Arashima荒島
A island, 46 meters above sea level, floating in the middle of the sea!
Arashima island is accessible by foot, via a 100-meter road from the mainland. You can witness the beautiful machilus thunbergii evergreen forest and it is said that, if you take a photo of the trees here and set it as wallpaper on your smartphone, it will bring you good fortune. The sunrise and sunset are some of the highlights of Minami-sanriku.
- 162 Omori-162 Shizugawa, Minami-sanriku-cho, Motoyoshi-gun, Miyagi
[MAP] - Throughout the year
Close:No scheduled holidays - +81-226-47-2550
(Minamisanriku Tourism Association) - Japanese
- None
- m-kankou.jp/english/project/areshima-island/
- Free
- ACCESS
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About a 2 hour drive from Sendai
The Moai statuesモアイ
The Moai statues of Minami-sanriku
The Moai statues were given to Japan as a gift from The Republic of Chile in 1960 as token of friendship because both, Minami-sanriku and Chile endured the hardships of an earthquake and tsunami. Unfortunately, the original statues were washed away by the Great Earthquake of Eastern Japan on March 11th, 2011, but were replaced on May 25th, 2013 with new statues that were constructed using stone from Easter Island. There are 7 Moai statues in Minami-sanriku that all represent the meaning of hope and a positive future. There are also many places to find great souvenirs!
- 59-1 Gozenshita Shizugawa, Minami-sanriku-cho, Motoyoshi-gun, Miyagi
[MAP] - Throughout the year
Close:No scheduled holidays - +81-226-47-2550
(Minamisanriku Tourism Association) - Japanese
- None
- m-kankou.jp/english/project/moai-living-for-the-future/
- Free
- ACCESS
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10 min by car
Kira Kira Donキラキラ丼
Minami-sanriku’s Donburi!
The special dish of Minami-sanriku is “Kira Kira Don”. You can experience the 4 seasons by eating this donburi dish. “Spring donburi” uses spring vegetables, “Uni don” uses tasty sea urchin, “Autumn donburi” uses fatty seafood, and “Ikura don” uses fresh salmon eggs. The appearance and taste are both unique.
- Depends on the shop （Sansan shopping street）
[MAP] - Depends on the shop
- +81-226-47-2550
(Minami-sanriku Tourism Association) - Japanese
- m-kankou.jp/english/project/seafood-bowl-kaisen-donburi/
- None
- Depends on the shop
- ACCESS
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Depends on the shop （Next to the Sansan shopping street）
Mt. Tatsugane田束山
Mt. Tatsugane
You can view the beautiful Pacific Ocean and its coast line from the top of Mt. Tatsugane. The coast line from the top of the mountain looks much like a large dragon sleeping on the coastline towards the west. There is a promenade for a leisurely walk and a trekking course. You can also take a car if you want to get to the top of the mountain quicker. Hydrangea flowers bloom from late June to early July, and 5 million azaleas can be seen from the middle of May to early June, covering the mountain in a red color.
- 150 Hinokuchi Utatsu, Minami-sanriku-cho, Motoyoshi-gun, Miyagi
[MAP] - Through out the day
Close:No scheduled holidays - +81-226-47-2550
(Minami-sanriku Tourism Association) - None
- ACCESS
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30 min by car from Sansan shopping street
Visit homes民泊家庭
Visit homes in Satoyama’s undeveloped woodlands!
You can learn about a different culture and experience how local people live in this area by visiting a family and helping out with their daily routine. People from this rural area are usually kind and affable. It’ll be a good experience for anyone who wants to spend some time with these local people who are trying to live in this city after the great earthquake.
- Depending on each family
[MAP] - Typically 15:00～10:00 (Next day)
- +81-226-47-2550
(Minami-sanriku Tourism Association) - Japanese
- None
- m-kankou.jp/english/experience/stay/minpaku-experience/
- Basic plan (1night + Breakfast and Dinner) 7,020 yen / per person.
- ACCESS
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30 min by car from the city center
Kirikoきりこ
Kiriko, a work of art made out of a paper.
Kiriko is a sacred decoration used for praying for a large harvest and a strong household. Kiriko are made by Shinto priests and are created using folded white paper with patterns cut into them. Kiriko is such a subtle and intricate art. You can enjoy a first-hand experience in this program.
- 26 Kaminoyama Shizugawa, Minami-sanriku-chō, Motoyoshi-gun, Miyagi
[MAP] - 10:00~/13:00~
Close:Need to ask - +81-90-8252-3630
- Japanese
- None
- m-kankou.jp/english/project/handcrafting-traditional-kiriko/
- 1,500 yen（includes tax）
- ACCESS
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20 min by car from the city center
Kamiwari-zaki神割崎
The legend of Kamiwari-zaki
The legend of Kamiwari-zaki states: Once upon a time, a large whale washed ashore as a token from god. The people from Tokura and Jusanhama villages could not agree on whom the whale belonged to. Later, in the middle of night, a loud thunder came from the heavens and cracked a massive rock in two. The split in the rock represented the border between the villages of Tokura and Jusanhama, and the whale was split in half.
You can view a beautiful sunrise from this large crevice during the middle of February and late November. There is a promenade where you can enjoy whale watching and taking in some of the natural beauty of the area.
- 81-23 Terahama Tokura, Minami-sanriku-chō, Motoyoshi-gun, Miyagi
[MAP] - Throughout the year
Close:No scheduled holidays - +81-226-46-9221
- Japanese
- None
- m-kankou.jp/english/project/cape-kamiwarisaki//
- 600 yen （children under 5 are free of charge）
- ACCESS
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30 min by car from the city center
Soba-dokoro Sugawara
すがわら
One of the best restaurants in the area!
You can taste high quality soba noodles at “Soba-dokoro Sugawara”. Its simple taste will make you want to come again. The restaurant is actually a house, so you will feel like you are at home. It’s so popular that, at times they will completely sell out for the day. Our recommendation is the Tenzaru soba. The seasonal tempura and handmade soba noodles go so well together. Please visit and try it out!
- 21-3 Hayashigiwa Iriya, Minami-sanriku-cho, Motoyoshi-gun, Miyagi
[MAP] - 11:00～14:00 / 17:00～20:00
Close:Wednesday - +81-226-46-6729
- Japanese
- None
- Tenzaru soba 1,100 yen (incld.tax）
- ACCESS
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40 min by car
Agricultural Experience農業体験
Let’s have an agricultural experience!
You will help out reconstructing the promenade and abandoned farms after the earthquake in this program. You can also witness first-hand, a unique agricultural technique of carefully growing a tree. You will also experience creating an information board for the promenade, benches, and other construction and agricultural tasks.
- TBA
[MAP] - Depends on each program
- +81-226-47-2550
- Japanese
- None
- m-kankou.jp/english/experience/do/sustainable-living/
- 1,200 yen～（tax not included.）
- ACCESS
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10 min by car from the portal center
Minami-sanriku Fukko Dako-nokai南三陸復興ダコの会
An abandoned school renovated into a new facility! You can meet the Yuru-chara mascot.
Minami-sanriku Fukko Dako-nokai utilizes an abandoned school, which was recently renovated. A specialty of Minami-sanriku is the octopus (tako) and the PR character called “Octopus-kun” was born in 2009! You can paint this octopus in any color at the facility. There are also products sold to support the reconstruction at Minami-sanriku’s, Dako-nokai.
- 227 Nakanomachi Iriya, Minami-sanriku-cho, Motoyoshi-gun, Miyagi
[MAP] - Weekdays:9:00～17:00/Weekend:9:00～15:00
- +81-226-46-5153
- Japanese
- None
- m-kankou.jp/english/project/yes-studio-octopus-boy/
- 2.000 yen
