Sanriku Tours and Travel Sanriku Tours and Travel

If you're looking for a tour or trip to explore the Sanriku Coast or ride the Sanriku Railway, please make a reservation with Club Tourism. We provide full support with a tour guide! You can admire the beautiful natural scenery of the ria coast from a boat or train, and there are also breathtaking spots like the sunset over the coastline. We offer a variety of bus and train tours as well. Searching for and booking tours is easy. Don't miss this opportunity to visit the Sanriku Coast!

The Charm of Sanriku

Sanriku, known for its ria coastline, is characterized by its steep cliffs and abundant seafood. 
You can admire the beautiful natural scenery formed by the coastline from a boat or train, and be moved by the sight of the sunset sinking into the sea.
But it's not just the breathtaking views—Sanriku is also filled with the warm and resilient smiles of the people who have overcome the challenges of the earthquake.

Sanriku Highlights

Popular Attractions

Sanriku Railway Rias Line

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A railway line connecting Kuji and Mori. The train running along the coastline has been rebuilt and continues to serve the local community since the earthquake. Due to its location along the ria coastline, there are many tunnels, but the ocean views near stations and other spots are spectacular. The best viewpoint on the Sanriku Railway is just past the tunnel beyond Fudai Station on the Kita-Rias Line. From Kuji to Kamaishi, the diverse scenery of the Rikuchu coastline is beautiful from every angle. The breathtaking ocean views extend for 180 degrees. It is also popular with tourists, offering a variety of train types, including tatami-mat trains and retro trains.

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From Sanriku Railway Passenger Service Department

Thank you for using Sanriku Railway. Thanks to your generous support, we have been slowly but surely recovering. Shimakoshi Station Sanriku Railway, which sustained heavy damage, has also been restored to its original condition thanks to the support of everyone who visited on Club Tourism tours. Sanriku will continue to do our best to ensure that all visitors to the area create wonderful memories. For that reason, please help the area by visiting for just a little longer. All our staff look forward to seeing you again.

Kitayamazaki

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It is truly breathtaking. Located in the northern part of Sanriku Reconstruction National Park, it features cliffs around 200 meters high, bizarre rock formations sculpted by the rough Pacific waves, and various sea caves, creating a dynamic coastline that stretches approximately 8 kilometers. The view from the observation deck resembles a stunning painting. It is beautiful on clear days, and equally captivating on rainy days when the cliff edges are shrouded in mist. There are also 736 steps leading from the observation deck down to the wave-swept shore, allowing you to enjoy this magnificent view alone after a good workout. Commonly referred to as the 'Alps of the Sea,' its scenic beauty is unmatched in Sanriku, offering a spectacular view that combines both grandeur and elegance.

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Ryusendo Cave

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It is one of the largest limestone caves in Japan and is named 'Ryūsen Cave' in contrast to 'Ryūgado.' Along with 'Akiyoshido,' it is one of Japan's three major limestone caves. Located in the Uraura Mountains, about 2 kilometers north of Iwaizumi Station, this cave system features numerous branching passages that intersect in various directions, covering a total area of about 2.5 kilometers. It is known for its abundant spring water, with clear groundwater flowing in rapids and forming deep pools in some places. Particularly notable is the underground lake with an estimated transparency of 41.5 meters, which is filled with mystical emerald-colored water and is a stunning sight. Additionally, creatures such as long-eared bats inhabit the cave.

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Jodogahama Beach

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Located about 3.5 km northeast of Miyako Station, it was named after the monk Reikyo, who praised it as "just like Gokuraku." The landscape of pure white rocks topped with green red pines, lined up like sawtooth, is praised as the most spectacular view along the Rikuchu coast.

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Other Attractions

Miracle Pine Tree

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The Miracle Pine is a monument of a single pine tree standing on the former site of Takata Matsubara in Rikuzentakata City. Takata Matsubara, facing Hirota Bay, was a scenic spot with approximately 70,000 pine trees that had been planted over 350 years. However, it was directly hit by the tsunami caused by the earthquake, and most of the pine trees were knocked down and destroyed. Nevertheless, one tree withstood the tsunami and remained standing, which is why it came to be called the 'Miracle Pine' or the 'Pine Tree of Hope.

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Goishi Coast

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Goishi Coast lies at the tip of the Suesaki Peninsula, jutting out into Ofunato. It is a representative scenic area of the Rikuchu Naka Coast, with its 12-kilometer shoreline intricately intertwined with countless small islands, cliffs, caves, and tunnels, creating a magnificent ocean panorama. A 4-kilometer nature trail has been constructed from Goishi to Anatoshiiso, allowing visitors to enjoy the beauty of this stunning landscape. One of the highlights is Anatoshiiso, with its three gaping holes. This stunning location, where the ruggedness of the rocks, islands, and caves blends with the tranquility of the pine forests swaying in the sea breeze, is a natural beauty created over a long period of time.

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Kosode Coast

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Kosode Coast is a coastline of cliffs and copper-colored reefs. It is famous for being home to Japan's "northernmost female divers," who gained recognition through a morning TV drama series. Even today, the traditional skin-diving fishing method known as "katsugi" remains in practice in Kosode. It is a spectacle to see female divers wearing kasuri robes diving between the rocks in the waves. At the Ama Center, you can watch demonstrations of skin-diving by female divers from July to September.

Kuji Regional Tourism Council
From Tourism Coordinator Toshikazu Kangyū


Famous as the setting for the NHK drama series "Amachan," Kuji is located in the northern part of the Sanriku Fukko National Park and is the town of the "northernmost female divers" and Japan's largest producer of "amber." Blessed with bounty from the mountains and the sea, you can enjoy fresh fish such as sea urchins and abalones from the Sanriku fishing grounds, one of the world's three largest fishing grounds, as well as shorthorn beef and the local dish "mamebu." We look forward to your visit.

Tsukuehama Guardhouse Group

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The Banya group of fishermen's huts was built in Tanohata, where fishing has been popular since ancient times. The culture of the fishermen's huts, known as "Banya," emerged to allow fishermen living on the cliffs to work on the shore as efficiently as possible. This unique culture, in which people coexist with the natural conditions of cliffs, sea, and land, has attracted attention from all over. Although the huts were washed away in the Great East Japan Earthquake, they have now been rebuilt, continuing to pass on the traditional way of living in harmony with the sea to future generations.

Shimakoshi Station

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The station was popular for its fairytale-like exterior and name, "Carbonado Shimakoshi," which was named after a volcanic island that appears in Miyazawa Kenji's "The Biography of Gusuko Budori," but it was washed away without a trace in the tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. It was later rebuilt in 2014 with the support of Club Tourism 's Kizuna Project. It has once again become popular as a symbol of reconstruction, with traces of the old station building, such as the octagonal turret, remaining intact. Sanriku Railway arrive and depart from the reborn Shimakoshi Station, which continues to carry the hopes of the people.

Taro

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Located at the back of a bay on a ria coastline, the town has suffered repeated damage from tsunamis and has been working to build a town resistant to such disasters, including the construction of a 10-meter-high seawall stretching a total of 2.5 kilometers. However, during the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, a tsunami exceeded the seawall, causing extensive damage. Learning from this experience, the town is now focusing on an initiative called "Learn Disaster Prevention." This includes offering tours of the seawall and visits to the "Taro Tourist Hotel," which serves as a posthumous documentary site of the earthquake disaster. There, visitors can view footage not released to the media and learn about the damage caused by the earthquake and the town's disaster prevention measures, ensuring that these lessons are passed on to future generations.

Sanriku food, local specialties and souvenir information

Sea urchin

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Sanriku has a rare ria coastline in Japan, and the tides are very active. The Oyashio and Kuroshio currents mix here, so the area is constantly receiving a variety of nutrients from the ocean. The sea urchins that grow in this blessed environment are delicious and stand out from other areas.

Oyster

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The nutrient-rich seas of Sanriku and the oysters that are in season from autumn to spring are carefully grown by skilled artisans before dawn. They are plump and full of flavor. Enjoy the rich sweetness that only ripe Sanriku oysters can offer.

Shark fin

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Shark fin is famous as a luxury ingredient in Chinese cuisine, but it is said that it was originally taken from sharks caught during tuna longline fishing. Japan is said to be one of the world's leading shark fin producers, and among them, Kesennuma shark fins are treated as a luxury item due to their excellent processing technology.

Abalone

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The ocean off Sanriku is rich in nutrients, where the Oyashio and Kuroshio currents collide, and there are mountains and forests along the coast. The abalone of Sanriku, which grow by feeding on this abundant seaweed, are full of umami and sweetness. The coastline of Sanriku also benefits from strong tidal currents, and the abalone raised in the cold northern waters have firm flesh and are exquisite. They have a crunchy texture and a rich sweetness, making them an exceptional delicacy.

Strawberry stew

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A traditional dish from Hachinohe City in Aomori Prefecture and the surrounding coastline, this is a sea urchin and abalone soup. The deep red sea urchin roe resembles wild strawberries, which is how it got its name. This luxurious dish is packed with the rich flavors of the sea.

Mamebu soup

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It is a local dish eaten in Kuji and Kunohe District. It is a dish of dumplings stuffed with walnuts and Kurosuna simmered in broth with vegetables. Mamebu refers to the dumplings with walnuts inside.

Kamome no Tamago

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This is a local confectionery from Ofunato City in Iwate Prefecture produced by Saito Seika. It is an egg-shaped confectionery made by wrapping white bean paste in a thin castella cake, baking it, and coating the whole thing in white chocolate. Limited flavors are released depending on the season, so you can enjoy it all year round.

Iwaizumi Yogurt

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Iwaizumi Town in Iwate Prefecture is surrounded by mountains over 1,000 meters high, and lush green forests make up 93% of the town's area. Iwaizumi Yogurt is made from delicious milk from cows raised in this vast natural environment. Made using pure, clear water and carefully raised cows that produce the raw milk, Iwaizumi Yogurt has a top-notch flavor. The fresh, rich flavor and smooth texture are a taste that can only be found here. Why not give it a try?

Amber

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During the feudal era, Kuji City employed as many as 20 amber craftsmen, making it the largest amber producing area in Japan. Gems that are derived from plants, like amber, are extremely rare. As a result, some stones have ancient insects and flowers naturally mixed into them during the formation process, making them extremely rare and academically valuable. Amber is also popular as a jewelry item, and colorful amber, which is said to come in 250 colors, is carefully polished and made into necklaces, watches, and other items.

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