Tohoku Autumn Leaves Tour | from 23 to 31 October 2026
Japanese travellers have long known Tohoku. Many Australians have not.
It is the region north of Tokyo that the bullet train heads for while the guidebook sits open at Kyoto. There lies the appeal.
The tour opens with two nights in Tokyo. Guests then take a bullet train to Morioka. The city becomes their base for trips across the north. Stops include the Hakkoda Ropeway, Hachimantai’s volcanic scenery and the wooded banks of Oirase Stream.
The Japan National Tourism Organisation says Oirase Stream flows from Lake Towada through a gorge. Woods, waterfalls and distinctive rock formations line the way. In late October, the scenery can be superb. Nature, of course, will not sign a colour pledge. The tour dates follow past trends, but the leaves will turn when they’re ready.
The past matters as much as the leaves. Kakunodate’s samurai district has broad streets, old fences and thatched homes. JNTO’s official guide says some homes are still owned by descendants of the samurai families who once lived there.
The route then turns south to Hiraizumi and Chusonji. This is not a brief heritage stop tucked between lunch and the gift shop. UNESCO lists Hiraizumi for its temples, gardens and ancient ruins. Together, they express the Buddhist idea of a Pure Land. They also reflect the power of this northern centre during the 11th and 12th centuries.
The group stays in traditional ryokan at Hanamaki and Aizu Ashinomaki Onsen. The pace slows at once. Guests then see Tsuruga Castle and Ouchijuku, an Edo-period post town. A bullet train takes them back to Tokyo.
Japan Holidays says the price covers eight nights, daily breakfast, six lunches and seven dinners. It also covers the guide, listed transfers and entrance fees, plus one luggage-forwarding service. The group will have one to eight guests. The operator says tour leader Ken Takenaga has led groups for more than ten years.
This northern route may suit travellers who have already photographed Shibuya Crossing from every angle. It swaps the usual checklist for a stronger sense of place. There are fewer neon canyons and more forest paths. Mercifully, there is also less need to queue behind 40 raised phones.
