US Dollar
Euro
British Pound
UAE Dirham
Australian Dollar
Canadian Dollar
Singapore Dollar
Japanese Yen
Thai Baht
Saudi Riyal
Swiss Franc
NZ Dollar
VND → INR· Vietnam
Japan's deep north
Snowy winters, fierce festivals, deep tradition. Hotels run well below Tokyo for the same standard.
Buy Japanese YenJapan's deep north
Nebuta Matsuri in Aomori from 2 to 7 August, Ginzan Onsen under snow, and the cedar avenues at Yamadera.
Hotels run well below Tokyo for the same standard.
Worth the journey north
Six prefectures, and the places most itineraries from India never reach.
Ginzan Onsen
Wooden inns lining the river at Ginzan Onsen under deep snow, Yamagata
Matsushima Bay
Wooded islets and eroded rock formations in Matsushima Bay, Miyagi
Aomori Nebuta Matsuri
An illuminated Nebuta festival float paraded through Aomori at night
Hiraizumi
The main hall of Chusonji temple at Hiraizumi, Iwate
Zao Onsen
The Zao mountains in full autumn colour, Yamagata
Tohoku runs on cash
Cash-leaning outside Sendai. Carry more yen here than you would for Tokyo or Osaka.
What Tohoku actually costs
Set the length and style of your trip to see what to budget, in yen and rupees.
Indicative, excluding international flights. Converted at an indicative ¥1 = ₹0.59.
Getting there and about
The Tohoku Shinkansen runs from Tokyo. If the north is your whole trip, a JR East regional pass costs far less than the full national JR Pass.
Before you go north
Carry more cash than you would for Tokyo
Outside Sendai, small inns, bus fares and rural restaurants are often cash only. Draw yen at a 7-Eleven or Japan Post ATM before heading into the mountains.
Winter is the draw, and the constraint
Snow country is the reason most people come. It also closes some roads and fills the best onsen months ahead, book early and build in slack.
A regional rail pass usually beats a national one
If you are staying inside Tohoku, the JR East Tohoku Area Pass is normally better value than a nationwide JR Pass.
Tohoku FAQs
If you have ten days or more, yes. Sendai is about ninety minutes from Tokyo by Shinkansen, so a two or three night detour is easy. On a first week-long trip, Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka will fill the time.
More than for Tokyo. Budget roughly ¥8,000 to ¥12,000 per person per day in cash outside Sendai, and put hotels and Shinkansen tickets on a card.
Late April and early May for cherry blossom, August for the summer festivals, and October for autumn colour. December to March is the snow season.
Seven Bank ATMs in 7-Eleven stores and Japan Post Bank ATMs accept Indian-issued Visa and Mastercard. Both are common in towns; they thin out in the mountains.
Buy japanese yen before you fly
Zero markup on the live interbank rate. Order online for doorstep delivery or collect from your nearest branch.
RBI Authorised Dealer Category-II, Licence No. NDL-ADII-0023-2023 · Same-day delivery · Serving 2.5 lakh+ customers