waterfall. In summer, people even make their ways down to the base of the falls and let the cool mountain water refresh them. In winter, many of those paths are off-limits with snow and ice but the falls are still something to behold and a lovely little tea-house nearby will serve hot mochi and matcha to warm up any customer.

    Spring and fall are probably the most visually striking times to go, but every season packs some lovely photo opportunities and fun. The best place to view the falls from is behind a lovely little shrine, so the curious photographer will have many great options to choose from. Getting to the falls will take a car and some walking or an advanced understanding of the bus system but the view is worth it.

4. Geibikei Gorge, Ichinoseki, Iwate

    We went to Geibikei gorge in the awkward change-over between fall and winter, when the leaves were almost completely gone and the snow had yet to accumulate. It was still magnificent. The crystal clear water reflected the rock-faces so perfectly that at one point it was almost as if looking into the eye of some great rock deity. It was astounding.

    Pictures at the boat-hire location show the space being gorgeous in every season and I have no reason to doubt them. It just so happens that the place is wonderful between the seasons as well. Definitely bring a good camera and pay for the boat tour. It is well worth it.

5. Shiogama Shrine , Shiogama, Miyagi 

    When it comes to accessibility, Shiogama Shrine ranks between Yamadera and Matsushima. Taking the Senseki line from Sendai, get off at HonShiogama and take the exit labelled Jinja. Then all you have to do is follow the signs to any of the three entrances to the shrine. You can choose to walk up a series of shorter staircases that eventually lead to the main shrine structure or walk to the front entrance and take one big staircase 202 steps up to the top. There is also a small mountain-path style entrance for those who want to see some greenery on the way, though I highly discourage this route if there has been significant precipitation. For more information and a guided tour via video by myself, see my previous post.

    The view from the top of the gardens out to the sea and Matsushima beyond is quite lovely in every single season, as I can personally attest. The gardens themselves are fantastic in fall especially, and a little further down the hill, a green area with several kinds of cherry blossom trees is perfect for hanami picnics. It's simply gorgeous all year round. 

Whatever the season, the spots in Tohoku give you something to see.