Tokyo and Tohoku in May

I'm planning a second trip to Japan in early May for 10 nights. We were tentatively planning on 5 nights in Tokyo and 5 nights in the Tohoku area. Our flight lands on May 2 at Narita around 3:30 PM and we are planning on leaving for Taipei on May 12 (flying out of Tokyo at around 11 AM I think).

We were tentatively thinking of spending the first five nights in the Tohoku area (Thursday May 2 to Tues. May 7). Nothing set in stone but would like to catch the end of the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom festival, see Yamadera, maybe spend a night in an Ryokan near Oirase Stream or Zao Onsen. Also looking at Sendai and the Hitachi Seaside Park.

And then we would head to Tokyo on Tues. May 7 for the last five nights before heading to Taipei. My question is, how difficult will the above be considering Golden Week? We could spend the first five days in Tokyo as an alternative and then head to the Tohoku area but that would make getting to the airport for an 11 AM flight a little trickier when we leave.

Any advise would be great! Thanks

The recommended order when going around the Tohoku region is Hirosaki �� Oirase �� (It is also good to see Chusonji in Iwate prefecture) �� mountain temple �� Zao �� Sendai.
Using JR EAST PASS makes transportation cheaper.

I'd spend until about the 8th in Tokyo, then go to Tohoku, then finish off in Tokyo. That way you should be avoiding the worst of the Golden Week exodus and going against it. If you want some late cherry blossoms, they were peaking in Bessho Onsen and Ueda in mid may and there is a nice festival in Ueda around that time, that isnt far from Tokyo by shinkansen so it would be conveient to finish off your trip there as well.

I see you are going to Taiwan afterward - is that for a visit or do you live there? We just spent a few days there last month on the way back from Japan.

The recommended order when going around the Tohoku region is Hirosaki �� Oirase �� (It is also good to see Chusonji in Iwate prefecture) �� mountain temple �� Zao �� Sendai.
Using JR EAST PASS makes transportation cheaper.