Hakoneyama Terrace in Rikuzentakata
Hakoneyama Terrace in Rikuzentakata
A secluded paradise within a city striving to rebuild
Imagine waking up in the morning, and taking your freshly-brewed cup of coffee out onto an expansive deck overlooking the Sanriku sea. You’re surrounded by tall trees; the temperature is a bit brisk. Alone with your thoughts, you’re left to reflect in a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.
You can do all that and more at the Hakoneyama Terrace in Rikuzentakata on the southern coast of Iwate.
Making the most of trees and human potential
Hakoneyama Terrace is an inn, restaurant, café, and community space all in one. As the name goes, its main attraction is a large wooden terrace built on a large hill called Hakoneyama. The owner built it in 2014 to encourage exchange between the local people of Rikuzentakata, and people visiting from outside. Rikuzentakata was one of the worst hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and is hard at work with their reconstruction. Over the years, so many people from outside the city have come to volunteer, work on construction, and help rebuild, so it was natural to want a space that would encourage new friendships to form.
The second floor of the main building has a library and a meeting space, and is affectionately called “The Common Room on Top of the Mountain.” Here, events and workshops are often held that explore what’s next for Rikuzentakata – what sort of ideas do people have for developing the town for the future? Lively debate is held over fresh-brewed coffee and locally-produced food.
The owner’s vision was to make the most of trees and human potential, and form a positive feedback loop for growing both. The buildings are made out of Kesen cedar trees; the floors out of Iwate timber. A pellet stove is burning constantly at the café and restaurant, warming up the space with sustainably sourced wood chips. This ecological framework makes it possible for the Hakoneyama Terrace to open its doors to others, furthering its mission as a community space and growing the relationships that are needed to develop Rikuzentakata. Trees, humans, and potential – all growing together on this mountainside paradise.
A stay at Hakoneyama Terrace
I recently stayed at the Terrace myself during a press tour for foreign journalists. Everybody loved the space, and a workshop was planned during our stay so we could meet up with some of the people rebuilding Rikuzentakata. I was most impressed that all the food prepared for us was gluten-free – I’m not gluten-free myself, but one of our members was, and it is so rare to be able to get gluten-free food in Japan. That kind of service is a true exemplar of Iwate’s own omotenashi hospitality!
Next time I go to Rikuzentakata, I’m definitely visiting Hakoneyama Terrace again.
About the facility
Hakoneyama Terrace（箱根山テラス）
Address: Iwate-ken, Rikuzentakata-shi, Otomo-cho, Myoga 1
Japanese address: 岩手県陸前高田市小友町茗荷１
Google maps: https://goo.gl/maps/j7PKvdq25LG2
Website: https://www.hakoneyama-terrace.jp/ (Unfortunately, Japanese language only)
How to get there:
-By train-
From JR Ichinoseki Station (a shinkansen station inland), take the JR Ofunato line east towards Kesennuma. At JR Kesennuma Station, transfer to the BRT bus service headed towards JR Sakari Station. Get off at the Wakinosawa bus stop (脇ノ沢). You’ll need to take a taxi up the mountain; there’s a Tsuruha Drug Store near the bus station where you can get the staff to call a taxi for you. You can also contact Hakoneyama Terrace beforehand, and they can arrange a shuttle for you.
-By car-
If you have a GPS system or a smartphone, input the address listed above. If you’re coming from the inland areas, Hakoneyama Terrace is about a 1 hr 40 min drive from the Ichinoseki IC exit off the Tohoku expressway.
