Tohoku's image has been blighted recently by the nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, but it is still a wonderful place to visit outside the exclusion zone. Making up about 1/3 of Honshu, this part of Japan is home to about 11 million people and has many cherry blossom viewing spots.

JR East's Tohoku area pass (19,000 yen for 5 days) covers your train travel from Tokyo all the way up to Aomori. All the places showcased here could be covered by this pass over its valid period.
Day 1 : Tokyo - Sendai
Day 2 : Sendai, Hiraizumi, Kitakami
Day 3 : Kakunodate, Morioka, Hachinohe
Day 4 : Hirosaki, Aomori
Day 5 : Aomori - Tokyo