Kami-go is the official character for Kami!
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At a GlanceNearing the outskirts of the prefecture before jutting through the Ou Mountains, there is the town of Kami. It is an amalgamation of three towns; Onoda (小野田), Miyazaki (宮崎), and Nakaniida (中新田). Known throughout the region for Yakurai Garden, Kami is a town of equal parts beauty and rice.
Onoda and Miyazaki are beautiful, with rolling hills and valleys filled with rice fields, but not much else. Nakaniida has majority of the shops in the town of Kami. Mt. Yakurai, situated in Onoda, casts its small shadow over Kami and makes for a good hour long hike. There are also restaurants, a nice hotel, (rentable) cabins, an onsen, and a water park at the base of Mt. Yakurai. When not swimming, you can practice karate in the evening at Nakaniida High School. |
Restaurants
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Liverte
An Italian restaurant, popular among the ALTs situated in the Nakaniida section of Kami. Genjiro A restaurant featuring all-organic fare, complete with raw milk from local cows. Try the poundcake or curry and you won't be disappointed! The owners will even include free samples from their farm, and even their desserts! As an added bonus, they're even featured in the Michelin Guide! Restaurant Bunamori - レストランぶな森 Part of the Yakurai Water Park complex, this is a half restaurant half beer garden. The dishes have a German bent to them, and are all Western themed. The beer is brewed on site, and is quite delicious. Yakurai Heights - やくらいハイツ A yakiniku restaurant specialising in lamb. Incredibly popular with both visitors to the nearby garden and locals! Picchone - 食堂ピッチョーネ A Japanese-Italian restaurant serving up pizza, pasta, and more! Try the spaghetti! |
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Yoshihisa - 喜久しん
An upscale Japanese restaurant with delicious eel dishes. Soemon - 宗右衛門 A soba restaurant with locally milled buckwheat in its handmade noodles. The zaru-soba is perfect to beat the summer heat after hiking Mt. Yakurai! |
Cafés
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Ensamble Coffee - アンサンブルコーヒー
A coffee store which has been operating since 2009 in Kami. The owner is incredibly friendly, and the atmosphere is quite comfortable. |
Patisserie
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Le Pain Cona*Cona
A hidden bakery in Kami. It might take a pass or two in your car to find it, but when you do, it's quite worth the trouble! Be warned they close when they sell out, which can be within a few minutes of opening. Baikado - 梅花堂 An older bakery in central Kami. They specialise in fig based desserts, but also offer cream puffs and other classics as well. |
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Bunka - 文華
A ramen/Chinese restaurant with a distinctly Showa Era feeling to it. If you want the retro dining experience with large portions, try it out! 347 Ramen - 麺屋三四七 A pretty popular ramen restuarant on the way to Yakurai Gardens. It constantly has a line out the door, and parking fills up fast! Ozawa Shokudou - おざわ食堂 Another popular ramen restaurant, this time specialising in chicken based ramen! Worth a looksee if you're in the area and looking for some good chicken soup. |
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Fushigi - 不思議・パブリックカフェレストラン
A bar located in central Kami, and popular among foreigners. The owner is quite friendly and serves up some mean pasta. |
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Miyagi Lapras Pokemon Manhole - Rosellia
There are 35 decorative Lapras Manhole Covers all over Miyagi! You can see Rosellia in Kami, which is known for their famous Rose Garden! If you head towards Mt. Yakurai you will see an yellow building known as Yakushi no Yu, which is a hot spring! Stop there for some relaxing baths and to see Rosellia and Lapras |
Gardens
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Yakurai Garden - やくらいガーデン
Yakurai is pretty famous around Miyagi. They're known for the large variety of roses and events. Prices of tickets depends on season and time of day. In autumn, there is the Halloween Light Up which is very popular with the younger folk. During spring you can just go and see all the flowers in bloom. It's a place worth visiting if you just want to be surrounded by flowers and nature. |
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Tenjo Mugen Sake Brewery - 中勇酒造店
An incredibly famous sake brewery, well respected throughout the region. Tours are available, but you need a reservation. Offers tasting as well. Sanwa Sake Brewery - 山和酒造店 Another well-respected sake brewery in Kami. They also offer tours and tasting. Their sake pairs well with seafood, apparently. |
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Dagashi Taketonbo - だがし屋 竹とんぼ
A small dagashi (sweets) shop in central Kami. While usually dagashi shops are aimed at children, this shop is plenty fine for adults too. The owner is apparently a mildly famous children's book author, so his works are on sale too if you want to take a read. |
Hiking Spots
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Mount Yakurai - 薬萊山
While not a big mountain, it's still worth a trip up. Depending on your skill level it can be a workout going up and down, but the view is nice. |
Hot Springs
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Yakushi no Yu - 薬師の湯
A nice pit stop near Mt. Yakurai. Not only can you get your onsen on, you can dine, play at the golf course, or shop at the souvenir shop here! Look for the yellow buildings on the way to Mt. Yakurai. Kappa no Yu - かっぱのゆ Another pit stop of sorts in Kami. It's an older onsen facility which is pretty popular among locals. There's a restaurant featuring dishes made from local ingredients, a small farmer's stand now and then, and clean facilities. |
