Itinerary Advice for October 18 Tokyo

Hi guys would like some advice and suggestion for our (me & wife) trip to Tokyo in October 2018. I've drawn up a rough itinerary below:

18OCT THU – Land NRT Airport 18:00
19OCT FRI – Tokyo
20OCT SAT – Tokyo – Hachinohe [Hachinohe base]
21OCT SUN – Lake Towada – Hachimantai – (Maybe Kakunodate as well) [Hachinohe base]
22OCT MON – Hachinohe – Sendai – Naruko Gorge – (Maybe Yamadera as well) [Sendai base]
23OCT TUE – Sendai – Yamadera (if not possible to fit previous day) – Shiogama [Sendai base]
24OCT WED – Sendai – Nikko – Toshogu Shrine – Kanmangafuchi Abyss [Nikko base]
25OCT THU – Nikko – Akechidaira – Lake Chuzenji [Nikko base]
26OCT FRI – Open for suggestions
27OCT SAT – Open for suggestions
28OCT SUN – Open for suggestions
29OCT MON – Tokyo
30OCT TUE – Tokyo
31 OCT WED – Depart NRT Airport 21:50

I would purchase the JR East Tohoku Pass for travel between 20/10 - 24/10 and the Nikko All Acess pass for 24/10 - 25/10. As you will note above, 26/10 - 28/10 is very much open for suggestion. As a side note we've visited Tokyo - Kyoto - Osaka in 2016 over two weeks and have pretty much covered the main attractions of these cities. Looking forward to your suggestions and advice. Thanks.

Wow your itinerary is rather similar to mine as I will be travelling pretty much the same as what you are doing but just a different route. Just a couple of suggestions as I know others are more of an expert than I am.

1. I've been to Yamadera before and it is about a 1.5 - 2.5 hour hike up and down the 1050 steps to the top. I am not sure what your athletic abilities are like but for me it was a little tough. You might be pretty tired after Yamadera.
2. Kakunodate might be a little far from Lake Towada. I planned Kakunodate and Towada as two totally separate locations myself.
3. If you can push Nikko I suggest Matsushima (located near Sendai) as a day trip. Its pretty and you have to experience once.
4. For the days open to suggestion, I suggest day trips to Mt Takao, Kawagoe, and/or Kamakura/Enoshima, all 40-50 mins from Tokyo. Both are really good places to visit and very convenient if you have not visited these locations.

I recommend visiting Aizu-Wakamatsu between Sendai and Nikko.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7700.html

I traveled the tohoku (North-east) region in 2017 and I enjoyed Aizu Wakamatsu area the most.

Do you plan to drive in Hachinohe? Otherwise, your Hachinohe base should not work.

With the first JR bus Oirase-go #21 to Towada, you could reach Yasumiya by 10:00.
Hachinohe 7:45-10:00 Towadako/Yasumiya
http://www.jrbustohoku.co.jp/route/detail/?PID=9&RID=13
http://www.jrbustohoku.co.jp/route/detail/?PID=&RID=1&BID=474

Towada Taxi's Hachiro-Taro-go runs between Towada and Hachimantai. You could take the third bus at 13:12 and it arrives at Hachimantai at 15:39. This bus runs only until 21 Oct, only on weekends, and requires a reservation.
Yasumiya 13:12-15:39 Hachimantai
http://www.city.kazuno.akita.jp/kankonew/image/82122download.pdf

Ugo Kotsu's Express Hachimantai Line connects Hachimantai to JR Tazawako. The last bus leaves Hachimantai at 15:05. The last date of the operation is 21 Oct. Hachimantai is on the last edge of the season.
Hachimantai 15:05-17:19 Tazawako
https://ugokotsu.co.jp/wp1/wp-content/jikoku/latest/hachimantai.pdf

Hachimantai Shizen Sansaku Bus is also by 21 Oct. This bus allows two routes in Hachimantai; Jokai and Aspite lines. The last bus departs to JR Morioka at 14:50.
http://www.hachimantai.or.jp/event/2018/sansakubus3.pdf
https://www.appi.co.jp/sansaku_bus

Another Iwate Kenpoku Bus leaves Hachimantai towards JR Morioka at 15:35.
http://www.iwate-kenpokubus.co.jp/uploads/300415_hachi_bc.pdf

So, your only way left is to take the last Hachiro-Taro-go #4 to backtrack. The bus departs at 15:54, permitting only 15 minutes staying at Hachimantai. It does not go back up to Towada but gets to JR Kaduno-Hanawa at 17:16.

One of the possible solutions would be this:
Hachinohe 7:45-10:00 Towadako/Yasumiya 13:12-15:39 Hachimantai 15:54-17:16 Kaduno-Hanawa 18:31-22:07 Hachinohe.
Do you want to do this?

One of the best to do Hachimantai is by a Morioka base.
JR Morioka 9:10-(Sansaku Bus via Matsukawa Onsen/Jukai Line)-11:00 Hachimantai 15:35-(Kenpoku Bus via Gozaisho/Aspite Line)-17:28 JR Morioka
https://www.appi.co.jp/sansaku_bus
http://www.iwate-kenpokubus.co.jp/uploads/300415_hachi_bc.pdf

You may do Hachimantai on the way from Towada to Kakunodate. The luggage could be an issue.
Towada 9:37-(Towada Taxi)-12:06 Hachimantai 15:05-(Ugo Kotsu)-17:19 JR Tazawako 18:12-18:26 Kakunodate (night)
http://www.city.kazuno.akita.jp/kankonew/image/82122download.pdf
https://ugokotsu.co.jp/wp1/wp-content/jikoku/present/hachimantai.pdf

For the luggage, you may do Hachimantai with a night at Fukenoyu Onsen or another.
Kakunodate 8:54-9:09 Tazawako 9:30-(Ugo Kotsu)-11:26 Fukenoyu Onsen 11:49-(Towada Taxi)-12:06 Hachimantai 15:54-(Towada Taxi)-16:10 Fukenoyu Onsen 9:55-(Towada Taxi)-12:07 Towada

Towada Taxi only runs on weekends. You should not stay in Tokyo on the immediate Friday. JR East Pass is for flexible five days. You would be better to take times in Towada, Hachimantai, Hachinohe, and/or Kakunodate.
https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/eastpass_t/
https://hachinohe-kanko.com/english/

Naruko is between Hachinohe and Sendai. I would stay at Naruko Onsen.

https://trip8.jp/hachimantai-hiking-bus/
https://trip8.jp/kenpokubus-hachimantai/

Hi Villagemayor, thank you for your reply. We might cross paths in Japan :) Yea after doing more reading it seems Lake Towada would require a full day or at least best part of the day thus I will modify my itinerary accordingly. As for Yamadera, I think it would be fine for me but not too sure for the wife haha. I reckon my itinerary will stay the same for Yamadera and only visit Shiogama / Matsushima if time allows. Thanks also for your suggestion for the free days. Will look into it even though I think with my itinerary shuffle, I might only have 1 extra day free :)

Hi redbull, thanks for your reply. Will look into Aizu-Wakamatsu

Hi Luisjp, thank you for your details reply. I do plan on renting a car for Lake Towada and maybe Hachimantai as well. However I might also drop Hacimantai from the list as there are reports that by the time I am there, koyo might well be over for the area.

Koyo peaks have yearly variations, however, I searched destinations with the average Koyo peaks in late October. Here is a list of the best three Koyo destinations by Jorudan in each prefecture in the area covered by JR East Tohoku Pass. Some are also listed in Zekkei Japan for October. Zekkei Japan has an entry for Hachimantai but as a snowy scene.

http://zekkeijapan.com/spot/search/?type=month&month=10

Tsutanuma Pond Aomori 1 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_117749.html
Hirosaki Castle Aomori 2 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_54941.html
Mt Hakkoda Aomori 3 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_54940.html

Dakikaeri Keikoku Gorge Akita 1 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_54963.html
Kakunodate Akita 3 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_54964.html

Chusonji Temple Iwate 3 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_54952.html

Yamadera Risshakuji Temple Yamagata 1 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_54965.html
Nishi-Azuma Skyvalley Road Yamagata 2 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_54966.html
Mt Gassan Hanagasaline Road Yamagata 3 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_54968.html

Naruko Gorge Miyagi 1 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_54955.html
Akiu Waterfall Miyagi 2 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_54953.html
Zao Echoline Road Miyagi 3 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_54956.html

Goshikinuma Ponds Fukushima 2 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_54975.html
Mt Bandai Goldline Road Fukushima 3 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_61564.html

Ikaho Onsen Kajika Bridge Gunma 1 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_104810.html
Lake Haruna Gunma 2 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_69766.html
Mt Tanigawa, Tenjindaira Gunma 3 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_54994.html

Nikko Irohazaka Slopes Tochigi 1 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_54985.html
Lake Chuzenji Tochigi 3 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_54983.html

Mt Tsukuba Ibaraki 2 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_104805.html

Oku-Chihibu Nakatsu-Kyo Gorge Saitama 2 https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/spot_54995.html

I agree with Redbull, Aizu-Wakamatsu was nice. If you can stay for a day there I visited Ouchi-Juku for a few hours. Amazing post town with thick thatched roofing.

I am on Instagram and will be doing daily IG stories and IGTV as well. Perhaps we can connect!

I'll be Hachinohe during the morning on Oct 21, Lake Towada Oct 22, Yamadera Oct 26. Looks like it won't be a perfect match. But close enough!