Nikkō Tōshō-gū is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. Most of its buildings were completed in 1636. It is lavishly decorated with gold leaf, colour and carving. The Yōmeimon gate has over 500 carvings, and the famous three wise monkeys appear on the sacred stable. It is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Shinkyō Bridge is a red lacquered wooden bridge over the Daiya River at the entrance to Nikkō's shrines and temples. It belongs to Futarasan Shrine. According to legend, two snakes formed a bridge here for the monk who founded Nikkō. The present bridge dates from 1907. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kegon Falls is a waterfall in Nikkō National Park, where the outflow of Lake Chūzenji drops about 97 metres. It is one of the three most famous waterfalls in Japan. A lift takes visitors down to a platform at the base for a closer view. The falls are especially beautiful with autumn colours in October and when partly frozen in winter.

Tsuruga Castle in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima, was the seat of the lords of Aizu. In 1868, during the Boshin War, it held out for a month against the new imperial army before surrendering. The keep was later torn down and rebuilt in 1965, and its roof was given red tiles in 2011, the only castle in Japan with them. It now houses a museum.

Ōuchi-juku is a former post town on an old trade route in the mountains of Fukushima. Its main street is lined with thatched-roof houses from the Edo period, many now shops and restaurants. A local speciality is negi soba, buckwheat noodles eaten with a long green onion instead of chopsticks. A viewpoint at the end gives a view over the roofs.

Yamadera, officially Risshaku-ji, is a temple founded in 860 on a steep mountainside near Yamagata. A climb of about 1,000 stone steps leads through cedar forest past small halls to the Godaidō viewing platform, which hangs over the valley. The poet Bashō visited in 1689 and wrote a famous haiku about the cicadas here.

Ginzan Onsen is a hot spring town in the mountains of Yamagata, along a narrow river. It began as a silver mining town in the 15th century. Wooden inns three and four storeys high, built in the early 20th century, line both banks. At night in winter, gas lamps light the snowy street, creating a famous scene.

Matsushima is a bay in Miyagi dotted with over 200 small islands covered with pine trees. It is counted as one of the three most scenic views in Japan, and the poet Bashō wrote about it. Sightseeing boats cruise among the islands. The red Fukuura bridge leads to an island, and the small Godaidō hall stands on a rock linked by bridges.

Chūson-ji is a Buddhist temple complex in Hiraizumi, Iwate, founded in 850 and greatly expanded in the 12th century by the Northern Fujiwara clan. Its Konjikidō, the Golden Hall, completed in 1124, is covered inside and out with gold leaf and inlaid with mother of pearl. It holds the mummified remains of four Fujiwara lords. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kakunodate in Akita is known for its samurai district, one of the best preserved in Japan. Wide streets are lined with old samurai houses behind black wooden fences, some open to visitors. Large weeping cherry trees bloom here in late April, and the riverbank has a two-kilometre tunnel of cherry trees.

Lake Tazawa in Akita is the deepest lake in Japan, about 423 metres deep. Its water is a deep blue colour. A golden statue of Tatsuko, a girl from a local legend who was turned into a dragon to keep her beauty, stands at its edge. The lake is surrounded by forested mountains and is popular for cycling and boating.

The Oirase Stream flows for about 14 kilometres from Lake Towada through a forested gorge in Aomori. A walking path follows the stream past rapids, waterfalls and mossy rocks under beech trees. It is especially beautiful in fresh green spring and in autumn, when the leaves turn red and gold. Choshi Ōtaki falls is the largest waterfall along it.

Hirosaki Castle in Aomori was completed in 1611 for the Tsugaru clan. Its small three-storey keep is one of the twelve original keeps in Japan. The castle park has about 2,600 cherry trees and is one of the most famous cherry blossom spots in Japan. In 2015 the whole keep was moved about 70 metres so its stone walls could be repaired.