Posted in : "2023 - February"

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  Hachimantai Dragon Eye (Kagami Pond)

  Posted in: Tohoku, Akita

  629 Views

  Every year between late May to mid-June, Kagami Pond located on Mount Hachimantai in Senboku City, Miyagi Prefecture, creates a rare natural phenomenon that takes on the appearance of a dragon eye. As a great amount of snow melting in spring pours into the pond, its center rises by buoyancy, which then starts to thaw in such a way as to resemble an eye of a dragon. You may be lucky enough to witness this mysterious vista only seen during this time.

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  Harakomeshi and Hokkimeshi in the town of Watari

  Posted in: Tohoku, Miyagi

  1114 Views

  Watari is a coastal town in the southern area of Miyagi Prefecture that is located at the mouth of the Abukuma River, the second largest river in the Tohoku region. Salmon caught in the river is a famous local specialty that has long been offered to shoguns as an autumn delicacy. Originating in Arahama in the town of Watari, Harakomeshi has plentiful cuts of fatty salmon and sparkling salmon roe (harako, also known as ikura) on top of rice cooked with salmon broth. As soon as you take a bite,...

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  Sendai Tanabata Festival

  Posted in: Tohoku, Miyagi

  951 Views

  Every year from August 6 to 8, the famous Sendai Tanabata Festival is held over three days in the city of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. Recognized as one of the three major festivals in the Tohoku region, the historical festival has been continued from the era of Masamune Date (1567-1636), the founder of the Sendai domain. A crowd of visitors from both around and outside of Japan fill the streets of Sendai during this period to enjoy the gorgeous Tanabata paper ornaments adorning the city.

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  Naruko Kanko Hotel

  Posted in: Tohoku, Miyagi

  707 Views

  Naruko Onsen is located at the center of the Naruko Onsen Resort, counted as one of "The Best Three Onsen of Northern Part of Japan". Japanese natural hot springs are said to have eleven kinds of spring quality, and Naruko has nine of them. Naruko Kanko Hotel will welcome guests with hot springs, cuisine, and hospitality.

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  Zuihoden, the Mausoleum of Date Masamune

  Posted in: Tohoku, Miyagi

  867 Views

  Zuihoden is a mausoleum as the final resting of Date Masamune. It was designated a National Treasure in 1931 as a gorgeous mausoleum to convey the Momoyama cultural traditions, built by own will of Masamune, but it was burned down during World War 2 in 1945. The current building was reconstructed based on the building before burning. Besides Masamune’s Zuihoden, there are the Kansenden and Zennoden, which were built for the second and third generation of Date lords.

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  Matsushima Bay Cruise

  Posted in: Tohoku, Miyagi

  632 Views

  Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture is counted among Japan’s three most scenic spots and also a popular tourist destination. The sightseeing boat that goes all the way around Matsushima Bay from the Matsushima Sightseeing Boat Pier is highly recommended. In Matsushima, where about 260 large and small islands are scattered in the sea, there are cultural assets related to Date Masamune and the Date Clan culture remaining such as Zuiganji Temple, Entsuin Temple, Godaido Temple Hall, Kanrantei...

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  Izunuma-Uchinuma

  Posted in: Tohoku, Miyagi

  573 Views

  Izunuma-Uchinuma is a famous wintering site for Whooper swans in Japan, but come summer, it offers a breathtaking view of a blanket of flowering lotus blossoms covering the surface of the lake. The Lotus Festival is held during the peak period in which you can enjoy large pink lotus flowers blooming over the water. Take a boat ride tour through the lake to view the beautiful flowers up close.

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  Wanko Soba Azumaya

  Posted in: Tohoku, Iwate

  543 Views

  “Wanko” in Wanko Soba is a dialect of Iwate Prefecture that means a wooden bowl. It is said that wanko originated from the fact that it served in small bowls in small amounts each time to serve a large amount of boiled in Morioka and Hanamaki, where there are a tradition of hospitality with soba. Visitors compete for the number of bowls with a server’s chants "Jan Jan, Don Don," while serving.

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  Tono Furusato Village

  Posted in: Tohoku, Iwate

  631 Views

  A traditional mountain village with these thatched roof magariya houses built after the middle of the Edo period, have been relocated to and restored in this facility, this recreation of the unspoiled landscape of old Tono include a water wheel, rice patties and a charcoal burner’s hut. Amid the bucolic landscape, visitors can try their hand at "Mochitsuki" (pounding rice cakes), "Sobauchi" (making soba noodles), and other activities of a farming village (reservation required), to gain a...

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  Geibi Gorge (Geibikei)

  Posted in: Tohoku, Iwate

  745 Views

  Located in Ichinoseki City in Iwate Prefecture, Geibi Gorge (Geibikei) was formed by the erosion of limestone layers which created steep cliffs of more than 50 meters in height towering on either side of the river for about two kilometers. The beautiful gorge has been designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument and counted as one of the 100 Landscapes of Japan. Be sure to take a leisurely boat ride down the gorge pushed along with a pole by a boatman. The seasonal...

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  Chuson-ji Temple

  Posted in: Tohoku, Iwate

  746 Views

  If you are going to see Hiraizumi in Nishiiwai-gun, Iwate Prefecture, take a recommended UNESCO World Heritage Sites tour. A number of World Heritage sites and related facilities are scattered around the town in walking distance from each other, they include the Konjiki-do of Chuson-ji Temple, head temple of the Tendai sect in the Tohoku region, and Motsu-ji Temple, the special-status head temple of the Tendai sect, which has a famous stone slab with a poem by Matsuo Basho inscribed on it....

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  Miyazawa Kenji Dowa Mura (Village of Fairy Tales)

  Posted in: Tohoku, Iwate

  2531 Views

  Miyazawa Kenji Dowa Mura (Village of Fairy Tales) is a facility that lets you fully enjoy the world of fairy tales written by Kenji Miyazawa, a poet known globally for "Ginga Tetsudo no Yoru (Night on the Galactic Railroad)." It is designated as one of the 88 anime pilgrimage sites selected by the Anime Tourism Association.

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