Miyagi » Kesennuma, Ishinomaki
Kesennuma and Ishinomaki offer tourist attractions such as Oshima, Toyama, and Hakkeijima, sightseeing events such as Hatsumode, Setsubun Festival, and Kesennuma Minato Festival, and local delicacies such as macarons, Ishinomaki yakisoba and oyster hot pot.
Kesennuma and Ishinomaki are towns facing the Pacific Ocean in Miyagi Prefecture, where visitors can enjoy fresh seafood for food and beautiful sea views and swimming for sightseeing. Kesennuma and Ishinomaki are also known for having been severely damaged in the Great East Japan Earthquake, making them useful places to learn about disaster prevention.
Kesennuma has a rias coastline, and the wave-carved "Gigama Hanzo," a Miyagi Prefecture-designated scenic spot, is so unique that it is hard to believe it was formed naturally, and the towering Oriishi stone is worth seeing. The towering Oriishi is also worth seeing. The sight of the tidal rocks at Iwaisaki spouting out like a whale along with the waves is a sight to behold.
Oshima Island, located at the entrance to Kesennuma Bay, is inseparably linked to Kesennuma. After looking down at the sea from Kameyama, which offers a panoramic view of the rias coastline, visitors can enjoy swimming at Oda-nohama Beach, which has been selected as one of the top three of the 100 best bathing beaches by the Ministry of the Environment. Jyuhachinohama, a beach with sand that makes a sound when walked on, was designated as a national natural monument.
Kesennuma is famous for its delicious seafood, especially shark fins, and some tourists come all the way from overseas to buy Kesennuma's shark fins. Kesennuma ramen containing shark's fin is a gem, and freshly caught oysters, bonito, Pacific saury, and sea squirts can also be enjoyed in Kesennuma.
On the other hand, Ishinomaki City, which, like Kesennuma, offers delicious seafood, has a brown yakisoba called Ishinomaki Yakisoba. At first glance, the noodles are brown with sauce, but the noodles, which absorb the seafood broth well, are brown even before cooking.
The places you should not miss when visiting Ishinomaki City are Tsunaji Island, Kinkasan, and Tashirojima, which surround the Oshika Peninsula. Shirahama Beach on Tsunajishima, with its high degree of transparency, is crowded with tourists every year. Tashirojima, known as the model for Hyokkori Hyotanjima, is also home to Manga Island, as well as many stray cats and a cat shrine dedicated to cats.
Ishinomaki is also culturally rich in history, not forgetting the Ogatsu Houin Kagura, an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, and Ishii Locks, the oldest brick lock gate in Japan, which is a National Important Cultural Property.
Sightseeing in Kesennuma and Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture is always accompanied by islands such as Oshima, Kinkasan, and Tsunajishima. The towns and islands, combined with beautiful beaches and scenery, unique shrines and culture, and delicious seafood, will keep tourists entertained to the end.
Kinkasan Island is a mysterious and spiritually significant island floating in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. Located just east of the tip of the Oshika Peninsula, the island has a circumference of approximately 26 kilometers and an area of about 12 square kil...»
Koganeyama Shrine is a sacred Shinto shrine located on Kinkasan Island, off the southeastern tip of the Oshika Peninsula in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture. The entire island is regarded as a sacred area, and the shrine has long attracted worshippers seeking prosperity, good fortune, and financial ble...»
Ishinomori Manga Museum is a museum in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, dedicated to the life and creative achievements of renowned Japanese manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. Opened in 2001, the museum introduces visitors to his remarkable body of work, his life as an artist, and the history and develo...»
Ogama and Hanzo are spectacular coastal landscapes on the eastern side of the Karakuwa Peninsula in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture. Here, layers of limestone formed more than 200 million years ago have been gradually carved by waves, wind, and other natural forces, creating dramatic cliffs, rock pilla...»
Minamisanriku Earthquake Memorial Park, Nakabashi Bridge, and the former Disaster Prevention Government Building form an important memorial area in Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture. Together, these sites preserve the memory of the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, while conveying the le...»
Kesennuma Oshima Island is a beautiful inhabited island in Kesennuma Bay in northeastern Miyagi Prefecture. It is one of the largest inhabited islands in the Tohoku region and is part of Sanriku Fukkō National Park and a designated marine park area. Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the island is ch...»
Kesennuma, a port city in northeastern Miyagi Prefecture, is one of Japan's best-known centers for shark fishing and shark-fin processing. The city is particularly famous for its production and processing of shark fin, a premium ingredient traditionally used in Chinese cuisine. Kesennuma's reputati...»
Kinka Saba is a highly prized brand of Japanese mackerel caught in the waters around Kinkasan Island, east of Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture. The area is part of the Sanriku coast, one of Japan's richest fishing regions, where the warm Kuroshio Current meets the cold Oyashio Current. These nutrien...»
Kesennuma Hormone is a beloved local soul food from Kesennuma City and the surrounding area of Miyagi Prefecture. Deeply connected to the city's history as a busy fishing port, this distinctive grilled pork offal dish is known for its combination of fresh raw pork offal, a rich miso-and-garlic sauce...»
Ishinomaki Yakisoba is a distinctive local noodle dish from Ishinomaki, a port city in eastern Miyagi Prefecture. What makes it especially unusual is that the noodles are already brown before they are cooked. This rare style of yakisoba has been enjoyed locally for more than 70 years and has become ...»
The Miyagi Keicho Embassy Ship Museum, known as the San Juan Bautista Museum, is a museum located on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Watanoha, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. The museum introduces the history of the Keicho Embassy to Europe, a diplomatic mission sent from Japan to Europ...»
Minamisanriku 3.11 Memorial is a facility in Shizugawa, Minamisanriku Town, Miyagi Prefecture, dedicated to preserving and sharing the memory of the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011. Opened on October 1, 2022, it presents the events that took place in Minamisanriku, testimonies from loc...»
Roadside Station Onagawa is a tourism and community hub centered around “Brick Road,” a pedestrian-friendly street stretching from JR Onagawa Station toward Onagawa Bay. The area brings together four facilities: Seapal-Pier Onagawa, Hamaterasu Local Market, Onagawa Town Machinaka Community Center, a...»
The Ice Aquarium is a unique attraction located inside the Kesennuma Umi-no-Ichi tourism and shopping complex in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture. Dedicated to the themes of ice and marine life, the facility is maintained at approximately −20°C (−4°F) throughout the year. As soon as you step inside, you...»
The Kesennuma Umi-no-Ichi Shark Museum is Japan's only museum dedicated entirely to sharks. Located on the second floor of the Kesennuma Umi-no-Ichi tourism and shopping complex in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, the museum introduces the biology and history of sharks as well as their close connection...»
Tsurugishi Shrine is a historic Shinto shrine in Jusan-hama, Kitakami-cho, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. Located near the mouth of the Kitakami River, the shrine is famous for a gigantic rock known as “Tsurugishi”, which projects dramatically from the side of a hillside. The enormous rock app...»
Mount Tokusenjo is a 711-meter-high mountain located on the border between Kesennuma City and the former Motoyoshi area of Miyagi Prefecture. It is widely known as one of Japan's most impressive destinations for viewing tsutsuji, or azaleas. Approximately 500,000 azalea bushes, including Japanese a...»
The Former Ishinomaki Orthodox Church is a historic wooden church in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, and is recognized as the oldest surviving wooden church building in Japan. Completed during the Meiji period, the building has a unique architectural character that combines Japanese craftsmanship wit...»
Kamiwarizaki is one of the most spectacular coastal viewpoints in the Sanriku region of Miyagi Prefecture. Located on the boundary between Kitakami-cho, Ishinomaki City and Togura, Minamisanriku Town, the site is famous for a huge rock formation that appears to have been split in two. Powerful wave...»
Roadside Station Kenjo-no-Sato Ogatsu is a scenic roadside station in the eastern part of Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. Located on elevated ground overlooking Ogatsu Bay, it offers beautiful ocean views as well as opportunities to discover the area's traditional crafts, local cuisine, and regi...»
Hayama Shrine is a historic Shinto shrine located in the Karakuwa area of Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture. Surrounded by the beautiful natural scenery of the Karakuwa Peninsula, the shrine preserves a long tradition of religious belief closely connected with the sea, mountains, and local community...»
Enunkan Garden is a historic Japanese garden in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, located on the former grounds of the Ayukai family residence, known as Enunkan. The Ayukai family served as senior retainers of the Sendai Domain, and the garden has considerable historical and cultural value. On Nov...»
The Miyagi 3.11 Tsunami Memorial Museum is located within the Ishinomaki Minamihama Tsunami Memorial Park in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture. The museum was established to preserve the memories and lessons of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of March 11, 2011, and to pass them on to future ...»
Saito Family Garden is a historic Japanese garden in Maeyachi, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. Created during the late Meiji period, the garden was once part of the residence of the Saito family, a prominent local family and one of the major landowning families in the Tohoku region. The garden ...»
The Rias Ark Museum of Art is a cultural and art museum in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, dedicated to introducing the area's art, history, culture, and way of life. The museum is also notable for its distinctive architecture and has received recognition within Japan's architectural community. ...»
Miyagi Sea Urchin is a prized summer delicacy harvested along the rich coastal waters of Miyagi Prefecture, particularly around the Sanriku coastline, including the Minamisanriku area. The region is known for its rugged ria coastline and nutrient-rich seas, which provide an ideal environment for mar...»
Shark Fin Ramen is one of Kesennuma’s signature local dishes. Located in Miyagi Prefecture, Kesennuma is known as one of Japan’s major shark landing ports and is also famous as a production center for shark fin, a prized ingredient in Chinese cuisine. For many years, local producers have developed ...»
The Sanriku Coast of northeastern Japan is famous for its rich marine resources, nourished by cold ocean currents and nutrient-rich waters. Among its many distinctive seafood specialties is maboya, a type of sea squirt known for its unusual appearance, complex flavor, and rich nutritional content. ...»
One of the most distinctive tastes of summer in Miyagi Prefecture is hoya, a sea squirt often nicknamed the “pineapple of the sea.” With its unusual aroma, firm texture, and remarkable combination of five flavors—sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami—hoya offers a seafood experience unlike almost an...»
Kinka Mackerel Bozushi is a luxurious local specialty from Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, made with the region's prized branded fish known as Kinka Saba. High-quality chub mackerel caught off the coast of Kinkasan Island is carefully cured in vinegar and paired with seasoned sushi rice to creat...»
Sanma (Pacific saury) from Miyagi Prefecture is one of the region's signature autumn delicacies, nurtured in the rich waters off the Sanriku coast. Kesennuma City and Onagawa Town are particularly well known as major saury fishing ports in Japan, where fresh, richly fatty sanma are landed during the...»
Minamisanriku Kirakira Don is a signature local dish from Minamisanriku Town in Miyagi Prefecture. This colorful seafood bowl is generously topped with fresh seafood landed locally, allowing visitors to enjoy the finest flavors of the sea according to the season. Minamisanriku is located along the ...»
Mouka no Hoshi is a local delicacy from Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, made from the heart of the mouka shark, or salmon shark. In the local name, “mouka” refers to the shark, while “hoshi” means the heart, giving the delicacy its name. Shark heart may sound like an unusual ingredient to many visito...»
Shotaro Ishinomori Hometown Memorial Museum is a museum dedicated to the life and creative work of Shotaro Ishinomori, one of Japan's most influential manga artists. Located near his birthplace in Miyagi Prefecture, the museum introduces visitors to the world of his famous works, including Kamen Rid...»
Shizugawa Octopus is a highly prized local specialty from the Shizugawa area of Minamisanriku Town in Miyagi Prefecture. The area is so well known for its octopus that it is traditionally described as “Akashi in the west, Shizugawa in the east,” comparing two of Japan's famous octopus-producing regi...»
Umi no Ko Hoya Boya Sable is a popular local sweet from Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture. These crisp sable cookies are filled with a smooth pineapple-flavored cream and decorated with a baked image of Hoya Boya, Kesennuma's beloved tourism mascot....»
Onagawa Station and Onagawa Onsen Yupo’po form a distinctive landmark in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture. The complex combines Onagawa Station, the terminus of the JR Ishinomaki Line, with the town-operated hot spring facility Onagawa Onsen Yupo’po. The station and surrounding town were developed as an ...»
Whale Town Oshika is a tourism and cultural exchange center located in Ayukawahama, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. Facing Ayukawa Port, it serves as an important gateway for exploring the Oshika Peninsula and introduces visitors to the area's marine environment, local life, history, and traditi...»