Tohoku in February

I am thinking of using the JR east hokkaido pass to go around Hokkaido a bit, go to areas in Tohoku, and return home by flight from Tokyo.

What is there to see in Tohoku?

I'm thinking of leaving Hakodate and going to Hirosaki. It seems like a nice place. Perhaps 2-3 days. After that, I am thinking of going to sendai.

Does the JR pass work from Hakodate to Hirosaki?
Is Yamadera still accessible during this period?
Is there anything else interesting? I looked though most of the things in this site but nothing really caught my eye besides hirosaki and sendai

Interests:
Culture and food

You missed Hiraizumi, Nyuto Onsen and Kakunodate from your list. Probably there is more.

I can't answer your question in rail pass, but doesn't the pass webpage say where it is valid? Logic would have it that a pass called "Hokkaido" is valid in Hokkaido only and not other parts of Japan. But as said, as a resident I can't use passes so never did.

Enjoy your trip to Japan!

I loved Hirosaki, Kakunodate and Hiraizumi but I think they'll be under some pretty deep snow in February.

@ LikeBike. The JR East South Hokkaido pass covers Tohoku and the southern parts of Hokkaido. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_southhokkaido.html

Yamadera is open year round but it's up to you if you want to go up there in the snow. We did it carefully in snow boots and using handrails.

Nyuto Onsen is unmissable.

You also need to go to Zao Onsen and see the snow monster illumination.

There's a very pretty rural rail line (not JR) that runs between Kakunodate and Takanosu as well which is renowned for its snowy scenery http://www.akita-nairiku.com (in Japanese)

I also enjoyed Kakunodate and Aizu-Wakamatsu.

The JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass includes almost all areas from Sapporo to Tokyo. Click "Valid Train Routes" on this page.
http://www.jreasthokkaido.com/e/

Try the official sites or google searches by prefectures.

Aomori https://www.en-aomori.com/
https://www.en-aomori.com/category/recommended/culture
https://www.en-aomori.com/category/recommended/food

Akita http://www.akitafan.com/en/first
http://www.akitafan.com/en/archive/sightseeing?category_id=2

Iwate http://www.japan-iwate.info/
http://www.japan-iwate.info/app/location_list.php?c1=1
http://www.japan-iwate.info/app/location_list.php?c2=1

Yamagata http://yamagatakanko.com.e.db.hp.transer.com/
http://yamagatakanko.com.e.db.hp.transer.com/food/

Miyagi http://www.pref.miyagi.jp/site/kankou-en/
http://www.pref.miyagi.jp/site/kankou-en/en-eat.html

Fukushima http://www.tif.ne.jp/lang/en/
http://www.tif.ne.jp/lang/en/food/index.php

Tochigi https://travel.tochigiji.or.jp/en/

Saitama http://www.sainokuni-kanko.jp/factory/factory_eng/index.html
http://www.sainokuni-kanko.jp/factory/factory_eng/trad_food/index.html

A search by Aomori and February have gotten these.

Towadako Fuyu Monogatari (Lake Towada Winter Story)
http://www.nihon-kankou.or.jp.e.wp.hp.transer.com/detail/05303ba221013...

Hachinohe Henburi: 17-20 Feb
https://hachinohe-kanko.com/10stories/hachinohe-enburi

Hirosaki Yukidoro Matsuri: 9-12 Feb, 2018
http://www.hirosaki-kanko.or.jp/web/edit.html?id=cat02_winter_yuki

Sawada Rosoku Matsuri (Candle Festival)
http://www.aptinet.jp/Detail_display_00004021.html

Niogataki Kori Matsuri (Ice Festival)
http://www.hirosaki-kanko.or.jp/web/details.html?id=API00300001831

I would stop here. There should be much more in other prefectures.

The bar charts on Jalan site indicates Yamadera is accessible in Feb.
http://www.jalan.net/kankou/spt_guide000000152086/
http://www.yamaderakankou.com/

Jalan shows their monthly recommendations but in Japanese. Moreover, I could not specify the month by HTTP. In the link below, you need to change the month at the right of a crown sign saying ??月のオススメランキング.

Hokkaido: http://www.jalan.net/kankou/010000/
1 Asahiyama Zoo
2 Mt Hakodate
3 Sapporo Stellar Place
:

Tohoku: http://www.jalan.net/kankou/pro_002/
1 Zao Onsen
2 Tsurugajo (Wakamatsu Castle)
3 (promotion)
4 Ginzan Onsen
5 Akiu Onsen
6 Hanamaki Onsen
7 A, Ra, Datena Michi no Eki
8 Hasshoku Center
9 Sendai Umino Mori Aquarium
10 Taki no Yu
:
19 Chusonji/Hiraizumi
:
21 OuchiJuku
:
28 Nyuto Onsen
:
30 Yamadera

Zao Onsen (#1) would be at the peak of its Juhyo (Snow Monsters). Tsurugajo (#2) and Ouchijuku (#21) are rather near. I have seen a report on Ginzan Onsen(#4) in JG. It is more popular in snowy season.

8 Hasshoku Center
http://www.jalan.net/kankou/spt_02203cc3340045209/
http://www.849net.com/

21 OuchiJuku
http://www.jalan.net/kankou/spt_07362ad2150129217/
http://ouchi-juku.com/

Yamagata (The original of the broken links above)
http://yamagatakanko.com/spot/

Some I would like to show more.

Wanko Soba Noodles in Iwate.

Gyutan (Beef Tongue), Zunda, and Harakomeshi in Sendai.
http://www.pref.miyagi.jp/site/kankou-en/en-eat-taste-taste.html

Michinoku Godai Yuki Matsuri (The top 5 festivals in the northern Tohoku)
4 - 12 Feb, 2017 (last year): Shizukuishi, Iwate
9 - 12 Feb, 2017: Hirosaki, Aomori
10 - 12 Feb, 2017: Oga, Akita
15 - 16 Feb, 2017: Yokote, Akita
17 - 20 Feb, 2017: Hachinohe, Aomori
http://www.michinokugodai.com/
https://www.facebook.com/michinokugodai/

TDFK47 (ToDoFuKen 47, LoL!) in 2013 by TA
https://www.tripadvisor.jp/pages/47attractions_2013.html
1260 4.5 522 Hokkaido Mt Hakodate
196 4.5 152 Aomori Oirase Gorge
138 4.5 153 Iwate Chusonji/Hiraizumi
84 4.0 24 Miyagi Hikari no Pageant
49 4.5 49 Akita Oga Shinzan Denshokan
102 4.5 116 Yamagata Risshakuji/Yamadera
100 4.5 97 Fukushima Goshikinuma
122 4.5 105 Ibaragi Hitachi Marine Park
92 4.5 467 Tochigi Nikko Toshogu
102 4.5 205 Gunma Yubatake/Kusatsu
65 4.5 128 Saitama Railway Museum
129 4.5 1144 Chiba Tokyo DisneySea
89 4.0 962 Tokyo Tokyo SkyTree
149 4.5 319 Kanagawa Yokohama MM21
54 4.0 207 Yamanashi Fuji-Q Highland
1136 4.5 454 Nagano Matsumoto Castle
56 4.5 91 Shizuoka Air Park

I liked Zao onsen but isn't the dai rotemboro closed in February? For me that was the highlight of my stay. I did use the onsen at my ryokan including paying for a private bath just to see what that was like and I paid to use another one in town, but none of them compared to the dai Rotemboro.

Of course I take no pleasure in seeing snow. I live somewhere that gets plenty of snow every year.

Depending on times, there is 1 direct bus from Sendai to Zao/Zao to Sendai in the Winter. And while it's not covered by any passes, it's only 600 yen more than the bus you need to take from Yamagata to Zao as is, so if you can take it one way it might help you.

Matsushima might be quite pretty in the snow.

My suggestion of Zao Onsen was because of the snow monsters. For onsen, Nyuto Onsen is my recommendation.

Zao Onsen Dai-Roten-Buro will be closed from Dec to Mar.
12月〜翌3月までは閉鎖
http://www.jupeer-zao.com/roten/

Zao Onsen is the top ski resort in Tohoku. I expect more direct buses from Sendai in the winter season.
http://www.zao-spa.or.jp/english/ski/

I'm just going by the info here on Japan-Guide. They say only 1. If you can take the bus it's a really good deal at 1600 one way, since it's 1000 yen from Yamagata and it shaves ~45 minutes off your travel time not including transfers.

I'm sure if you ski Zao is great. But I really liked the dai rotemboro and would be sad to miss it.