IWATE

Spared many of the fierce territorial battles of the Warring States Period, the castles of northeastern Japan are a little different from those you'll find to the south and west.

These castles may not have keeps, but many of them are much older than any of Japan's so-called "original construction" castles.

2016 is a golden year for Japan's big Golden Week holiday. Not only can you catch a few traditional annual Golden Week events, but also some pretty rare ones as well!

Japan is home to thousands of historic shrines and temples, and a good few of them are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. A visit to just one can give insight into Japanese culture.

Traveling around Japan but don't know what souvenir to buy from each region? We've got you covered with this crazy list of our Top 47 'omiyage' from each of the nation's 47 prefectures!

Since northern Japan gets its cherry blossoms later than the rest of the country, even if you've missed the first round of 'sakura' to the south, you can often catch late blooms in Tohoku and Hokkaido as late as the end of April or even early May.

Japan has some beautiful trains that pass through some incredible locations. And sometimes the train itself is the marvel!

As March 11, 2016 marks the fifth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, Highlighting Japan offers an update on the results and challenges of recovery efforts in the Tohoku region.