Miyagi + Fukushima Prefectures itinerary

Hey guys, I�fm planning a trip to Japan and would love if someone could review it and give me a bit of feedback.

(Landing Sendai Airport)
Day 1- Sendai
Day 2- Sendai
Day 3- Matsushima
Day 4- Yamadera (+ Akiu Ootaki Falls?)
Day 5- Yamagata (+ Kaminoyama?).
Day 6- Kaminoyama + Zao Crater (Sleep in Togatta). I have no interest in onsen, but I would like to see Kaminoyama Castle. I�fm hoping to see the castle in the morning and go to Zao Crater afterwards, but I can�ft seem to find a timetable for the bus to the crater?
Day 7- Togatta + a town between Zao and Fukushima (not yet decided)
Day 8- Fukushima
Day 9- Fukushima
Day 10- Abukuma-do Cave + Houzou-ji + Koriyama
Day 11- Koriyama + Lake Inawashiro
Day 12- Aizu-Wakamatsu
Day 13- Aizu-Wakamatsu
Day 14- Enzoji + head back to Sendai

I�fve just started my planning, so please tell me if there�fs something big I�fm missing. My main plans for this trip are kokeshi and Aizu-Wakamatsu (I�fve been wanting to go for years). I�fm a pretty slow traveller and like to take it easy. It�fll be late June-early July.

Thank you!

FYI the Yamadera and surrounding areas are in Yamagata prefecture.

I know, but the title would've been very long otherwise.

bus between Kaminoyama and Zao Okama:

http://kaminoyama-spa.com/download/uploads/ekogo%200423-1103.pdf

If Kokeshi, Naruko Onsen is better to put if possible.
http://www.naruko.gr.jp/kogeihin/menu/01/index.php?2
In Sendai, Kamei Museum (a smaller scale) and Shimanuki is recommended.
http://www.kameimuseum.or.jp/
http://www.shimanuki.co.jp/
In museum shop in Sendai Mediatheque, they are selling a little Kokeshi.
http://www.kaneiri.co.jp/shop/
In Aoba Castle Honmaru hall, perhaps a demonstration of making Kokeshi is seen.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=634675803254286&id=4...
Nishi koen(West park), there is also a tower of Kokeshi.
http://blog.livedoor.jp/kahokushimpo/archives/54404032.html
In Miyagi, there are four types of Kokeshi,Naruko Kokeshi, Sakunami Kokeshi, Yajiro Kokeshi, Toogatta Kokeshi.
http://www.pref.miyagi.jp/soshiki/shinsan/01kokesi.html
Kokeshi of Akiu hot spring is like a Toogatta Kokeshi.
I like Yajiro Kokeshi particularly.
http://www.city.shiroishi.miyagi.jp/site/kanko/1481.html
It seems Kamasaki onsen is close from this museum.
http://travel.rakuten.com/spot/Japan-Miyagi%20Prefecture-Shiroishi-Kam... spot & destEnFullName = Japan-Miyagi + Prefecture-Shiroishi-Kamasaki_Onsen & searchBtn1 =
In Yamagata, there seems to be three types of Kokeshi, Yamagata Kokeshi, Zao Kokeshi, Hijiori Kokeshi.
Hijiori Kokeshi is peripheral Hijiori Onsen.
http://hijiori.jp/
Kokeshi is also famous Tsuchiyu Onsen in Fukushima.
http://www.tcy.jp/english/
http://www.tcy.jp/koke-kojin.stm
Also Nishida Kinenkan(Memorial) is famous.
http://nishidakinenkan.or.jp/event.html
http://www.anna-g.com/access/index.html
Photos of the types of Kokeshi
http://nishidakinenkan.or.jp/kokesi.html
When it was Aizu-Wakamatsu, it is recommended Nanukamachi and fukunishi honten.
http://www.aizukanko.com/model/421/
http://www.aizukanko.com/souvenior/474/
If you have time, please try back in. Ouchi-juku.

But I forgot to write, if you stay or go to inn of Akiu Onsen, there are many cases where the free bus has come out from Sendai.
It is about about 40 minutes.
In the case of bathing only, it seems first-come, first-served basis in many cases.
Since the free bus of time varies depending on the inn, it is a good idea to check with the inn.

In addition, it seems about 40 minutes by bus to Goshikinuma (Urabandai) from Inawashiro.
http://www.totobus.co.jp/bandai/images/J2_InawashiroUrabandai.pdf
http://www.totobus.co.jp/bandai/images/J1_Jikokuhyo.pdf
They have come up with buses to Kitakata from Urabandai.
http://www.totobus.co.jp/bandai/images/J3_UrabandaiRoyalKitakata.pdf
Urabandai
http://www.urabandai-inf.com/
June 4 to July 18, is also where the Nikko kisuge(day lily) is seen.
If the Saturday, Sunday and holidays, and has come out bus from Kitakata to Ogunidaira parking lot, it is possible to ride from there to the shuttle bus.
Go 11:25, return the bus of 14:25 there is only one.
https://www.aizubus.com/sightseeing/bus/oguninuma_trekking#KORIYAMA
Shuttle bus seems 12:10 ,14:00 has just good.
https://www.aizubus.com/sightseeing/bus/oguninuma_trekking#KORIYAMA
Morohashi Museum of Modern Art, also seems to be in Urabandai.
It is exhibiting the work of mainly Dali.
http://dali.jp/en/

Wow! Thank you so much haro1210! I wouldn't have been able to find all that by myself!

If you do make it to Akiu, you can even paint your own kokeshi at the craft park there:
http://www.miyagitheme.jp/spot05xp.html

I don't expect that you could do Akiu and Yamadera in the same day, incidentally. But you could fit it into one of your Sendai days, as it is within the city limits.

Also, I might recommend trying to squeeze in a trip to Shiroishi if you're into castle things.

http://shiroishi-navi.jp/en/spots

I was quite impressed when I was there, especially by their authentically reconstructed keep and those Katakura Gobyousho graves.

A kokeshi trip with zero interest in onsen is a bit difficult if you want to really go where the kokeshi are famous and crafted, because kokeshi are historically and remain popular souvenirs in onsen towns in Tohoku.

Naruko Kokeshi from Naruko Onsen are the most well-known, but Zao Takayu Kokeshi can be found at Zao Onsen, Yamagata Kokeshi around Yamadera (among other places, although the Yamadera kokeshi themselves are their own subset and few artists remain...), Togatta kokeshi, Yajiro kokeshi, and Sakunami kokeshi in Miyagi, Tsuchiyu kokeshi in Fukushima...

There's a lot to kokeshi for those interested in them and within each of the above there are variations among painters and periods, but they do have distinct qualities.

Still, if kokeshi is your main goal aside from visiting Aizu, you'll want to visit the onsen towns.