India, March 18 -- Tracing the northeastern edge of Japan's main island of Honshu is a pathway stretching more than 620 miles (997 km) through pristine beaches, elevated clifftops, enchanting forests, and grassy meadows. Stunning and remote, the Michinoku Coastal Trail represents so much more.

This is the exact area in the Tohoku region that was hardest hit by the earthquake and resulting tsunami on March 11, 2011 - 13 years ago this month - taking the lives of nearly 18,000 people, in one of the greatest natural disasters in modern history.

This walking tour in Japan traces the coastal path from Hachinohe to Kesennuma

The Hachinohe Sanctuary along the Michinoku Coastal Trail | Image credit: Solveig PLACIER/Getty Images

The trail, whi...