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Hiking the Michinoku Coastal Trail Highlighted as a Key Tohoku Experience

[Lonely Planet ‘Best in Travel 2027’ Official Page]
[Lonely Planet ‘A Guide to Hiking the Michinoku Coastal Trail, Japan’]

Lonely Planet, the global travel guidebook publisher, has selected Tohoku as one of its “Best in Travel 2027” destinations. Hiking the Michinoku Coastal Trail (MCT) is highlighted as a key Tohoku experience, alongside the region’s diverse landscapes and warm local communities.

In its selection, Lonely Planet describes Tohoku as “BEST FOR MICHINOKU TRAIL HIKING,” highlighting the people hikers meet and the natural beauty along the Pacific coast. Japan’s Okinawa is also included in the 2027 list, along with destinations such as Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands and Australia’s Red Centre.

Stretching about 1,000 km along the Pacific coast from Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture to Soma in Fukushima Prefecture, the MCT passes through coastlines, forests, and local communities. Developed through the Ministry of the Environment’s Green Reconstruction Project following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, the trail fully opened in 2019. Hikers can experience local landscapes, lifestyles, culture, and the memories of the disaster, whether walking the entire route or exploring shorter sections.

[MCT Official Information: Route, GPX, and Trail Conditions]

The Michinoku Coastal Trail Association (MCTA) sees this feature as an opportunity to share with the world the efforts of communities along the trail that have cared for the route and welcomed hikers over the years. We will continue working with local municipalities and communities to provide reliable information and maintain the trail, helping visitors safely explore the Tohoku coast and connect with the people and places along the way.

Note: Lonely Planet selected Tohoku as a destination. The Michinoku Coastal Trail was featured as one of the experiences that showcases the region’s appeal; the MCT itself was not independently selected or awarded.