Let’s Go Natural in Tohoku

Onsen (温泉) is the Japanese name for a hot spring; the term also extends to cover the bathing facilities and traditional inns frequently situated around a hot spring. Onsens come in many types and shapes, including outdoor (露天風呂 or 野天風呂, roten-buro or noten-buro) and indoor baths (内湯, uchiyu).

Guests are not normally allowed to wear swimsuits in the baths.

Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate zones.

The Tōhoku region (東北地方, Tōhoku-chihō), Northeast region, or Northeast Japan (東北日本, Tōhoku-nihon) consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (ken): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata.

Iwate Prefecture (岩手県, Iwate-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu.

The Go-Bang’s were a three-piece Japanese all-female band active in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

JR East operates all of the Shinkansen, high-speed rail lines, north of Tokyo, except the Hokkaido Shinkansen, which is operated by JR Hokkaido.