Abasse Takata: a Little Bit of Everything

Located in the heart of downtown Rikuzentakata is the main shopping center called “Abasse Takata”. In the local dialect of Japanese spoken in the Kesen region, it means “let’s go together”, a fitting name for a place where friends can spend time with each other.

Inside Abasse, you can find just about anything you would need.

Connected to the main mall area are some large chain stores like the grocery store Maiya, the drug store Tsuruha, and the clothing store Fashion Center Shimamura. Maiya specifically is a local grocery store chain that carries both nationwide items as well as local produce.

As for the main mall area, my recommendation is Yagisawa Café, where their specialty is incorporating locally produced soy sauce into their recipes! The caramel in their caramel macchiato uses the umami from the soy sauce to strike a unique balance of sweet and salty, and they also serve soy sauce flavored soft serve ice cream!

Across from the Yagisawa Café is the Food Court, where they serve noodle and rice dishes made using local specialty seafood like Oyster, Wakame seaweed, and Scallops. They also have taiyaki, a popular Japanese street food shaped like a fish that is filled with sweet red bean paste. Depending on your level of hunger, you will be able to find something to satisfy you!

Lastly, there is also a small gift shop where you can find local Rikuzentakata, as well as Iwate, snacks and sweets. My personal recommendation is for everyone to try yokan, a traditional Japanese sweet. It has a jelly-like consistency and is made primarily from red bean paste (or anko), but can also include ingredients like walnut, matcha, black sesame, and even chocolate! It pairs very well with tea, so please try it if you have the opportunity.

Not mentioned here are the dozens of other local shops and restaurants nearby. On the weekends and during holidays the area is bustling with visitors, both local and travelers alike. If you are ever in the area, stop by!

As they say, abasse!