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Episode 45 transports us to Tohoku in the north-east of Japan’s main island of Honshu. Tohoku is a large region comprised of six prefectures – Fukushima, Yamagata, Akita, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori – known for its open and striking landscapes and distinct local traditions. Leading us on this exploration is photographer Alfonso Calero. With more than 20 years of experience as a professional photographer, Alfonso leads small photography tours to Japan each year, including his 10-day autumn tour in Tohoku.

Alfonso’s tour focuses on the natural landscapes of Tohoku including the mountains, forests, lakes and rivers of Towada-Hachimantai National Park and rugged rock formations of the Sanriku Coast. The tour balances its focus on landscape with cultural destinations including Towada Art Center and the samurai district of Kakunodate.

Full details of the tour can be found on Alfonso’s website and you can also follow him on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. I hope that this episode piques your interest in Alfonso’s photography and tours and Tohoku as a destination. Easily accessible thanks to Japan’s Shinkansen / Bullet Train network, Tohoku is in every other sense a world away from the congestion, neon and hum of Tokyo.

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.