Towada-Hachimantai National Park
Towada-Hachimantai National Park is located in the mountainous zones of Aomori, Akita, and Iwate prefectures. The park has two distinct regions: Towada-Hakkoda, which is composed of the Hakkoda Mountains, Lake Towada, and Oirase Gorge areas, and Hachimantai, composed of Mt. Hachimantai, Mt. Akita-Komagatake, and Mt. Iwate areas. The Towada-Hakkoda region, known for the mystical beauty of Lake Towada, the pure flowing landscape of Oirase Gorge, and the snow-covered trees of the Hakkoda Mountains, is the tranquil face of the national park. Contrasting this is the Hachimantai region, known as one of the most volcanic areas in the country, and considered the dynamic face of the park. In the Hachimantai region, you will feel the vitality of the earth first-hand: on the walkings trails around Goshogake Onsen Hot Springs, where fumaroles and mud volcanoes can be observed up-close, as well as the Tamagawa Onsen Hot Springs walking paths, and around the lakes, ponds, and wetlands formed by long years of volcanic activity and heavy snowfall. The park is dotted with hot springs of abundant water quantity and variety, such as Sukayu, Nyuto, Fukenoyu, and Tamagawa. Even now, the area remains a destination for long-term visitors seeking toji hot-spring cures. This sort of relaxing stay, characterized by its "stay as though you lived here" style with selfcatering options, is a refreshing change for modern travelers accustomed to moving from place to place. In recent years the area has become popular as an ideal place for half work, half vacation, "workations".

Sanriku Fukko (Reconstruction) National Park was established in May 2013 to contribute to the reconstruction of the Sanriku region, which was devastated
by the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011. The park extends from north to south for approximately 250 km. The northern part, also known as the "Alps of the Ocean," features dynamic cliffs, while the southern part offers beautiful ria coasts with a complex topography. The coast serves as a breeding ground for seabirds such as the black-tailed gull and streaked shearwater, and is also a habitat for a diverse collection of maritime plants that have adapted to the unique coastal environment. Visitors have countless opportunities to observe wildlife up-close. The park is home to some of Japan's leading fishing ports, including Hachinohe, Miyako, Ofunato, Kesennuma and Ishinomaki, and fixed nets are set on the ocean. A multitude of floating rafts for farming oysters and scallops, and buoys for farming wakame seaweed are placed in the ria coastal bay area located in the southern part of the park, offering visitors a chance to enjoy scenes of everyday life in a fishing community. The Tanesashi Coast is covered by a vast grassland that has been maintained through horse grazing and other human activities. This national park is unlike any other in Japan as it was created for the purpose of demonstrating reconstruction from a natural disaster, and people from all over the country visit this park to learn about disaster prevention.