Travel in Tohoku

[Brooker]

I'm going to Japan in September and want to see Tohoku (Northern Japan) because I haven't been there before. I'm mainly interested in off-the-beaten-path stuff like hiking and seeing old, small towns, and I've seen enough temples for one lifetime. Basically I just want to chill, see the countryside, eat the food, and maybe hit a few hot spots.

Any suggestions for particularly nice areas or places of interest?