Kesennuma's Mascot Hoyaboya!
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At a GlanceKesennuma city is the hub of northeastern Miyagi, and with a population of over 60,000. It also ranks as the 5th biggest city in Miyagi. Due to sustaining massive damage during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, people from all over Japan came here to help with recovery before eventually settling down. They usually say the same thing: "I came for the volunteering, and then stayed for charm".
Surrounded by rugged mountains on one side and the open sea on the other, Kesennuma retains both a natural beauty and small town charm while still having all the amenities that a bigger city has to offer. |
Bakery
Patisserie
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Niji no Mori - 虹の森
This bakery is located at the base of the hill on the way to K-Wave. It has really good pastries. You can order a drink and enjoy the view from the second floor. They also have bagels, a rare find in northern Japan. Koyama Confectionary - コヤマ菓子店
Koyama Confectionary has banana milkshakes, macarons, and buttermilk roll cakes! The cafe is super cute as well. You can even get a macaron of Hoya Boya's face! Burian - ブリアン洋菓子店
Burian is a well regarded patisserie. Their Valentine's Day chocolates are 100% handmade, using a high grade chocolate. It has a big sign out front, you can't miss it! Palpaw - パルポー A charming restaurant and cafe in Kesennuma. Known for its "gotto" pastry (made by layering cookie dough of different types), they also have some delicious pasta dishes as well! It's popular with locals. |
Cafe
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Anchor Coffee Mother Port - アンカーコーヒー マザーポート店
A cafe located in Tateyama. Mother Port has a modern vibe with lots of natural lighting. Mother Port also serves delicious food and drinks. This is a popular spot to gather with friends. Travelers' Cafe by Anchor Coffee - アンカーコーヒー内湾店 A branch of Anchor Coffee, located in Naiwan by the pier. A nice place to study or just relax while looking out on the port. It's a relaxing place to spend your time. |
Restaurant
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Don no Shibaraku - 丼の芝楽
A donburi restaurant attached to a house. Their curry-katsudon is fantastic, but other favorites include their salmon-don and the chicken katsudon. This is a family owned business, so it has a homey atmosphere. Naniwa no Takoyoshi - なにわのたこよし
This mom-and-pop restaurant is run by a married couple from Osaka. They serve Osaka's staples, like okonomiyaki and takoyaki. The owners are friendly and hardworking. Umi no Ichi - 気仙沼 「海の市」
A shopping mall specializing in fresh seafood, Umi no Ichi also has an eatery where you can buy many shark snacks like nuggets, shark fin buns, and shark fin ice cream. Shinraiken - 新来軒
A family-owned restaurant that serves different types of food, including ramen and a variety of teishoku. It's said to have a Showa-period reminiscent atmosphere. |
Chinese Restaurant
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Ichirin - 内湾の麺食堂 いちりん
A small Chinese restaurant, Ichirin is known for their soupless tantanmen (dandan noodles) and tender black vinegar pork. A great place to stop by for a quick meal that's worth the money! |
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Ramen
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Menmaru - めん丸
A really good ramen shop heading toward Motoyoshi. It's across from the Lawson and the CREA Supermarket off of Highway 45. |
Brewery
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Black Tide Brewing
The Naiwan area has a foreigner-owned brewery and you can take beer home if you bring a Stanley canister. There's also an open market next door if you want to get grocery shopping done after trying their beer as well. |
Poké Lids
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Miyagi Lapras PokeLid - Geodude and Lapras
Did you know that Miyagi's Support Pokemon is Lapras? There are 35 decorative Lapras Manhole Covers all over Miyagi! You can see this one outside of Anchor Coffee at the port! Geodude is Iwate's Support Pokemon and since Kesennuma is on the Miyagi-Iwate border it's fitting to see them shake hands! |
Park
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Anbasan Observatory - 安波山展望台
Atop Mt. Anbasan is an observatory where you can see the full city of Kesennuma below, complete with Oshima in the distance. The drive up is a bit narrow, but well worth the hassle. |
Island
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Oshima Island
One of Kesennuma's biggest tourist spots. Oshima is a small island town off the east coast of Kesennuma. It’s popular for its beaches in the summer, particularly Kodano hama (小田の浜) for swimming and stand-up paddling. Kugunari hama (十八鳴浜) is famous for its sandy beaches that squeak when you walk on them. Some beaches on Oshima have bioluminscent algae that sparkle as you swim at night. Oshima also has some of the best views of Kesennuma. For example, from the top of Mt. Kameyama (亀山), from the southern tip of Tatsumaizaki (龍舞崎), or from the Oshima Bridge, which connected Oshima to Kesennuma in April 2019. There are also plenty of local restaurants, including a group of shops at Nodoka (野杜海) by the old port, where you can try local dishes including fresh seafood, ramen, and yuzu soft-serve ice cream. |
Cape
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Cape Iwaisaki - 岩井崎
At Cape Iwaisaki, you can see two very impressive monuments. The Dragon Pine, and a Statue of the sumo wrestler champion Hidenoyama Raigoro. There's also a small blowhole and a lighthouse. Every New Year's Day there is always a group of people who try to get a picture the first sunrise of the year directly in the dragon's eye. |
Monument
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Dragon Tree - 龍の松
When the 3.11 Tsunami hit Iwaisaki, it washed away nearly everything. However, there lies a pine tree in the park that was twisted into a shape of a dragon that overlooks the Iwaisaki cliffside. Ruins of Koyo SHS - 旧向洋高学校 On Iwaisaki are the ruins of the former senior high school for this area. The ruins are largely left as-is since 2011, making for a sobering reminder of the disaster experienced on that day. Kesennuma Memorial Park - 気仙沼市復興祈念公園 Atop a hill overlooking central Kesennuma, this park contains the names and ages of those lost during the tsunami in 2011. There is also a sail shaped room for offering wishes or prayers towards the sea. |
Shrine
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Atago Shrine - 愛宕神社
A local and unattended shrine that features many mosaic embellishments including a map of Kesennuma. Uminoko Shrine - 海の子神社
Not only does Umi no Ichi have places to eat, it also has a shrine dedicated to Kesennuma's mascot, Hoya Boya! There is a gift shop filled with Hoya Boya merchandise! |
Garden
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Enunkan Gardens - 煙雲館庭園
A historical garden that has centuries old trees, was home to gold-mining areas, and used to be a samurai home. Akasaka Public Park - 赤坂公衆公園 A park in the west of Kesennuma. In mid June countless hydrangeas bloom here, making it a good spot to view them from nearby prefectures in Miyagi! |
Sports Center
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K-Wave
In addition to Western ball sports, K-Wave features many traditional Japanese arts like kendo, shotokan karate, kenpo karate, and kyudo. You can join circles to practice taiko drumming and perform during Minato Matsuri every summer. In Spring, there is a Tsubaki Marathon. |
Manga Cafe
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Alice Box - ありすボックス
Kesennuma's very own manga cafe. There are tons of manga along the wall as well as free wi-fi. You can even order food and drinks. Usually, there's anime music playing in the background on a large TV. Like other manga cafes, you can stay overnight for about 1500 yen. |
Event
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Minato Matsuri (including Hamarainya)
The summer festival, "Minato Matsuri" is the most famous festival in Kesennuma. |
Museum
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Kesennuma Shark Museum - 気仙沼シャークミュージアム
Found in Umi no Ichi is one of Kesennuma's most famous attractions: the Shark Museum! Easily identifiable by it's red exterior, the large museum is located on Kesennuma's scenic port. It features impressive life-sized models of many species of sharks including Great Whites and Whale Sharks. If you are a fan of aquatic life, you won't regret making a stop here. Ice Aquarium - 氷の水族館
Right next to the Shark Museum is the Ice Aquarium! The Ice Aquarium is like a giant refrigerator for different kinds of fish! You can see which fish are native to the Sanriku Coast here! |
Shopping areas
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Mukaeru - 迎 ムカエル
This cozy shopping center consists of two cafes, an Italian restaurant; a souvenir shop; and a clothing store. Murasakijinjamae - 紫神社前商店街 A massive two story shopping mall full of different stores, all locally owned. There are places to buy fresh fish, bars, and even an Italian restaurant located inside. Yuwaeru - United Villages - 結（ユワエル） Just in front of Murasakijinjamae is Yuwaeru, also known as United Villages. Another shopping street, it has quite the collection of shops. |
