Jodogahama Beach (Iwate prefecture): It's easy to see why this beach is named "Jodogahama," or Pure Land. In Rikuchu Kaigan National Park, it's one of Japan's nationally designated Places of Scenic Beauty. Click on for more photos of Japan's beautiful Tohoku region, which is made up of six prefectures: Aomori, Akita, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata.
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Okama Crater Lake (Yamagata and Miyagi prefectures): Three peaks of Tohoku's Zao mountain range surround this circular crater lake named after "kama," a traditional iron pot that shares its shape. It sits on the border between Yamagata and Miyagi prefectures.
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Hakkoda Mountains (Aomori prefecture): This range of dormant volcanoes is known for its beauty throughout the seasons -- fall included. The area is filled with ponds, marshes, hiking trails and hot springs.
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Torigoe-no-taki Falls (Iwate prefecture): Making an entrance down a 100-foot drop, these falls, near the ski resort/hot spring town of Shizukuishi, come in with a mighty roar.
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Lake Inawashiro (Fukushima prefecture): Frozen scenes like this can be found during a winter visit to Fukushima's Lake Inawashiro. These "shibuki-gori" natural ice sculptures form when water is picked up by strong winds from the west.
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Mt. Chokai (Akita and Yamagata prefectures): Trails on the photogenic volcano, located between Akita and Yamagata prefectures, take hikers through marshes, teeming wildflowers and alpine lakes.
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Shiraishi River (Miyagi prefecture): Come cherry blossom season Tohoku doesn't disappoint. Miyagi's Shiraishi River hosts an annual Ogawara Sakura Festival -- said to be one of the country's top cherry blossom viewing experiences.
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Abukuma-do (Fukushima prefecture): Abukuma-do is a 3,000-meter-long limestone cave network located outside the Fukushima city of Tamura. Only 600 meters of the caves are open to explore. It takes about 40 minutes to get through.
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Matsushima Bay (Miyagi): Some 260 islands of various sizes are scattered around Miyagi's Matsushima Bay, which has been named one of the three most scenic spots in Japan.
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Zao Onsen Ski Resort (Yamagata prefecture): Tourists come to Tohoku's largest ski resort not only for the popular winter sport but also to trek, visit hot springs and see the famous "snow monsters," the result of mist freezing on the trees.
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Mt. Iwate (Iwate prefecture): Japan newbies could be forgiven for mistaking this Tohoku volcano for Mt. Fuji. Sitting northwest of Morioka, it's sometimes called Nambu Fuji -- or half-sided Fuji -- for its resemblance to the more famous peak.
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Cherry blossoms (Aomori prefecture): Sakura bloom outside Hirosaki Castle in Aomori prefecture. A prime place for viewing blossoms in spring, it's picturesque all year long.
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Mototaki Waterfall (Akita prefecture): This pretty waterfall, fed by year-round snow on Mt. Chokai, remains chilly even during the warmer seasons.
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Oe Wetlands (Fukushima prefecture): Wooden paths have been placed through the Oe Wetlands in Fukushima's Hinoemata village. The prefecture lures travelers to its many beautiful natural sites.
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Hakkoda Mountains (Aomori prefecture): Yamagata obviously doesn't have a monopoly on snow monsters. Sixteen mountains make up Aomori's Hakkoda range, of which Mount Odake is the main peak.
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Towada-Hachimantai National Park (Aomori prefecture): The park is made up of two areas -- Hachimantai and Towada-Hakkoda, the latter of which includes Honshu's largest crater lake, Lake Towada, and most of the Oirase River valley that exits into the Pacific Ocean.
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Yunohama Hot Springs (Yamagata prefecture): According to a popular myth, a fisherman discovered these seaside hot springs when he saw a turtle bathing in the warm waters centuries ago.
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Yoneshiro River (Akita prefecture): This 136-kilometer-long river, which creates a natural border for Akita, Iwate and Aomori, leads into the Sea of Japan through Akita prefecture.