Akita Prefecture in the context of "Dewa Mountains"

The Tōhoku region (東北地方, Tōhoku-chihō; IPA: [toːhokɯ̥ tɕiꜜhoː]), Northeast region, Ōu region (奥羽地方, Ōu-chihō), or Northeast Japan (東北日本, Tōhoku Nihon) consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (ken): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata.

Tōhoku retains a reputation as a remote, scenic region with a harsh climate. In the 20th century, tourism became a major industry in the Tōhoku region.

Mutsu Province (陸奥国, Mutsu no Kuni; Japanese pronunciation: [mɯꜜ.tsɯ (no kɯ.ɲi)]) was an old province of Japan in the area of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori Prefectures and the municipalities of Kazuno and Kosaka in Akita Prefecture.

Mutsu Province is also known as Ōshū (奥州) or Michinoku (陸奥 or 道奥). The term Ōu (奥羽) is often used to refer to the combined area of Mutsu and the neighboring province Dewa, which together make up the entire Tōhoku region.

Aomori Prefecture (青森県, Aomori-ken; Japanese pronunciation: [a.oꜜ.mo.ɾʲi, a.o.mo.ɾʲiꜜ.keɴ]) is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, Iwate Prefecture to the southeast, Akita Prefecture to the southwest, the Sea of Japan to the west, and Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait to the north. Aomori Prefecture is the eighth-largest prefecture, with an area of 9,645.64 km (3,724.20 sq mi), and the 31st-most populous prefecture, with more than 1.18 million people. Mount Iwaki, an active stratovolcano, is the prefecture's highest point, at 1,624.7 m (5,330 ft).

Humans have inhabited the prefecture for at least 15,000 years, and the oldest evidence of pottery in Japan was discovered at the Jōmon period Ōdai Yamamoto I Site. After centuries of rule by the Nanbu and Tsugaru clans, the prefecture was formed out of the northern part of Mutsu Province during the Meiji Restoration in the 19th century. The entire Tōhoku region, including Aomori Prefecture, experienced significant growth in population and economy until the late 20th century, when a significant population decline began. Though the prefecture remains dominated by primary sector industries, especially apple orchards, it also serves as a transportation and logistics hub due to its location. Additionally, it is the largest producer of black garlic in Japan. Tourism is also a significant part of the prefecture's economy, especially due to the Jōmon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan and Shirakami-Sanchi World Heritage Sites.

Iwate Prefecture (岩手県, Iwate-ken; Japanese pronunciation: [iꜜ.wa.te, i.wa.teꜜ.keɴ]) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It is the second-largest Japanese prefecture (behind Hokkaido) at 15,275 square kilometres (5,898 sq mi), with a population of 1,165,886 (as of July 1, 2023). Iwate Prefecture borders Aomori Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefecture to the west, and Miyagi Prefecture to the south.

Morioka is the capital and largest city of Iwate Prefecture; other major cities include Ichinoseki, Ōshū, and Hanamaki. Located on Japan's Pacific Ocean coast, Iwate Prefecture features the easternmost point of Honshu at Cape Todo, and shares the highest peaks of the Ōu Mountains—the longest mountain range in Japan—at the border with Akita Prefecture. Iwate Prefecture is home to famous attractions such as Morioka Castle, the Buddhist temples of Hiraizumi including Chūson-ji and Mōtsū-ji, the Fujiwara no Sato movie lot and theme park in Ōshū, and the Tenshochi park in Kitakami known for its huge, ancient cherry trees. Iwate has the lowest population density of any prefecture outside Hokkaido, 5% of its total land area having been designated as national parks.

Miyagi Prefecture (宮城県, Miyagi-ken; Japanese pronunciation: [mʲiꜜ.ja.ɡʲi, -ŋʲi, mʲi.ja.ɡʲiꜜ.keɴ, -ŋʲiꜜ-]) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,265,724 (1 August 2023) and has a geographic area of 7,282 km (2,812 sq mi). Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefecture to the northwest, Yamagata Prefecture to the west, and Fukushima Prefecture to the south.

Sendai is the capital and largest city of Miyagi Prefecture, and the largest city in the Tōhoku region, with other major cities including Ishinomaki, Ōsaki, and Tome. Miyagi Prefecture is located on Japan's eastern Pacific coast and bounded to the west by the Ōu Mountains, the longest mountain range in Japan, with 24% of its total land area being designated as Natural Parks. Miyagi Prefecture is home to Matsushima Islands, a group of islands ranked as one of the Three Views of Japan, near the town of Matsushima.

Yamagata Prefecture (山形県, Yamagata-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It has a population of 1,005,926 (1 February 2025) and an area of 9,325 km (3,600 sq mi). Its neighbours are Akita Prefecture to the north, Miyagi Prefecture to the east, Fukushima Prefecture to the south, and Niigata Prefecture to the southwest.

The capital and largest city is Yamagata, with other major cities being Tsuruoka, Sakata and Yonezawa. The prefecture is located on Japan's western Sea of Japan coast and its borders with neighboring prefectures are formed by various mountain ranges, with 17% of its total land area being designated as Natural Parks. Yamagata Prefecture formed the southern half of the historic Dewa Province with Akita Prefecture and is home to the Three Mountains of Dewa, which includes the Haguro Five-story Pagoda, a recognised National Treasure of Japan.

Kawabe District (河辺郡, Kawabe-gun) was a former rural district located in southern Akita, Japan. On October 1, 2005, its remaining components, the towns of Kawabe and Yūwa merged into the city of Akita, upon which Kawabe District was dissolved and ceased to exist as an administrative unit.

As of 2003 (before the merger), the district had an estimated population of 18,264 and a population density of 40.99 persons per km. The total area was 445.57 km.

Kazuno (鹿角市, Kazuno-shi; Japanese pronunciation: [ka.(d)zɯ.no, kaꜜ.(d)zɯ.no, ka.(d)zɯ.noꜜ.ɕi]) is a city located in Akita Prefecture, Japan. As of 28 March 2023, the city had an estimated population of 28,329 in 12,570 households, and a population density of 40 persons per km. The total area of the city is 707.52 square kilometres (273.17 square miles).