September itinerary in Japan Day 4 (Iwate Day 2)
(Wednesday, September 29)
Table of contents
1.Takatamatsubara Memorial Park
Introduction
As originally planned, I moved from Kesennuma to Rikuzentakata by bus (bus high-speed transportation system) in the morning. Since the state of emergency was lifted, Takatamatsubara Memorial Park was reopened on September 18th.
https://edokagura.com/en/local-cuisine/455/
To move around Rikuzentakata, we recommend renting a bicycle at the Rikuzentakata City Tourism and Products Association (next to Rikuzentakata Station). The rental cycle fee is 200 yen for 3 hours, and the electric bicycle is 300 yen. I think it is most efficient to go to Rikuzentakata Station first, then rent a bicycle at the Rikuzentakata City Tourism and Products Association (a very beautiful building) next to it and go around Rikuzentakata.
1.Takatamatsubara Memorial Park
(Next to the Kiseki no Ipponmatsu station)
Takatamatsubara Memorial Park is a national memorial and prayer facility for the purpose of mourning the victims of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and handing down lessons learned from the earthquake. Given the large number of victims, the long road to the embankment feels like a road to heaven. Even now, flowers are constantly being donated to the flower stand. The number of victims of the earthquake in Rikuzentakata was 1,757. The casualty rate for the tsunami inundation area population is 10.64%, which is the highest on the coasts of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures.
Before the earthquake, Takatamatsubara was a scenic spot that was selected as one of the 100 Landscapes of Japan, but now there is almost nothing. I have to say that reconstruction has hardly progressed. We can still understand the magnitude of the damage caused by the tsunami.
https://takatamatsubara-park.com/
First, I went to see “Miracle Pine” in Takatamatsubara Memorial Park. “Miracle Pine” is the only pine that survived the tsunami out of the 70,000 pine trees that grew in Takata Matsubara during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Although it died after the earthquake, it was put back in its original place after preservation work such as antiseptic treatment of the trunk. The remains of the earthquake, “Rikuzentakata Youth Hostel,” remains in a distorted shape next to the miracle pine tree.
Other remains of the earthquake include “Tapic 45 (former roadside station Takatamatsubara)”, “Kesen Junior High School”, and “Shimojuku Settlement Promotion Housing”. “Tapic 45” and “Kesen Junior High School” are near the Takatamatsubara Memorial Park, but “Shimojuku Settlement Promotion Housing” is located far away, so it is necessary to rent a bicycle to visit. It is convenient to have it.
The Iwate Tsunami Memorial Hall, located in the Takatamatsubara Memorial Park, is a facility where you can learn about the actual situation of tsunami damage and learn lessons. It is a facility that we want many people to visit.
https://iwate-tsunami-memorial.jp/
After visiting the Takata Matsubara Tsunami Reconstruction Memorial Park, I had lunch, drank craft beer, and then headed from Rikuzentakata to Ichinoseki and Morioka.
Note: The departure / arrival times, fees, admission fees, etc. of transportation listed in the text are as of the time of writing the BLOG. They may change in the future, so please check for yourself when you go on a trip.