If you’ve ever seen footage of Tōhoku’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami you will never forget it. The east coast of Tōhoku (Northern Honshū) was totally devastated. Over a decade on and Tōhoku has still not fully recovered.

Though probably Japan’s most under-visited region by foreign tourists, there are lots of good reasons to visit Tōhoku.

This is yukiguni (snow country), famous for its yukiguni bijin (beautiful women with snow-white skin). That snow also means top skiing, especially at resorts such as Zaō Onsen.

There’s lots of nature and hiking options up here too. Consider visiting the native beech forests of the Shirakami Mountains, learning how to be a yamabushi (mountain priest) at the Dewa Sanzan, or striking out to the far-flung island of Sado-ga-shima in the Sea of Japan.