CONTENTS
Hit hard by the 2011 tsunami, the Tohoku region’s Sanriku Coast still thrives thanks to the love and care of determined locals.
The Village of Tanohata
The Sanriku Coast stretches along Japan's northern Tohoku region, but this time I decided to head towards one little area in the prefecture of Iwate, specifically the village of Tanohata (田野畑村)! The village is small, but its little patch of coastline contains some breataking rocky outcrops. Just a little inland, you'll find that Tanohata's green pastures are also home to local cows that produce some delicious dairy products.
To quench my thirst for clear sea views and rugged shores, my first stop was Kitayamazaki Lookout (北山崎展望台), where I got a good look at the 200-meter-high (650ft) cliffs.
Not sure if just the observation deck is enough? Well I agree! I hopped on board a local sappa boat, operated by local fishermen, to get a close look at the cliffs. The agile little boats can get right up to the rocks, giving you a totally different view!
Getting to Tanohata
Tanohata is truly off the beaten pathーit's not near any shinkansen stop, nor close to any highwayーso no matter what your mode of transportation, getting there is going to take a while. The closest shinkansen stop is Morioka Station, about 2 hours away by car (or 3 by local train), and from the big city of Sendai to Tanohata it's about 4 1/2 hours by car. But, while it's not a quick trip, the scenery along the roads and the train tracks offers some great views of the Sanriku Coast, so take your time and enjoy it!
By Train:
(Shinkansen) → Morioka Station → Miyako Station → Tanohata Station
Geibikei Gorge
For a little bit of freshwater scenery, next I headed to the Geibikei Gorge (猊鼻渓), where the river flowing through the rocks is easily one of the most beautiful in the Sanriku area. With striking rock faces that become covered in green foliage during the summer, red maple leaves to enjoy in the fall, and a soft blanket of white snow in the winter, it's a wonderful place to enjoy Japan's four seasons.
As the boat punters on Geibikei River push the boats along the water, they also sing traditional Japanese songs, adding to the atmosphere. You can hear a moment of the music in my video below.
A Coastal Food Recommendation: Maesawa Beef
If you stop in at Geibikei Gorge, the nearby Maesawa beef (前沢牛) is not to be missed. This local variety of wagyu, hailing from Iwate Prefecture, isn't the most expensive Japanese beef, but its delicate texture makes it a popular choice. I found some fairly decadent meals of Maesawa beef nearby for as little as 3,500 yen per person.
Details
NAME:The Sanriku Coast, Iwate Prefecture
PROFILE
【A Taiwanese girl living in Sendai:The Tohoku Girl】 I like Kotaro Isaka's novels so I ended up in Sendai. Let me introduce you to the beauty of Tohoku! ♡ Facebook: https://facebook.com/tohokugirl Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tohoku_girl_official/
COMMENT
FEATURED MEDIA
VIEW MORENarita Airport Tax-Free Shopping List 나리타공항 면세점 쇼핑 리스트 #pr #calbee #jagapokkuru #japanesesnacks #japanesefood #japanesesouvenir #japantravel #japantrip #naritaairport #hokkaido #나리타국제공항 #나리타공항면세점 #나리타공항면세점과자 #일본공항면세점 #일본기념품쇼핑리스트추천 #공항면세점쇼핑리스트 #일본과자추천 #면세점일본과자 #일본기념품추천 #일본과자 #자가폿쿠루 #일본간식 #일본과자쇼핑 #일본면세점필수템 #일본기념품쇼핑
Asakusa's Sanja Matsuri, one of the biggest festivals in all of Tokyo, is almost here! Make sure you check out the festival route so you don't miss all the festivities this May. #asakusa #sanjafestival #sanjamatsuri #asakusashrine #sensoji #sensojitemple #japanesefestival #shintoshrine #japaneseculture #tokyo #tokyotrip #tokyotravel #asakusasightseeing #matsuri #japantrip #japantravel #springinjapan #tokyotravel #japankuru #산자마츠리 #아사쿠사 #일본마츠리 #일본여행 #일본5월
Odaiba's DiverCity Tokyo Plaza is home to the famous real-size 20m-tall Unicorn Gundam, and the popular shopping center has even more Gundam on the inside! Check out the Gundam Base Tokyo on the 7th floor for shelves upon shelves of Gunpla, and the Gundam Base Tokyo Annex on the 2nd floor for cool anime merchandise. Both shops have tons of limited-edition items! #pr #odaiba #tokyo #tokyotrip #japantrip #japantravel #PR #divercity #divercitytokyoplaza #tokyoshopping #gundam #unicorngundam #gundambasetokyo #anime #otaku #gunpla #japankuru #오다이바 #다이바시티도쿄 #오다이바건담 #건담 #일본건담 #건프라 #건담베이스도쿄
Evangelion, in miniature!? Tokyo's SMALL WORLDS Miniature Museum is actually a must-see for anime lovers, thanks to the tiny Evangelion Hangar and Tokyo-III... plus a whole universe of other scenes both real and fictional. #smallworlds #smallworldstokyo #tokyotrip #tokyotravel #evangelion #eva #anime #miniature #miniatures #animefigure #japantrip #japantravel #에반게리온 #스몰월드 #에반겔리온 #スモールワールズ #오다이바 #아리아케
Have you sat down for a snack at Sumida Aquarium yet? This aquarium next to Tokyo Skytree is known for its penguins and garden eels, but we can't get enough of their cute snacks! There are lots of good seats around the aquarium, too, so it almost feels like one big cafe. 🐧 • Find out more at Japankuru.com! (Link in bio.) • #japankuru #sumidaaquarium #skytree #tokyoskytree #solamachi #sumida #tokyo #tokyotrip #tokyotravel #aquarium #japanesesweets #themecafe #すみだ水族館 #Japan #日本 #일본 #Japon #ญี่ปุ่น #Japão #япония #japantravel #日本旅行 #日本旅遊 #japan_of_insta #japantrip #traveljapan #japan🇯🇵 #igerstokyo #explorejapan
For anime fans, the Evangelion areas at Small Worlds Miniature Museum are a must see! The tiny miniature people in the Evangelion Hangar look like ants beneath the moving Unit-01, Unit-00, and Unit-02! And over in Tokyo-III, characters like Shinji, Rei, and Katsuragi live life on a miniature scale. #odaiba #tokyo #tokyotrip #japantrip #japantravel #ariake #smallworlds #miniaturemuseum #smallworldstokyo #tokyotravel #evangelion #eva #anime #miniature #miniatures #animefigure #japankuru #스몰월드 #에반게리온 #오다이바 #오다이바관광 #오다이바스몰월드 #미니어쳐