Explore Northern Japan – travel recommendations for Hokkaido and Miyagi

Lavender fields, a sea of flowers

“In Hokkaido, Furano's lavender fields attract large numbers of visitors to the region every summer when the plants are in full bloom. Lavenders usually start blooming in late June and reaches its peak from around mid July to early August ... We visited there off-season (last October), however their rainbow field of flowers was stunning.“

Read the full post http://www.deepjapan.org/a/3084

Unkai sea of clouds

“The unkai sea of clouds is a mystical event of nature. Unkai Terrace is located in the resort town of Tomamu in Hokkaido Japan, about a 2.5-hour drive from Sapporo. The word "Unkai" in Japanese means "sea of clouds" and the natural phenomena only occurs occasionally, typically on summer mornings. “

Read the full post http://www.deepjapan.org/a/3078

Gourmet cycling in Kushiro

“I participated in a gourmet bicycle tour in Kushiro, which featured prominently the Ainu culture that permeates life throughout the area, particularly in its cuisine. The 3-day tour covers about 150 kilometers, roughly evenly divided in the three days of the tour... the ride is mostly leisurely, interspersed by good food and immersion in Ainu culture.”

Read the full post http://www.deepjapan.org/a/4569

Lake Shikotsu

“Lake Shikotsu is located near Chitose in Hokkaido. This lake is the second deepest lake in Japan. The average depth is 265 meters and the deepest point is 363 meters. One interesting thing about this lake is the water temperature stays the same virtually all year long.”

Read the full post http://www.deepjapan.org/a/3091

Adventures in Kesennuma

”If you have been around Japan for a while, and have explored many of the beautiful, uniquely distinctive regions and are looking for a great day or overnight trip, then I suggest you take a well-worth adventure to Kesennuma. This sleepy little fishing community lies in the north eastern shore of the Miyagi Prefecture, and getting there is half of the adventure.”

Read the full post http://www.deepjapan.org/a/3579

Cruising Matsuhima Bay

“Matsushima Bay is dotted with more than 250 islands - rocky, uninhabited, and covered in pine trees. On a cruise, you will hear stories about how high the tsunami reached on the fateful day and how the landscape has changed. The contrast between the stories and the calm of the bay that you see is astounding.”

Read the full post http://www.deepjapan.org/a/4565