tokyo-iwate

From Tokyo, it takes about 3 hours to get to Ichinoseki by Shinkansen

From Ichinoseki to Kesennuma it was about 1.25 hours on the Ofunato Line

(Kesennuma is actually in Miyagi prefecture.)

We didn't get to explore this area because we needed to catch our connecting bus...next time!

To get to Rikuzentakata you need to transfer to a bus called BRT (Bus Rapid Transit)

It took about an hour from Kesennuma to Rikuzentakata

The BRT has replaced the area of train tracks that was lost in the tsunami

We found the manhole cover for MLB's Roki Sasaki at the tourist information center

Nearby is the memorial for all those lost in the tsunami.

Seeing all the names etched into the black marble...I could feel all the sadness

We also found the Pokemon manhole cover nearby

From the tourist information center, we walked down to see the Miracle Pine

On the way is Tapica, which used to be their michi no eki (rest stop)

The brown signs on the sides of the building indicate just how high the tsunami was!

Where the miracle pine stands, there used to be 70,000 pine trees!

It is said that the youth hostel (the yellowish building in the background) nearby saved the miracle pine from being knocked down by the tsunami.

The tree died the same year as the tsunami but has been preserved for everyone to see.

It is so tall and was amazing to see!

The creator of Anpanman, Yanase Takashi also made a mosaic of the miracle pine.

We then walked along the  new sea wall...so hard to fathom that the tsunami took out this whole area!

At the new rest stop there is also a tsunami museum/memorial

Here you can learn about tsunami, what you can do in case of one and also see video of the events of the day Tohoku experienced the tsunami.

Stop at the pool to reflect, say a prayer and look out towards the ocean...

Dinner was an assortment of unusual seafood dishes...

Like scallop baked in cream...so rich but the scallop was cooked perfectly

Kani Batto...a soup dish that has pieces of dough dropped into the soup.

This version had crab leg in it

Hoya (sea squirt)...ugh! this was super bitter!

Manbow (sun fish) with sumiso (vinegar miso), a little tough but interesting to try.

The cucumber pickles were ono! had myoga on it too.

Harmonica is the dorsal fin of a mekajiki (swordfish)...this was cooked nitsuke style and amazingly gelatinous and flavorful

Dessert was vanilla ice cream topped with Rikuzentakata shoyu made into a mitarashi sauce....sweet salty goodness!

It was a long day, but we saw and did all that we intended to.

Hotel Sanyo

Fuppushi 155-6 Kesencho

Rikuzentakata, Iwate