Rugged Rugged coastal trails. Sake-clear rivers flowing past farmhouses and craft breweries. Blossoming fruit orchards. Lively markets. Hachinohe is a smorgasbord of Japan's best bits: culture, cuisine and community. Oh, and a beautiful coast to boot.

Tucked into the northeastern Aomori Prefecture, well off the typical tourist trail, Hachinohe knits together a lively port city, thriving agricultural towns and the kind of pioneering villages where green tourism is blossoming. It punches well above weight in the culinary and cultural stakes. Once a base of the ancient Nanbu clan, which ruled for more than 700 years until the mid-19th century, the area continues to use techniques that originally brought prosperity to the area. These are trades passed down through generations.

Epicurean travellers, take note. Farmers, low-key restaurants and thrumming market stalls serve up Hachinohe's natural larder - a garlic-centric tasting menu should be near the top of your agenda. Dip into boutique sake breweries, sample kuraishi beef, gorge on just-caught seafood, eat sashimi shoulder-to-shoulder with locals and visit culinary artisans to learn how they honed their crafts at community-hosted workshops. Enough food? Trace wildflower-flecked coastal trails, stroll through towns rich in historical artifacts (and the odd cat mural), explore the Nejo castle remains and try your hand at age-old crafts.

Easily reachable in under three hours via bullet train from Tokyo, Hachinohe is a sweet spot that'll immerse you in Japanese culture. We've consulted locals, trodden coastal trails, scoffed our way through markets and quaffed a (questionable) amount of craft sake to bring you the best places to stay and play in Hachinohe.

For more information and to get planning, visit visithachinohe.com.