Nobody goes to Tohoku. The region used to be known as Michinoku, meaning, quite literally, "the end of the road." Even today, its six prefectures -- Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Yamagata, Miyagi and Fukushima -- are among the least developed for tourism in Japan. However, if you venture north, you'll find that this region has its fair share of hidden gems. Early Edo Period poet Matsuo Basho recounted some of his highlights in his travelogue, "The Narrow Road to the Deep North." Here are some of my own: