Tohoku in Summer: Nebuta Floats, Matsushima Bay, Hiraizumi and a Working Farm Stay
Tohoku's August festivals, Matsushima Bay, Hiraizumi's temples and a farm stay below Mount Iwate.
A cooler, more cultural Japan in summer. This guide links the festivals, coast and temples.
Three August festivals
In May 2025 the Japan National Tourism Organization promoted three Tohoku summer festivals as a cooler, more cultural alternative to the big cities; together they drew more than four million visitors in August 2024. They fall within days of each other. Read Tohoku’s Three August Festivals: Nebuta, Kanto and Tanabata, and See the lantern floats of the Aomori Nebuta Festival.
Coast and temples
Miyagi Beyond Sendai covers the coast, and Cruise among the pine islets of Matsushima Bay is the classic outing. Visit Chusonji and the Pure Land temples of Hiraizumi adds the medieval north. In the far north, Aomori and Around covers Jomon villages and beech forests.
Where to stay
Azuma Farm Koiwai has 24 rooms in timber buildings by Shiro Miura on a working farm below Mount Iwate, with wood-fired sauna pavilions and a farm kitchen.
Further south
Continue to Nikko and Lake Chuzenji. Festival dates and transport change each year; check official sources.
Experiences
Experiences in Tohoku
Journal