The , Northeast region, , or consists of the northeastern portion of

Honshu , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the list of islands by area, seventh-largest island in the world, and the list of islands by ...

, the largest

island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata. Tōhoku retains a reputation as a remote, scenic region with a harsh

climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteoro ...

. In the 20th century,

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

became a major industry in the Tōhoku region.

History

Ancient and classical period

In mythological times, the area was known as Azuma (, ) and corresponded to the area of

occupied by the native Emishi and Ainu. The area was historically the Dewa and the Michinoku regions, a term first recorded in (654). There is some variation in modern usage of the term "Michinoku". Tōhoku's initial historical settlement occurred between the seventh and ninth centuries, well after Japanese

civilization A civilization (also spelled civilisation in British English) is any complex society characterized by the development of state (polity), the state, social stratification, urban area, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyon ...

and

culture Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

had become firmly established in central and southwestern Japan. The last stronghold of the indigenous Emishi on Honshu and the site of many battles, the region has maintained a degree of autonomy from Kyoto at various times throughout history. The were a Japanese noble family that ruled the Tōhoku region during the 12th century as their own realm. They kept their independence vis-à-vis the Imperial Court in Kyoto by the strength of their warrior bands until they were overwhelmed by Minamoto no Yoritomo in 1189.

Feudal period

Christianity in Tōhoku

Date Masamune (1567–1636), feudal lord of Date clan, expanded trade in the Tōhoku region. Although initially faced with attacks by hostile clans, he managed to overcome them after a few defeats and eventually ruled one of the largest fiefdoms of the later

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

. He built many palaces and worked on many projects to beautify the region. He is also known to have encouraged foreigners to come to his land. Even though he funded and promoted an envoy to establish relations with the Pope in Rome, he was likely motivated at least in part by a desire for foreign technology, similar to that of other lords, such as

Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...

. He showed sympathy for Christian missionaries and traders in Japan. In addition to allowing them to come and preach in his province, he also released the prisoner and missionary Padre Sotelo from the hands of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Date Masamune allowed Sotelo as well as other missionaries to practice their religion and win converts in Tōhoku. Further, once Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616) outlawed Christianity, Masamune reversed his position, and though disliking it, let Ieyasu persecute Christians in his domain. For 270 years, Tōhoku remained a place of tourism, trade and prosperity. Matsushima, for instance, a series of tiny islands, was praised for its beauty and serenity by the wandering

haiku is a type of short form poetry that originated in Japan. Traditional Japanese haiku consist of three phrases composed of 17 Mora (linguistics), morae (called ''On (Japanese prosody), on'' in Japanese) in a 5, 7, 5 pattern; that include a ''kire ...

poet Matsuo Bashō.

Early modern period

The

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694) wrote '' Oku no Hosomichi'' (''The Narrow Road to the Deep North'') during his travels through Tōhoku.

Contemporary period

In the 1960s, ironworks, steelmaking, cement, chemical industry, pulp, and petroleum refining industries began developing. The region is traditionally known as a less developed area of Japan.Dentsu. (1970)
''Industrial Japan, '' Issues 18–26, p. 58
; retrieved 2013-4-17. The catastrophic 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, inflicted massive damage along the east coast of this region, causing and was the costliest natural disaster ever which left 500,000 people homeless along with radioactive emissions from the

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster The Fukushima nuclear accident was a major nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan, which began on 11 March 2011. The cause of the accident was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which r ...

Geography

Tōhoku, like most of Japan, is hilly or mountainous, with the Ōu Mountains running north–south. The inland location of many of the region's lowlands has led to a concentration of much of the population there. Coupled with coastlines that do not favor seaport development, this settlement pattern resulted in a much greater than usual dependence on land and rail transportation. Low points in the central mountain range make communications between lowlands on either side of the range moderately easy. Tōhoku was traditionally considered the granary of Japan because it supplied Sendai and the

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...

market with rice and other farming commodities. Tōhoku provided 20 percent of the nation's rice crop. Mt._Iwate_and_Morioka.jpg, Mount Iwate dominates the city of Morioka Otani, Mishima, Onuma District, Fukushima Prefecture 969-7517, Japan - panoramio.jpg, Rice paddies in Aizu in early summer DaiichiTadamigawaBridge.jpg, Tadami River and Tadami Line in autumn 蔵王の樹氷 (Snow Monsters (Soft rime) at Zao) 08 Feb, 2011 - panoramio.jpg, Snow monsters on Mount Zaō Tohoku Region Japan 2003.png, Satellite image of Tōhoku region

Subdivision

The most often used subdivision of the region is dividing it to consisting of Aomori, Akita, and Iwate Prefectures and consisting of Yamagata, Miyagi, and Fukushima Prefectures.

Climate

The climate is colder than in other parts of Honshū due to the stronger effect of the Siberian High, and permits only one crop a year on paddy fields. The Pacific coast of Tōhoku, however, is generally much less snowy than the region's popular image and has among the smallest seasonal temperature variation in Japan. The city of Iwaki, for instance, has daily mean temperatures ranging from in January to in August.

Cities and populated areas

Core cities

* Sendai (population: 1,098,000) * Iwaki (population: 322,000) * Kōriyama (population: 322,000) * Akita (population: 300,000) * Morioka (population: 284,000) * Aomori (population: 265,000) * Yamagata (population: 242,000) * Hachinohe (population: 216,000) File:Night view from Mukaiyama.JPG, Sendai File:View of Iwaki station in Iwaki city - panoramio 78.jpg, Iwaki File:郡山市中心市街地.JPG, Kōriyama Aizuwakamatsu_14-Nov-2020.jpg, Aizuwakamatsu

Other cities

* Aizuwakamatsu * Daisen * Date * Fukushima * Goshogawara * Hachimantai * Hanamaki * Hachinohe * Higashimatsushima * Higashine * Hirakawa * Hirosaki * Ichinoseki * Ishinomaki * Iwanuma * Kakuda * Kamaishi * Kaminoyama * Katagami * Kazuno * Kesennuma * Kitaakita * Kitakami * Kitakata * Kuji * Kurihara * Kuroishi * Minamisōma * Misawa * Miyako * Motomiya * Murayama * Mutsu * Nagai * Nan'yō * Natori * Nihonmatsu * Nikaho * Ninohe * Noshiro * Obanazawa * Oga * Ōdate * Ōfunato * Ōsaki * Ōshū * Rikuzentakata * Sagae * Sakata * Semboku * Shinjō * Shiogama * Shirakawa * Shiroishi * Sōma * Sukagawa * Tagajō * Takizawa * Tamura * Tendō * Tome * Tomiya * Tōno * Towada * Tsugaru *

Tsuruoka is a Cities of Japan, city in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 125,389 in 49,024 households, and a population density of 95.74 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Tsuruoka is the biggest city in ...

* Yamagata * Yokote * Yonezawa * Yurihonjō * Yuzawa

Demographics

The population decline of Tōhoku, which began before the year 2000, has accelerated, now including previously dynamic Miyagi. Despite this, Sendai City has grown, in part due to relocations of people affected by the 2011 disaster. The population decline of Aomori, Iwate and Akita Prefectures, Honshu's three northernmost, began in the early 1980s after an initial loss of population in the late 1950s. Fukushima Prefecture, prior to 1980, had traditionally been the most populated, but today Miyagi is the most populated and urban by far.

Points of interest

Natural features

* Hakkōda Mountains * Lake Tazawa * Lake Towada * Kitakami River *The islands of Matsushima Bay * Mount Bandai * Mount Hayachine * Mount Iwaki * Mount Osore * Oirase River Valley * Sanriku Coast

Parks

* Bandai-Asahi National Park * Miss Veedol Beach * Sanriku Fukkō National Park * Towada-Hachimantai National Park

Historical features

* Aizuwakamatsu Castle * Chūson-ji * Hirosaki Castle * Mōtsū-ji * Mount Osore * Ōuchi-juku * Three Mountains of Dewa * Yama-dera

Onsen

* Iwaki Yumoto Onsen * Ginzan Onsen * Nyūtō Onsen * Sukayu Onsen * Zaō Onsen

Festivals

* Akita Kantō * Aomori Nebuta Matsuri * Goshogawara Tachineputa Festival * Hachinohe Sansha Taisai * Yamagata Hanagasa Festival Oirase-keiryu.jpg, Oirase River in

Aomori Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori (city), Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is border ...

Fukushima-Sakura in Tsuruga Castle, Aizuwakamatsu City-m.jpg, Aizuwakamatsu Castle in spring Five tier pagoda at Mt. Haguro 2006-10-29.jpg, Mount Haguro Yamagata-Ginzan Onsen-m.jpg, Ginzan Onsen Kan_h03.jpg, Akita Kantō Festival

Notes

References

* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth (2005)
''Japan Encyclopedia''
Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. . . *
Japan