May in Tohoku brings lots of sunny days and beautiful fresh greenery. Sendai's high is 20.2°C and mornings are around 12°C. Days are comfortable, but mornings and evenings are still chilly, and it's colder still inland and by the lakes. Hiraizumi's Spring Fujiwara Festival is in early May and the Sendai Aoba Matsuri in mid-May. In Hachimantai you can drive through the snow corridor between walls of snow, and the fresh greenery at Oirase Stream reaches its best.
Temperature, precipitation, snow and sunshine are climate normals (1991-2020). Sunset is for May 15.
Sendai, Matsushima, Zuihoden, Akiu Onsen
Sendai Aoba Matsuri on the third Sunday and the day before. A lovely season for Matsushima sightseeing cruises
Hiraizumi, Chusonji, Motsuji, Geibikei Gorge
Spring Fujiwara Festival on the 1st–5th, with the Minamoto no Yoshitsune procession on the 3rd
Morioka, Koiwai Farm, Mt. Iwate, Tsunagi Onsen
Highs around 20°C, mornings around 9°C. The pastures of Koiwai Farm turn green
Aomori, Hakkoda, Sukayu Onsen, Sannai-Maruyama Site
Highs around 19°C. A lovely season for exploring the Sannai-Maruyama Site
Hirosaki, Hirosaki Castle, Mt. Iwaki, Hirosaki Park
Highs around 20°C. Fresh greenery season in Hirosaki Park, with views of Mt. Iwaki
Oirase Stream, Lake Towada, Yasumiya, Yakeyama
Fresh greenery at Oirase Stream from mid-May. Chilly mornings around 6°C
Kakunodate, Samurai District, Lake Tazawa, Nyuto Onsen
Reach Hachimantai's snow corridor from the Lake Tazawa side. Nyuto Onsen turns fresh green too
Yamagata, Zao, Yamadera, Zao Onsen
Highs around 23°C. Climb Yamadera's stone steps surrounded by fresh greenery
Ginzan Onsen, Obanazawa, Oishida
Highs around 20°C, mornings around 9°C. Bring a layer for strolling the hot spring town
Aizu-Wakamatsu, Tsuruga Castle, Ouchi-juku, Higashiyama Onsen
Highs around 23°C, warm for Tohoku. Good for strolling Tsuruga Castle and Ouchi-juku
At Lake Towada and Oirase, mornings drop to around 6°C. If you're visiting the snow corridor or the lakeside, bring a fleece or light down jacket.
Even when days reach around 20°C, many areas drop below 10°C in the morning. Adjust with layers that are easy to take on and off.
The Hachimantai Aspite Line usually opens in mid to late April, and for about 20 days after that, walls of snow line both sides of the road. Early May is a good guide for when you can see it.
Mountain roads such as the Zao Echo Line are closed at night during part of spring. Check road information before you set off.
Once the holidays are over, tourist spots quiet down and the weather is settled. It's a time to enjoy the fresh greenery at a relaxed pace.
A festival centered on Chusonji and Motsuji. The Minamoto no Yoshitsune procession on the 3rd re-creates the scene of Yoshitsune and his party arriving in Hiraizumi.
Read the guide：Spring Fujiwara Festival →Sendai's early summer festival, with suzume odori (sparrow dancing) and processions of warriors and yamaboko floats through the city.
Walls of snow left by snow clearing line both sides of the road, exceeding 6 m in places.
The best season, when the trail along the roughly 14 km stream is wrapped in lush fresh greenery.
A spring festival held to coincide with the cherry blossoms in Hirosaki Park, centered on Hirosaki Castle. About 2,600 cherry trees of 52 varieties bloom, and some 2 million people visit every year from Japan and abroad. The park’s cherry trees are said to have begun in 1715, when a samurai of the Tsugaru domain brought 25 cherry saplings from Kyoto and planted them.
Read the guide：Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival →Dates change every year. Please check the official websites before you go.
On average, the high is 20.2°C and the low is 11.7°C. Days are comfortable, but you'll need a jacket in the morning and evening.
Long-sleeved shirts with a light jacket are the basics. If you're heading to high-elevation places such as Lake Towada or the snow corridor, add a warm layer such as a fleece.
As a guide, for about 20 days after the Hachimantai Aspite Line opens, usually in mid to late April.
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency (climate normals 1991-2020). Compiled by tripuuu.log. Temperatures are from a representative station in each area; actual weather varies from year to year.
