Rikuzentakata: The Golden Country
Nestled in the inland mountains within the city of Rikuzentakata you will find a now-defunct gold mine with a long and storied history,...
Ofunato Tsunami Denshokan & Rikuzentakata Guided Tour
Once I became comfortable with my life in Iwate, I’ve explored ways to visit the coastal regions. Without a car, it was difficult to...
Machiya Setamai Eki - Sumita’s Newest Community Space & Eatery
The town of Sumita, situated 20 kilometers inland from the coastal cities of Rikuzentakata and Ofunato has an abundance of natural beauty...
Yagisawa Shoten: a Peculiar Ice Cream with an Amazing Story
In a small, yellow trailer-turned-café next to the Ippon Matsu Chaya Souvenir Store and across the street from the famous Miracle Pine,...
The Goishi Coast Tourism Festival
The Goishi Coast Tourism Festival 碁石海岸観光まつり Held every year in the beginning of May This year’s festival: May 4, 2018 (Fri) 9:30-15:00 May 5, 2018 (Sat) 10:00-15:00 The weather is getting warmer, and it’s the perfect time to see the majestic cliffs and ocean views at the Goishi Coast of Ofunato! Every year during Golden Week, the coast hosts a festival to welcome tourists from all over the world – there’s tons of events and performances, as well as local cuisine you can try
Kesen Carpentry
History and Legacy Kesen Carpentry (Kesen Daiku) is the name for a school of carpentry from the Kesen Region (present-day Rikuzentakata,...
Ofunato’s Sanma Ramen - A unique take on the ubiquitous ramen
I remember the first real bowl of ramen I ever had. It was a bowl of pale white noodles and rich porkbone-broth (Kyushu’s famous...
The Goyō Mountain Samurai Matchlock Performance Group
In the Kesen region of Iwate, one of the more recognizable cultural groups would have to be the Goyō Matchlock Gun Performance group. The...
Rikuzentakata’s 900 Year Tradition – Kenka Tanabata and Ugoku Tanabata
The History of Tanabata Tanabata is a summer festival that has been celebrated all over Japan for over a millennium. The festival first...
Rōkandō Cave in Sumita
A short distance inland from the Sanriku area of Ofunato city lies the town of Sumita. It is a small, but vibrant community of 6,000. Farming and wood products the main industries of this beautiful forest-covered town. Sumita also has its fair share of culture and leisure pursuits. Perhaps the most famous of these would be Rōkandō Cave. Located in the north-eastern corner of the town at the base of the most famous peak in the region, Mount Goyō. Rōkandō is a limestone cave o
