Thing to do
- Mizunuma Station (a train station with a hot spring) 11AM-8PM: http://www.mizunuma-sb.com/facilities.shtml
- Jigokudani (snow monkey onsen): http://wikitravel.org/en/Jigokudani_Monkey_Park
- http://wikitravel.org/en/Yagen_Valley in Aomori
- Notoya Ryokan (an awesome inn) in Obanazawa, Yamagata which is a town the highest snowfall in the entire world
- Nyuto Onsen (a secret onsen village) and Kakunodate (the site of some samurai training houses) in Akita
- Hirosaki which is has a big float museum and a decent looking hostel
- Itayanagi A very apple themed village with apple street lights and more