Iwate

Iwate is Japan's second-largest prefecture, a broad sweep of mountains and Pacific coastline in the Tohoku region of northern Honshu. It is thinly settled and unhurried, a region of horse country and hard winters, and its headline sight recalls a golden age when a northern dynasty rivaled Kyoto itself.

That sight is Hiraizumi, where the gold-lined Konjikido hall of Chuson-ji survives from the 12th century, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Sanriku Coast piles up cliffs and fishing harbors along the ocean, while the Appi Highlands run some of northern Japan's longest ski trails inland.

Take on wanko soba, the all-you-can-eat noodle challenge served bowl by tiny bowl in Morioka and Hanamaki. The shinkansen runs the length of the prefecture, which makes a castle-town-and-coast itinerary workable by rail. Summer is green and mild; winter is serious snow country.